Happy Saturday everyone, hope you all had a good week. Been a bit busy over here where I am; yard work, school prep, among other things. But all-in-all, rather quiet, and quite hot and muggy. Lucky me, I had a guest toss in a review, so I'll hit that up before we get into 'Spades's Corner'.
Carnie-Sama: Thanks for the input, and as I said in a previous poll, there really aren't that many romance stories that include Nel, and she happens to be my favorite female character in the series.
Now, on the Spades; yeah, I kinda caught the dullness the 'date' turned into 'after' you said something about it. In truth, I thought the kissing scene in the mall was the perfect point to end the chapter, but there was still a bit more to put in. And now that I look at it, I'm inclined to agree with ya that it did turn out a bit dull.
As far as Tim's return comment to Yoruichi, again, my humor got the best of me. I 'was' gonna have Tim be the overall victor here, but let's face it, Yoruichi Shihōin would 'never' back down from a verbal fight. Lmao.
Questions…or rather…'question'.
1: I'm not gonna answer this one, because you actually get you answer 'in' this chapter, lol. So sit back and enjoy, Spades.
And now, on to our reading.
(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)
Chapter 24
(Moving Forward)
Karakura Town, 1 Hour Later
Nel stood there silently, in an all too familiar park, looking at a spot that was just as familiar. It was the spot where everything started, the exact spot where she had thrown herself in front of an attack from an Adjuchas that was meant for Timothy. The place where he and her first met.
As she stood there, with her arms crossed and a fallen expression on her face, she ran through all of the events that had occurred since that day; and even before that. The most notable thought was when she had lost Gamuza, or thought she did.
She remembered that, back then, she would have done anything to have her back. To be able to talk with her again. The spirit was her other half, pretty much literally. She was a part of Nel, and Nel of her.
But ever since Kisuke had her use that device of his to force Gamuza into the real world, bit by bit the two of them steadily grew apart. And it all came down to one thing, one person: Timothy.
Gamuza simply despised him, but Nel, a little to her embarrassment, cherished him. She cared for him, was in the process of discovering feelings for him, and if Yoruichi and Kitsune's words were actually true, possibly even 'loved' him.
And Gamuza, she hated him because he was an 'enemy'. The spirit just adamantly refused to even consider giving him a chance. And it was plain and simple when she and Gamuza fought, when the spirit stated she was going to kill him. Nel knew it, could literally see it in her eyes, that Gamuza was actually going to kill him.
Nel would have done anything, risked anything, in order to get Gamuza back. And here she stood, only three days after she had done so, and she had already tossed her aside; all because she wanted to protect him, because she cared for him.
And it all scared her. Not because she essentially left Gamuza, although it did pain her greatly; no, she was scared the most because she didn't feel any remorse towards it. Leaving Gamuza hurt her, but for some reason, she just couldn't feel any regret about making that choice.
It was as if she had cared more about Timothy than she did for her own hollow spirit; a part of her. Did her action towards Gamuza mean that it was true? Did she really care more about Timothy than the hollow spirit? What other explanations for her actions could there be?
With a heavy sigh, the woman sat down, resting her hands in her lap as she looked up at the clouds. They were a tad grey, and covered the majority of the sky; telling her that it was likely to rain soon.
But at the moment, she really didn't care. Not only was she thinking about her and Gamuza's interaction earlier, but she was also trying to figure out how it would affect her in the future.
Now that she basically cut Gamuza off, therefor cutting off her own powers, she was now, except for her core hollow abilities and a couple of her special attributes, essentially useless. She could defend herself against typical hollows and Gillians, maybe a few Adjuchas, and lower ranking soul reapers, but that was basically it.
If the soul society found out about her, there was really nothing she could do. She would have to rely on Timothy to help her, and it made her feel like nothing more than a burden to him; something that she absolutely hated.
Taking a deep breath, Nel lowered her head to see the trees nearby. "What do I do now?" she asked in a whisper.
"Well, talking about it would be a start." A familiar female voice stated behind her.
Nel gave an annoyed sigh, but didn't turn to face the person when she responded. "Did you not get the hint that I was not in the mood earlier, Yoruichi?" she inquired.
Behind her, the said, golden-eyed woman stood a few yards away from the Arrancar with her arms crossed; a calm and concerned look on her face.
"I'm aware that you're in a foul mood, Nel; but even though I like to tease most of the time, I can be someone who will listen to what others have to say, and can even give some good advice. So, what do ya say? Care to use an extra set of ears and talk about what's bothering you?" the former Captain offered.
The Arrancar glanced over her shoulder at the woman with a skeptical look. "Why should I trust you to listen to what I have to say? For all you know, it could be 'you' I'm angry at."
Yoruichi shrugged a shoulder. "That's true, it 'could' be me that you're angry at. But we both know that that's not the case this time. I'm gonna take a guess that it has to do with your hollow spirit?"
Nel's brow rose in surprise. "And how would you know? I don't recall saying anything about it before I left the shop."
The older woman walked up and stopped next to her. "Kisuke thought it might be the case. He said that your hollow spirit seems to have it out for Tim, for some reason or another. So, judging by your reaction, I'm guessing Kisuke had the right conclusion?"
The former Espada stared at the woman standing above her for a moment, but eventually turned back to the trees and nodded.
"He is. I can't understand why, but Gamuza just won't give him a chance to prove himself. Just because he's a soul reaper, she absolutely hates him, and wants to kill him. Tim has done nothing wrong, and I have pointed it out to her several times, but she just won't accept it." She informed, then sighed and dropped her head. "That's why…I choose to leave her."
Yoruichi rose both brows in surprise. "You left your own hollow spirit? What exactly do you mean, Nel?" she asked carefully, then sat down next to the other woman.
"Just as I said; I told Gamuza that I wanted nothing to do with her, until she can accept that she will have to get along with Tim, and accept that he is going to be a part of our lives from now on. And I really don't want to admit it, but I don't think that is ever going to happen." She paused to look at the woman next to her with a saddened face. "Gamuza will never accept Tim, she is always going to hate him, simply 'because' he's a soul reaper."
She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them with a deep breath. "I didn't want to choose between them, Yoruichi; but Gamuza left me with no choice. What's worse is…I don't feel guilty for choosing Tim over her. I had thought that…I would feel regret for abandoning my hollow spirit for him, for a soul reaper. But I don't. I don't feel…anything. I know that it's because I 'do' have feelings for him, but…" Her voice locked up as she gripped her legs tighter.
Yoruichi maintained a neutral face as she nodded. "But you had no idea that they were 'that' deep, so to say?" she filled in.
Nel nodded gently. "Yeah…And now that I've made my choice, now I feel like I've become a burden to him. Without Gamuza, I'm pretty much useless to everyone. Sure, I can still use ceros, sonído, pesquisa, and my Cero Doble; but that's it. I feel that…all I'm going to end up doing is holding everyone back."
The former Captain nodded in understanding. "I see what you mean, and I can understand why you would feel that way; but I think that either you're choosing not to see it, or you're just too lost in your thoughts to see it."
The Arrancar turned her head to the woman. "What is that?" she asked.
Yoruichi rested a hand on her shoulder. "The fact that Tim would never see you as a burden. Everyone can see that. Sure, you might be a little handicapped, or whatever, because of the situation between you and Gamuza, but Tim, nor any of us for that matter, would view you as a burden. I won't lie and tell you that some of the situations that you being here have caused are not an inconvenience; but you are by no means a burden to us. Are you sure that you and Gamuza can't come to some sort of compromise in regards to Tim?"
Nel shook her head. "No. After the ultimatum that I gave her, there is no way she will ever allow us to even be near each other. She almost tried to kill him once, and with the condition Tim was in at the time, she would have easily succeeded. It's simple Yoruichi, it was either Gamuza, or Tim. And I chose Tim." she stated as tears began to form in her eyes; the severity of the situation finally hitting her.
The golden-eyed woman smiled a bit, but not in her usual, suggestive manner that was normal for her, but rather a kind, and warming smile that was meant to comfort, instead of tease.
"Nel, my girl, there's really no point in hiding anything now. If you had chosen to 'abandon' your own hollow spirit, essentially your powers as well, in order to stay with Tim, then you very clearly have deep feelings for him. It's especially the case if you are feeling no guilt for making that decision. And I'm not saying this to make fun of you or anything like that, but to point it out to you so you don't get confused about it later; or even have doubt about those feelings. However, you should never just give up on trying to compromise with Gamuza. I'm sure that she'll 'eventually' at least come to accept that he's going to be around from now on." Yoruichi comforted.
Nel gave her a serious look. "Gamuza is extremely stubborn, Yoruichi; she has always been that way. If she has her mind set on something, nothing, sometimes not even myself, can change her mind. If she is this adamant about killing him, even with the threat of leaving her, nothing will change it. She will not be happy, unless Tim is dead, and it is as simple as that. And I refuse to allow that to happen. That is the whole reason 'why' I left her. I will not let her harm him." She declared as a few tears ran down her cheeks.
She turned her head away and sniffed. "Please…don't mention this to Tim. We both know he would be very upset with this whole thing. And I don't want him to worry about me when he has far more important things to worry about." She asked.
Yoruichi gave her a gentle pat on the back. "You don't have to worry, Nel, I'm not going to say anything. It's not really my business to do so. But take my advice when I say that keeping this a secret from him will not end peacefully. You know that he's going to eventually find out, or at least start piecing it together. And when he does, he will likely be very upset with you for keeping something important like that from him."
Nel swiftly looked at her. "That may be true, but like I said, he has far more important things to worry about, and I can't be one of them. I will tell him eventually, but right now is just very simply not the time. And just so you know, the only reason I am even still around and have not just left is because I know how much it would hurt him. I know that, if I did leave, he would drop everything, regardless of what it was, to come find me again."
The woman lowered her head as more tears fell. "I can't believe has stupidly ironic it is, Yoruichi; that 'I' am the aspect of Loyalty, yet Tim is the one who is showing more of it than I. He has 'proved' to be more loyal than I could ever be."
Yoruichi lightly scoffed in humor, then started ruffling the hair on the top of the Arrancar's head. "I wouldn't exactly say 'that', Nel. You seem to have quite a bit of 'loyalty' to him when you willingly throw your own powers aside to stay with him. If you don't consider 'that' loyalty, then your standards are ridiculously high." She stated firmly, then dropped her hand.
"Yoruichi." She called in a low and depressing tone.
"Yeah?"
Nel looked at her with a serious face. "Please…be honest with me; with everything considered, what I am, 'who' I am, you guys, this whole situation with Aizen…do you think…I'm making the right choice?" Yoruichi eyes widened a bit at her question, causing the Arrancar to turn away. "I mean…helping you guys, who are supposed to be my enemy, feeling the way I do for someone that I'm supposed to hate, just…everything. Am I really making the right choices…or am I just being a naïve woman who is doing nothing but making bad decisions?"
Yoruichi watched the woman closely, trying to discern if she was being serious. "Why exactly are you asking that? Are you regretting everything that's happened so far? You regretting having feelings for Tim?" she asked cautiously.
The former Espada didn't answer, but only tightened her grip around her legs. "Nel, I mean it. Why are you asking me that question? Are you feeling guilty for the decisions you've made so far, joining with us?" the former Captain pressed harder and firmer, now with a serious look on her face.
"I don't…I don't know." Nel answered in a broken voice. "This is going against 'everything' that I have known my entire life, as far as I can remember. A deep part of me is telling me that I'm doing the wrong thing, that I am nothing more than a traitor. But another part of me is yelling, screaming at me that I 'am' doing the right thing. I feel so divided…confused. I hate fighting…I just can't stand it. I would like nothing better than to never have to fight again. But I can't just sit around and do nothing while everyone close to me 'is' fighting for what they want."
She then buried his face into her knees. "I feel as if I'm fighting for the wrong side…but I also feel glad for doing so. And you're right, I can't deny that I have feelings for Tim; but I also feel that I'm supposed to hate him. When I defended Tim against that Adjuchas, and against Yammy, I felt relieved that Tim was safe; but I also felt horrible for fighting against those who are supposed to be my allies. And Gamuza is only making it all worse. She's making me feel that I am nothing more than a pathetic traitor. I'm so confused, Yoruichi."
The woman looked up at the former Captain. "Please…I'm asking you as a friend…tell me what I am supposed to do, Yoruichi. Is fighting alongside you, Kisuke, Tim, and the others the right choice…or am I really just a traitor?" she pleaded.
Yoruichi stared at the tear-stricken woman with a pang of pity. Her entire life as a soul reaper she had been taught that hollows, regardless of class, were supposed to be emotionless creatures; even though Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde did have some sense of humanity in them. But what Nel was showing right in front of her, threw all of that out the window.
She knew after the first few days that Nel was a bit more sensitive than she would have thought possible for an Arrancar, especially an Espada; but the woman was literally breaking down in tears right in front of her.
"Nel…" Yoruichi started, then crossed her arms loosely. "…I'm going to tell you this, not as a soul reaper, former or otherwise, to an Arrancar, or even as a woman to another woman, but instead as a friend to a friend, and you can trust me on this when I say I know what you mean; choosing sides in a fight, war, or anything, is not simple. It is not 'always' going to be good and bad, right and wrong. Sometimes, both sides are wrong; both sides are bad. That's why there's the term, 'the lesser of two evils'. That's not exactly the case here, as it's quite evident that Aizen's intentions, whatever they may be, are wrong; but the phrase still stands."
She rested a hand on the Arrancar's shoulder, gripping it gently. "It doesn't matter what the situation is Nel, if you do something, anything, that's not natural, or that goes against what you've been taught, it's going to feel wrong. I already heard the story behind why you left Hueco Mundo, and why Aizen tried to kill you; but let me ask you something, Nel."
The woman nodded. "Why did you feel the way you did when you saw that footage of Tim's fight, and after Aizen told you what he did to him and his wife? What exactly 'did' you feel about the whole thing?" Yoruichi asked.
Nel dropped her head again. "I felt horrible…That what Aizen did was nothing but just sheer cruelty. There was no reason for him to do what he did. If he had simply killed them, then it would have been understandable; but to do something so inhumane…it was just wrong, regardless of what side you fought for. Even though, at the time, I thought his ambitions were just, I just…I just couldn't stand to serve someone who could do something like that. It felt so wrong. And when I saw the look on his face when he told us what he did…"
She paused a moment and Yoruichi could see her gripping her sleeves so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.
"I saw no remorse…no regret for what he did in his eyes. In fact…he was 'happy' he did it. And I knew, at that point, that his cold actions were not going to stop there. I realized right then and there exactly who he was…what he was. We hollows are viewed as monsters to you soul reapers, but if 'anyone' is a true monster…it's Aizen. At that point…I didn't care who I fought for…what side I fought on…as long as it wasn't for him. I didn't want to be a part of his cruelty anymore. And after…"
Nel stopped and sniffed before slowly continuing. "After what he did…made 'me' do…to Pesche and Dondochakka…it was too much…It showed me that that man's cruelty truly had no bounds. That he would literally do 'anything' to get what he wanted. I'm glad that I'm no longer with him. But…" She raised her head to look at the trees again, her face now soaked. "…would it have been better to just stay out of this? Was joining you guys the right choice? Am I really as naïve as Gamuza claims I am to have feelings for Tim? Was choosing to leave her for Tim the right decision?"
Yoruichi sighed heavily and shook her head. "Wow…you're dumber than I thought." She remarked, causing the Arrancar to look at her in confusion.
"What?" Nel asked in shock.
"You're dumb, for thinking like that." The golden-eyed woman stated again. "Obviously you're gonna feel out of place for switching sides, that's a given. And yeah, you 'are' going to be viewed as a traitor to those you used to be with. But, the point is that you're doing what you feel to be right in your heart. You felt that Tim had been through enough in his life, and didn't deserve to be killed by that Adjuchas; hence why you saved him." She pointed out, then looked at the woman in disbelief.
"You felt that Aizen deserved to be punished for what he did, and what he's doing, so you made the choice to join us to make that happen. You made the choice that felt right inside; so that doesn't make you naïve, but instead, genuine. You chose to fight for what you believed in; and, in my opinion, and I know Tim would agree with this, is always the right choice."
The woman wrapped an arm around the former Espada's shoulders, pulling her into a side hug, shocking the woman. "You're a good person, Nel; regardless if you're a hollow, or Arrancar, whatever. Even if you may think or feel that it's odd to fight on the 'wrong side'; all that matters, is that you followed your heart. And as long as you two care for each other deep enough, then it shouldn't matter that you're an Arrancar and Tim a soul reaper. I won't deny that you two having a relationship is going to be tough, to say the least; but as long as you two are 'really' willing to see it through, then you can make it happen. You just gotta have faith in each other." She concluded.
Nel's shoulders trembled, before she turned her body and wrapped both arms around the other woman's waist, resting her head against the woman's chest.
"Thank you…Yoruichi." She said in a low and trembling voice.
The golden-eyed woman smiled and held her tighter while resting her free hand on top of the Arrancar's head to start stroking her hair.
"Anytime, Nel. I may tease a bit excessively every now and then, but I'll always lend a hand if you're in trouble. And so would Tim and Kisuke. All of us would do what we could to help you. But in order for us to do that, 'you' are the one who has to have faith in 'us' that we will be there for you. If Gamuza can't get over her hatred towards us, then it's her loss, not yours. 'She'll' be the one who ends up all alone, while you are the one who has others to call friends. Don't let what she says lead you away from what you think to be right, Nel."
She released her hold on the woman and held her at arm's length while gripping her shoulders. "And don't think that because you can't use your powers that you'll be a burden to us, Nel. The only people who become burdens to others, are those that choose to do nothing. That is not you. You are choosing to leave your powers behind to stay with us, to stay with Tim. That is 'not' an easy decision to make; yet, you made it, for us. Don't forget that, Nel." She stated firmly, then pulled the woman into another hug.
Nel gripped the older woman tightly and nuzzled her face into the woman's shoulder with a smile on her face.
"I won't. Thank you…so much, Yoruichi." She said in a, now calm voice.
Yoruichi scoffed. "Glad to help. So, you ready to head back? Tim was a bit worried about you when he noticed you were gone."
The two women released, where Nel shook her head. "Actually, I'd like to stay here for a bit longer…if it's ok."
The former Captain smiled back and nodded. "Don't have too much fun, or I might get angry with you for not inviting me." She teased.
Nel chuckled. "The only thing I think you would find to be 'fun' would be something that included your…perverted remarks."
Yoruichi crossed her arms with a huff. "I guess I can't deny that one; and while we're on that topic, I thought I'd let you know that I decided to cut you and Tim a little slack. Afterall, I guess it would be fair to say that you two…and Kit…" she said, then snickered at the thought of the spirit passing out. "…paid enough for his remarks last night. So, I guess we're even now. But that don't mean you're immune from an occasional tease every now and then." She informed.
The Arrancar's face fell. "I wish you would just leave us alone, Yoruichi. This is all still new to me, and I have a lot to think about."
"I know, and if you ever need some advice, and yes, 'genuine' advice, on this matter, all you gotta do is ask. Like I said, I may tease a lot, but I'll always help where I can; even for matters like this. But, if you don't mind me asking, just how far have you two gotten in your relationship?" the former Captain inquired with a grin.
Nel turned a bit pink and looked away. "That's…between me and Tim."
This peaked the older woman's interest. "Oh? Do tell." She pressed.
The other woman sunk her head into her shoulders. "…Well…" she started, but quickly stopped.
"Well? I'm waiting. Or, would you rather I get the story by 'another means'?" Yoruichi threatened.
The threat worked, as Nel moaned in discomfort. "Ok! Fine! We…kissed…" she admitted in a low voice, too low for the other woman to catch.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Yoruichi pressed, a hand cupped to her ear.
Nel shirked away more. "We…kissed." She said a bit louder.
"Sorry…can't hear you. Once more?"
The former Espada glared at the woman and growled. "We kissed!" she yelled, then slapped a hand over her mouth with wide eyes.
Yoruichi's eyes widened as well for a split second, then she grinned evilly. "Oh? Is that so? I must admit Nel, I didn't think you had it in you. So, who started it, you or him?"
Nel turned away with a huff and crossed her arms. "H…He did…both times." She said, then slapped her face at her slipup.
The older woman grinned more with a raised brow. "Oh?! You two kissed twice?! Oooohh, Nel…you naughty girl, you." She teased, making the woman bury her face in her hands.
"Oh god…what could I have done to earn this torture?" she whined.
Yoruichi laughed and patted the woman on the back. "Calm down, Nel. I'm glad you two have something between you two. Just be sure to ask me if you need any advice with any 'extra activities'." She said in a suggestive manner.
Nel quickly looked at her with wide eyes and a red face. "Yoruichi!" she whined further, making the woman laugh harder before she stood up.
"It's fine if you're unsure about how to proceed, Nel. I'm sure if you ask Kisuke, he'll 'use one of his gigais to give you the basics in sex-ed'." She teased further, turning Timothy's own remark against the woman.
"You're dead!" Nel yelled, but before she could get up to go after the golden-eyed woman, she had flashed away. The Arrancar growled deeply and slammed a fist into the ground. "I'm going to kill that damn demon!" she hissed.
Growling once more, she then took a deep, calming breath before letting it out slowly and giving a gentle smile. "Thanks…Yoruichi."
Squad 7 Headquarters, Present
A knock on the office door roused Sajin from his thoughts when he decided to take a quick break from his paperwork to clear his head.
"You may enter." He answered in a gruff voice, clearly tired.
The door opened and Minato, along with Hinata walked in, giving the man a brief bow before walking up and stopping in front of his desk.
"Morning, Captain. I came to tell you that four members, including Hinata here, have volunteered to transfer to Squad 5." He informed.
Sajin turned to the woman with a curious expression. "I see. And you are aware of the situation surrounding the squad, correct, miss Ogawa?" he inquired.
She gave him a firm nod. "Yes sir, I'm aware that the members of Squad 5 have been getting…discriminated against lately. Even so, they need help, so my friends and I have all decided to go help where we could."
The Captain rose a brow. "By 'friends', are you referring to…"
Hinata nodded. "Yes, I mean Kenta, Issei, and Yuka." She affirmed.
Sajin took a deep breath. "Seeing that you know miss Sano the best, would you say that she is…emotionally capable to transfer and handle these absurd discriminations?" he asked in a concerned tone.
She sighed. "I think…" she started, but couldn't finish.
"Say what you need to say, miss Ogawa." Sajin instructed calmly.
The woman nodded. "Sir, I think, in my personal opinion, that a…change of scenery…is what she could use right now. As far as the discriminations, Yuka has never been one to let words get to her down. In fact, she's more likely to 'beat' down the one who said something to her; especially if it was against her brother. As I'm sure you can imagine, with Junya now gone, that fact is only going to be worse. So, I think you should be more worried about those who choose to make fun of her, rather than her being made fun of." She said with a light chuckle.
Sajin narrowed his gaze. "I see…but she is not prone to 'starting' fights, is she?" he asked cautiously.
She quickly shook her head. "No sir! She's actually 'very' friendly! It's only when others say something offensive to her, or about her brother, that she gets aggressive. And even then, she only gets aggressive enough to prove a point, or to make them stop. She's completely defensive, not outright aggressive. If you want my opinion sir, I think this transfer would be good, not only for her, but maybe for the other members of Squad 5. I think that, if they see, and no offense to her, a 'woman', who has just lost her brother, fight off 'male' soul reapers alone, that could very well give them encouragement to do the same for themselves." She advised.
The furry Captain held his chin in his hand. "Going by what you are telling me, miss Ogawa, I would have to agree. And not only that, but I would like to place you in charge of the group of transfers. Also, if you are willing, I would like to speak with Tetsuzaemon about giving you an officer's position, even if it's a lower ranking position."
Hinata sighed heavily. "Sir…I…"
Sajin held up a hand to stop her. "I know what you told me two weeks ago, miss Ogawa. However, 'I' personally believe that you can handle it. I cannot order you to accept the position, but I can request that you accept it. So, I am asking you, if Tetsuzaemon can find an appropriate officer's position that would suit you, will you accept it?"
She sighed again, but didn't answer; then Sajin turned to Minato. "Minato, would you be kind enough to give me and miss Ogawa a moment?"
The man nodded, then turned and left the office; leaving the two alone. "Hinata…" he started, surprising her by the use of her first name. "…please, have a seat." He offered, which she accepted and sat down. "I would like to ask that you be honest with me, and I am not asking you this as your Captain, but rather as one squad member to another. Is what happened to Junya Sano and the other member the reason why you are hesitant to accept my offer for an officer's position?" he asked in sincerity.
Hinata closed her eyes and lowered her head a bit before giving a gentle nod. "A little, sir. I can't shake the feeling that my inexperience got both of them killed. And to be honest, and I know this will sound a lot like Tim, but I'm worried that I may accidentally get someone else killed." She admitted.
Sajin nodded in understanding. "I see. You and Tim are alike in many ways, Hinata." He said calmly, getting her attention as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms loosely. "Both of you are very intelligent, and both of you have a strong sense of humility. You both care so much about others, that you willing to put yourselves at risk for their safety and comfort. But, also like Tim, you also allow that humility to hold you back, and blind you of what you can truly accomplish. As you well know, Tim was extremely hesitant to accept the offer for 5th seat, mainly because of Hetoku's passing."
He leaned back forward and rested his arms on the desk. "Tim 'needed' a push to get him on the right track, and it is obvious that you need this push as well. It is for that reason, that I am going to give you the same advice that I gave him. You cannot allow what happened to others to be the deciding force behind your future. While very unfortunate, the deaths of those two squad members under your command, happened. Could you have done better? Maybe; but then again, maybe not. Either way, instead of thinking that you are always going to fail others, you should use what happened as a lesson to be learned, and correct your mistakes. That way, you greatly reduce the chances of it happening again."
Hinata leaned forward. "But sir…" she started in a slightly raised voice, but took a quick breath and calmed down. "Sir…I 'do' understand that. In fact, I offered the same advice to Tim once before. But as I'm 'sure' you can understand, it's a whole different level when 'you' are the one who is experiencing it."
Sajin nodded firmly. "I do understand that, Hinata. However, 'I' am sure that 'you' can understand that you are not going to move on if you keep dwelling on the past." He sent back in a low and firm tone, causing her to fret a bit. "I am not going to allow any of my members to be corrupted by distress. So, miss Ogawa, I offer you this: either you can look past what happened, and learn from it on your own; or, I can speak with Tetsuzaemon, and I am sure he would be more than happy to 'assist' you with overcoming your fear of what happened himself. So, now I ask you, what will it be, miss Ogawa?" he asked, now giving her a serious stare; and a stare like that, coming from a being like him, was not something to take lightly.
It caused Hinata to lean back in her seat as she started sweating. Taking a second to swallow the lump in her throat, she finally found her voice to answer him.
"I…I will try, sir." she offered.
He gave her a firm nod. "Good. Then can I assume that you will at the very least consider my offer?" he pressed.
The woman sighed as her face dropped. "No need, sir…I trust your judgement more than anyone else's. And if you really think that accepting the position will help me recover from what happened, and help me to become better…I'll accept it."
Sajin relaxed his stare and offered her a warm smile. "That is more like it, Hinata. You think too little of yourself, so think of this as a way to overcome that problem. I will speak with Tetsuzaemon later today and ask him to assign you to a lower seated position, if that would make you feel better. However, I would like you to keep this in mind; once Squad 5's numbers have gotten better, and you and the others return to our squad, I intend to place you in one of our higher seats. So, learn what you can while you are there, so that you can bring that experience back here."
Hinata stood and gave the man a bow. "Yes sir, I'll try to do what I can." She said as she rose.
The man nodded in return. "I would expect no less, miss Ogawa. You are dismissed. And if you would, please ask Minato to come back and see me as you leave."
She nodded, then turned and left the office, holding the door open to allow Minato to walk past her before closing the door tightly. The officer walked up to the desk and sat down in front of the Captain with a sigh.
"So, she accept, Captain?" he inquired, earning a nod.
"She did. Although, she was very hesitant, as I'm sure you can imagine." Sajin answered.
Minato rose a brow. "Like a particular Lieutenant we all know and love?" he mocked in a humorous tone.
Sajin chuckled and turned to look out the window behind him. "Almost 'too' alike, Minato. One could almost swear that her and Tim were actually siblings with how much the two of them have in common."
The junior officer scoffed lightly. "She definitely has his temper, if not worse. The only difference in that regard is that while Tim gets a bit…mouthy…she gets physical." He stated, causing the furry Captain to turn and raise a brow.
"Is that so?" he asked, getting smirk back.
"Oh yeah. I've actually seen it a few times to be honest. To put it simple sir, miss Ogawa's a 'mother figure'. She's as kind as they come; but if you piss her off, you're done for. Even Tim has met her…wrath, a few times."
Sajin chuckled at the thought of his newest Lieutenant getting beat down by a kindhearted woman. But he knew that what the man said was true, as he had witnessed her anger once before. Although, she didn't exactly get 'physical' that time around. Mouthy, yes; physical, no.
"I would imagine that anyone who decides to discriminate against her would find themselves not wanting to do so again." He remarked.
Minato swiftly shook his head. "Unless they enjoy spending time in Squad 4, no. But I would strongly suggest that you don't point that out to her though."
Sajin chuckled again. "I see, so she is the type that would deny her own temper?"
"Let's just say that she would have a 'very' difficult time trying to convince you otherwise once you've experienced it. But anyway, I just wanted to let you know that we at least had a few volunteers for the transfer, and who they were." Minato stated, then moved to stand up.
A raised hand from Sajin stopped him. "Before you leave, I had something else I would like to discuss with you." He informed.
The man rested himself back down and nodded, where the Captain lowered his hand. He then opened a drawer in his desk, pulled out a sheet of paper, then handed it to the officer.
"This is a copy of the initial report from Captain Hitsugaya's team. But, before you read it, I want you to understand that what we are about to discuss 'stays' between us. Is that understood?" he said in a firm tone.
Minato rose a brow, but nodded as he took the form and began reading it over. Sajin waited patiently as the man read through the form, giving an occasion nod every now and then. After almost five minutes of reading, the man looked up with wide eyes.
"Sir…are you sure this isn't a mistake? I mean…it 'has' to be. It's simply not possible to cut off a soul reaper from his zanpakutō spirit, it's just simply not." He said in shock.
"I would have to agree, but we can't deny what the report says, as this is from a Captain. But that is not what I want to discuss with you. And again…" Sajin paused and leaned forward onto his arms. "…everything we discuss here 'stays' here." He reminded, getting another nod. The Captain then leaned back again. "Are you aware of Tim's zanpakutō abilities?" he inquired.
Minato nodded. "A little bit. From my understanding, and from what I've seen, he uses his zanpakutō to create a bunch of flames around the field that he uses to teleport, or whatever, between the flames."
Sajin nodded. "That is correct. However, even though I had promised Tim I would not say anything, there is something in that report that simply does not add up. To put this as simple as I can, that zanpakutō of his is not actually a zanpakutō at all."
The younger man rose a brow again. "…I don't follow, sir."
"That zanpakutō is actually the soul of his wife, Susan." Sajin informed, causing the younger officer's eyes to go wide.
"Sir?!" he choked out in shock, getting a nod.
"I am not going to go into full details, but that zanpakutō is actually his wife's soul; a result of Aizen's experiments."
Minato's hand clenched into a tight fist. "That fucker." He cursed, which was something he rarely did.
"…Agreed. Anyhow, while Tim and Susan are somehow still bonded together, she is not a part of him. This means that her spiritual being is separate from him. Do you understand so far?" he asked, getting a sigh, then a reluctant nod. "Good. Now, if you can recall in that report, Tim has stated that the three Espada that had appeared in the world of the living had used that strange device to prevent him from releasing his Shikai."
Minato scratched the side of his face in confusion. "But sir…if what you just told me is really true, then that means Tim 'doesn't' have a Shikai…right?" he inquired.
Sajin nodded. "You are correct, Minato; Tim does not possess a true Shikai, or Bankai. Basically, the abilities he uses are actually Susan's, but she allows him to use them. So now we come to the part that does not make sense; if Tim does not possess a Shikai, how would he know what the device does?"
The other officer tilted his head. "I'm…not sure, sir. Could it be that it somehow prevented him from using…Susan's abilities?"
"It is possible, but why would he report 'specifically' that the device separated the soul reaper from its zanpakutō spirit?"
"Are you suggesting that Tim falsified the report to Captain Hitsugaya, Captain? I mean…considering his situation, he might have had to bend the truth a little to hide his…secret." Minato pointed out.
"That could be, but seeing as he and Susan are not connected to each other in that way, and live in separate…bodies, if you will, then the connection might not be that difficult to interrupt. But the bond between the soul reaper and zanpakutō is absolute and inseparable. Yet, he clearly states that is what happened. If it is true, and this device 'can' separate the soul reaper and zanpakutō spirit, it is a very serious matter. Far more serious than Tim's case, I hate to say." Sajin admitted.
Minato sighed and rubbed his temples. "Okay, if that's the case, why would he report something far worse than what it actually is? Do you think…something happened to him and he's trying to warn us with false, or at least altered information?"
Sajin sighed and turned to the window. "I cannot say, Minato. It is possible, but knowing Tim like I do, it would seem like he is hiding something."
"Uh…why is that, Captain?" Minato asked.
The Captain turned back to him. "Although he would do what he could to keep his secret safe, he would not falsify a report like that. I believe what he reported to Captain Hitsugaya was in fact true, but the 'method' of how he acquired the information was false."
Minato tilted his head with a raised brow. "So…you're saying that he lied about 'how' he got the information, and not the information itself?"
Sajin nodded. "I think that may be the case. Why he would do this, I cannot say; but I can tell you that I am almost positive that Tim is hiding something."
The 6th seat dropped his head a bit with a hum. "Come to think of it…when I looked through the finance paperwork for yesterday, I noticed that Tim had used a fair amount of the squad's mission budget yesterday at what seems to be a book store, and a women's clothing store." He said with his chin in hand.
The Captain rose a brow. "Women's clothing? And why would he use the mission budget for something like women's clothes?" he asked skeptically.
Minato glanced back at the furry Captain. "Well, he hasn't exactly been paid yet, so you can't really blame his for using some of it to cover personal expenses until he does. We would simply transfer some of his personal funds to cover the costs when he does. But buying women's clothes 'is' a bit odd. I doubt…Susan…can use them, considering her situation."
Sajin shook his head. "No, she can't. It could be that he bought them for miss Ogawa, or possibly miss Sano."
"Possible, but then again Lieutenant Matsumoto is there. It's entirely possible she swindled him into buying something for her." He then gave a deadpanned expression. "Wouldn't be the first time she's done it." He remarked in a low voice.
The Captain scoffed lightly at that. "That is very unlikely. Captain Hitsugaya would never allow it, and you know it. For now, just keep what we discussed in your mind. And be sure to keep an eye on how he uses the mission budget for the next few weeks. I trust Tim, but I'm getting an odd feeling about that report, and why he would hide something without at least sending a hell butterfly to tell me what is going on."
Minato stood up and gave the Captain a firm look. "I don't know what you're talking about, Captain." He said with a smirk.
Sajin nodded, dismissing the man, and returned to the window. 'What are you hiding Tim…and why…' he pondered, then turned back to his desk and returned to his paperwork as Minato left the office.
Underground Training Area, Present
A small cloud of dust and pebbles erupted from the ground where Timothy once stood, only a split second before. He had jumped back to land on the sloped side of a large boulder nearby and look back at his attacker.
"If you plan to hit me, you're gonna have to be quicker than that, Ikkaku." The Lieutenant taunted with a smirk.
The said man stood a few yards away with his released, pole-like zanpakutō dug into the ground, held with two hands as he returned the smirk. Lifting the weapon and giving it a quick twirl above his head before holding it with one hand behind his back, he proceeded to chuckle at the Lieutenant's remark.
"You've gotten quite a bit better with your basic fighting skills, Tim." he commented before vanishing in shunpo, only to reappear right in front of the younger man with his weapon held high above his head. "But you've still got a lot to learn!" he yelled as he swung down.
The bladed end of Hōzukimaru, Ikkaku's zanpakutō, struck the side of the boulder where Timothy was at, breaking off a large chuck from the rockface and briefly obscuring his view. It proved to be just enough of an opportunity for Timothy.
At the last second, Timothy had slid down the side of the boulder, allowing the 3rd seat's attack to land right above him and putting him in a position to attack from below while Ikkaku was recovering from the attack.
But fighting against a pole weapon that could break apart into three sections was proving to be a very difficult task for the Lieutenant. Ikkaku simply split the back end of Hōzukimaru and swung it around to catch his blade, halting the attack.
Ikkaku then split the front section, and with a swift twist of his body, sent the bladed end right towards Timothy's face. But thanks to his quick reflexes, he managed to tilt his head to the side just quick enough to allow the weapon to pass overhead; close enough that Timothy could swear that Ikkaku just gave him a close shave.
Using the momentum of his head's movement, Timothy twisted his body in an airborne cartwheel; sending his leg out at the other man's shoulder. Ikkaku raised his arm up and stopped the younger man's kick with his wrist.
He then pulled up on the mid-section of Hōzukimaru, pulling the bladed end up to slash across Timothy's chest. But the man held his zanpakutō with the back against his chest, allowing the attack to hit and slide up the blade past his head.
As it did, Timothy pointed two fingers at the other man's chest. "Hadō #1, Shō!" he chanted.
A small, but sudden burst of energy shot out from his fingertips and struck the man in his chest, propelling him back away from the Lieutenant. Recovering quickly, he then held out the same hand with his palm towards the 3rd seat.
Hadō #31, Shakkahō!" he chanted further, sending a red blast of fire energy at his opponent while he was still flying through the air.
Twisting his body in the air as he held the end section of Hōzukimaru, Ikkaku whirled the weapon around and allowed the bladed section to collide with the kidō before it could strike him; the spell exploding in midair and therefor concealing the man for an instant.
Timothy got into a onehanded ready stance as he waited for either the smoke to clear, or for the officer to make his move. It was the latter that occurred as Ikkaku charged right through the smoke right at the man, with a battle cry and a wide smile on his face.
"Bring it on, Tim!" he yelled, then swung Hōzukimaru, now reassembled into its pole form, with both hands in an uppercut.
The Lieutenant held his zanpakutō out and halted the attack, but the force of the long weapon sent him off his feet and back several yards while the vibrations from the hit sent a shock to his hand, stinging it.
Timothy managed to plant a hand on the ground, and use that to flip his body backwards to land on his feet again, now in a crouched position. When he looked up, he saw his opponent standing there with a hand on his hip and Hōzukimaru resting on his shoulder with a grin on his face.
"Good reflexes, just like the Captain said. You and Captain Zaraki may not see eye-to-eye, Tim; but you should feel honored that he respects you as a warrior. Afterall, there's not that many alive who have gained that respect." He informed in a surely tone.
The Lieutenant stood up, but remained in a ready stance as he returned the comment. "I guess that I would be lying if I said that I didn't have my own respect towards the man. The only thing that saved him from that trap during the fight was his absurd amount of spiritual pressure."
Ikkaku gave a light snicker. "Yeah, he's a hell of a lot stronger than people tend to think. But you don't seem to understand exactly what I'm saying, do you?"
Timothy moved his head to the side a little. "What are you getting at?" he inquired.
The officer snickered again. "You made the Captain take his patch off, and 'that' is no simple task. If he took it off for you, then that 'clearly' means that he respects you enough to show you his full power. And the fact you were even able to stand, let alone fight, while in the presence of that power, only speaks wonders for ya. You've definitely got 'my' respect, Tim. So how about we quit the foreplay, and 'really' get into this?" he taunted, earning a grin from the other man.
"About time you grew a spine." The Lieutenant taunted back.
"I'm afraid you will have to wait." A smaller, yet serious voice stated.
Both men looked to see Toshiro standing to the side with his arms crossed. "Sir?" Timothy half asked.
The short Captain turned to him. "I need to submit my report to the Head Captain, and last time, he requested that you be present for this one. I believe he would like to speak with you."
Timothy's face fell. "Oh great…wonder what he could want now." He said in a moan.
Toshiro's face turned stern. "Is there a problem?" he inquired.
The Lieutenant sighed and waved him off. "No sir, just that last time he and I didn't exactly…end on friendly terms, so to say."
The Captain smirked. "Well, considering your personality, that would not surprise me. Nonetheless, it is basically an order from the Head Captain, so you must attend." He stated.
"So, we're heading back to the soul society?" Timothy asked.
Toshiro shook his head gently. "That won't be necessary. We have established video communications in miss Inoue's apartment."
Timothy rose a brow. "At Orihime's place? Why there?" he asked in surprise.
"She gave us permission to use one of her spare rooms as a headquarters for our team. Now, if you have no further questions, the Head Captain is waiting." He said as he turned.
The Lieutenant looked back at Ikkaku, who was still standing in the same stance as before. "This ain't over, Ikkaku. I'll be back later to give you your ass whooping."
The man grinned. "I'll be waiting." He assured before giving a friendly nod, that Timothy returned.
Orihime's Apartment, 15 Minutes Later
Timothy was getting an odd feeling as he and Toshiro climbed into the spare room of Orihime's place through the window. The teen was currently in school, so the two officers were the only ones there.
"I kinda feel bad for going into Orihime's place while she's not here." He commented.
"We have her permission to come and go as we need to, so you do not need to worry, Lieutenant." The short man returned as the said man stood on the floor after entering the room.
The taller man turned to see a large screen-like object planted in the back of the room, along with a few pictures hanging on the walls and any furniture pushed to the side against the said wall. Toshiro walked across the room and came to a stop in front of the large screen, where it then turned on with a fuzzy appearance.
As Timothy came to stand beside the Captain, the picture cleared to show a man with what looked to be a number of small horns on his forehead.
"Ah, Captain Hitsugaya. Good to see you again. To the Head Captain's office, I assume?" the man inquired.
"Yes, Akon. I need to deliver my report to him." The short man answered.
'Akon' nodded. "Just one moment and I'll connect you." He informed, but it wasn't even a second later when the screen switched out and the two officers were looking at the powerful form of Head Captain Yamamoto.
"Captain Hitsugaya…" the man said in his roaring, but somewhat calm voice. "…I assume that everything is normal in the world of the living?"
Toshiro nodded. "Yes, Head Captain. Except for a few random hollows, there has been nothing out of the ordinary. As you can see, I have brought Lieutenant Durn with me, by your request." He reported.
The much older man turned to the very much younger one, causing him to flinch a bit under the man's strong gaze.
"Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya. If you would please excuse us, I would like to have this discussion with the Lieutenant in private." Yamamoto stated. Toshiro bowed, then turned and left the room through the window. A few seconds later, the old man began.
"Lieutenant Durn, I would like to speak with you regarding your zanpakutō, as well as the strange device you told Captain Hitsugaya about. Considering your…unique circumstance, I would like to ask if the device had any adverse effects against her." Timothy hesitated at first, and Yamamoto noticed. "You do not need to worry about discussing this matter through this screen, Lieutenant. I can assure you that this communication is very well secure, and that you and I are the only ones that can hear this conversation." He assured.
Timothy sighed, but nodded. He figured that someone was going to want to ask him more information regarding the false information he gave the short Captain to hide Nel's existence. And to be honest, if it wasn't for a genius idea from Urahara, he would have eventually been caught out in the lie.
Not only that, this idea would also allow him to tell those who knew about he and Kitsune's previous situation that she was now a part of his inner world, and not stuck to residing inside an empty shell of a blade.
"To put it simply sir, very bad. That device that the Espada used had pretty much cut me and her off from each other. If it wasn't for an…odd and crazy idea of Kisuke's, I might have lost her forever." He informed/lied.
The older man stared at him with a slightly opened eye. "Explain, if you will."
"Again, to put it as simply as I can…and to save you from an hour-long lecture that the stupid man gave me…he had me introduce her into my inner world." This statement caused the man to raise a brow. "Basically, she is my true zanpakutō now, sir. Our bond is now just the same as yours, Captain Hitsugaya's, any soul reaper's with their zanpakutō."
Yamamoto hummed in thought. "I see. And this method of Kisuke Urahara's corrected the problem caused by this device the Espada had?"
Timothy nodded, a bit relieved that the old man bought it. "From what we can see, yes."
"That is very fortunate. Stepping away from the main topic for a moment, have there been any changes to your abilities since you incorporated her into your inner world?" Yamamoto inquired.
"Not that I've seen, sir. Everything seems to be the same as before, except for my Bankai."
Yamamoto raised the same brow again. "So, you do indeed have a Bankai?"
Timothy nodded with a hum. "It turned out that Susan 'was' my Bankai, in a certain way. So, when I brought her into my inner world, my Bankai was 'acquired' at the same time. However, because my spiritual pressure was too low, I couldn't handle it. Kit and Kisuke have been working with me to help me improve it. As it is right now, I can enter Bankai, and use my flames to move around, but that's it. As for any special abilities or the such, she hasn't told me yet."
The old man rubbed his beard in thought. "I see. Regardless, I am pleased that you have managed to solve the problem the device caused. However, I do wonder what this means about you wanting to return her to her former state as a human soul."
The Lieutenant closed his eyes. "It wasn't possible, sir. What Aizen did to her, there was just no way to reverse it. Even Kisuke agreed with that. Placing her in my inner world was the only option left, it's just that what the device did to us only sped things up on that matter. This is how it is now, and we have both accepted it."
Yamamoto gave him a brief look of pity, but then turned serious again. "I am glad that you have managed to come to a conclusion on that matter, but now we must return to the matter at hand. Considering the circumstances of your situation at the time, what would you say the effect would be against a soul reaper with a real bond to their zanpakutō? And I would assume that Kisuke Urahara has come up with a theory of his own?"
The younger man nodded. "I can only give you my best guess, sir. I would have to say that the device can actually separate, or at the very least, 'interrupt' the bond between a soul reaper and his zanpakutō spirit. Kisuke came up with the same conclusion as I did, and he also believes that the effects of the device are not permanent; as long as the zanpakutō itself is not damaged while the effects are in place. Once the device is shut off, or the person leaves the area that it affects, the effects should go away, or wear off over time. Besides that, I can't offer you anything else."
The powerful man closed his eyes with a hum of thought. "This is very troublesome indeed. Thank you for your report, Lieutenant Durn." He said, then the screen went dark.
Timothy stood there, staring at the screen as he crossed his arms with a sigh. Although he felt quite guilty for lying to the man like that, he couldn't risk him finding out about Nel. But he could at least breath easy now that the man had what he wanted, and it really wasn't that far from the truth.
"I assume you are finished speaking with the Head Captain?" Toshiro said, now crouching in the window sill.
The Lieutenant turned to him as he dropped his hands. "Yeah, he just wanted to hear about the device the Espada used on me from my own mouth is all. Along with a private matter."
Toshiro nodded. "If you are referring to the matter of your wife's soul, I am already aware of that." He informed with a saddened expression.
Timothy's eyes widened. "How did…"
"Urahara told me, along with…her." He interrupted.
The Lieutenant growled in annoyance. "I wish he would learn to keep his mouth shut. And I am going to have a very long chat with that damn vixen."
"You have nothing to worry about, Lieutenant. She was a part of your inner world, and thus your actual zanpakutō before my team and I arrived. So, as far as I am concerned, there is nothing to report. And it would not matter anyway, since the Head Captain is already aware of the situation and has seemed to have allowed it. I am merely telling you that I am aware of it so that you do not have to worry about trying to keep it from me any longer. The others are also aware, but have been instructed not to say anything." He stated, then turned around to leap away.
He then paused and glanced back at the younger man. "And I would also advise that you tell your zanpakutō to mind what she says around me from now on. The next time that she decides to call me a 'kid' and make fun of my height, 'you' will be the one who gets punished. Am I understood, Lieutenant?"
Timothy could hear Kitsune snickering in his head as he gave him a deadpanned expression. "I would expect something like that from her. My apologies, Captain. Like I said, I'll…talk with her." He assured.
Toshiro nodded, then leapt away from the window sill. Timothy then moaned as he dropped his head back in distress.
"Why do 'I' have to be the one punished for that crazy vixen's stupidity?" he whined.
"Oh, shut up! All I did was make one little remark to him and he lost it. It's not 'my' fault he's touchy as hell." Kitsune stated.
He dropped his head and looked at his zanpakutō. "I would keep quiet right now, if I were you. We're both lucky that the old man bought that story, or we would both, along with Nel, be in a huge world of shit right now."
"For now. You do know that they could figure something out eventually, right?"
"I know, but what else can we do at the moment?" he inquired.
"At the moment? Not really anything, except plan for possible outcomes. And there is something else you really need to consider as well, Tim."
He rose a brow. "And that is?"
"The fact that if you really intend to stay with Nel, like I have a feeling you will, you'll have to consider the possibility that you would have to leave the soul society."
Timothy crossed his arms with a sigh. "Go ahead, let's hear your opinion on this." He said in a low and skeptical voice.
"There's nothing else to it, Tim. It's really just that simple. If you and Nel really care so much for each other, both of you are going to want to stay together. I'm not being perverted, or making any suggestive comments, it's just the truth of the matter. And you know damn well that you just can't have both her, and the soul society. So, to put it simple, you're gonna have to make a choice between the two. And knowing you like I do, I know exactly which one you would choose."
He scoffed at her. "You do, huh?"
"Tim…I'm being serious right now. You seem too keep forgetting that I can hear every thought that goes through your mind. Hide it all you want to, but the simple fact is that you love her."
Timothy flinched. "What?" he asked in a shocked tone.
"You love her. You had the 'exact' same look on your face yesterday during dinner that you had with me while we were dating. Don't try to deny it, cause if it didn't work with me then, it sure as hell ain't gonna work now when I can hear 'everything' you think."
He then slapped a hand to his face and dragged it down with a moan. "You can't be serious right now…Am I really that obvious?"
"To me you are, and being able to hear your thoughts only serves to enforce it." She affirmed with a snicker. "You need to stop worrying, Tim. If you want my opinion, I think you and Nel would be good for each other. You and I both had our problems, but we made it work between us. And you and Nel have problems of your own, mainly being what you two are, but I know that you two fools can work it out as well. But the fact is that you love her, and that is why I know for certain that you would choose her over the soul society."
Timothy walked over to the window and leaned on the sill with his arms crossed. "So, what would you suggest I do, oh mighty wise one." He mocked.
"Tsk…whatever, stupid. I can't really suggest anything, except to be ready to leave if it comes down to it. There are so many outcomes that can happen, we would both lose count. But the fact is that they 'will' find out about her eventually. Could be a few days, a few years, even a few decades. And when they do, you need to be ready to make the decision that you think would be best. Other than that, I can't give you much else. But like I said before, regardless of what you do, I 'will' stand by you." She stated firmly.
This caused him to chuckle lightly. "Thanks. I guess you're right…maybe I do love her, but I don't want to say anything. With how little she knows about this stuff, telling her would likely scare her."
"I won't deny that, and that's why 'I' haven't said anything on that matter since that night. With how she responded to my comment when you weren't there, if you told her that you loved her now, she would probably feel bad for not being able to fully understand and return those feelings. Just give her some time to get better acquainted with the romantic world, then you should tell her. And seeing how she sometimes looks at you, albeit with a bit of confusion, I would guess that she might love you too, Tim; even though she doesn't know exactly what it is yet."
He sighed and rested his forehead in the palm of his hand. "I'm worried I might hurt her, Kit. I felt the same way with you back then."
"Trust me…I know. And to be honest, it amused me to watch you step on your own toes trying to placate me." She said, then laughed while he moaned. "I'm telling you Tim, let me sit down and have a talk with her."
He scoffed loudly. "That would be a 'big' mistake."
She rolled her eyes in his mind. "How many times do I have to say that I can be honest and sincere when I want to be?"
"Oh, I have no doubt that you can, but the problem is 'getting' you to be honest and sincere." He returned.
"…Ok…I'll give you that one. But the fact is that while I do love to have my fun, the last thing I would intentionally do is hurt you…or Nel for that matter. What happened that night was definitely not my intention. And you know that because I've said it several times by now."
Timothy scoffed again and shook his head. "Yeah…you have. Alright, if you think it will help her, and if you know for a fact that you can be serious while doing so, you can talk to her. But god help you if you make her upset again, Kit."
"Scout's honor." She affirmed.
"You were never in the scouts, you idiot!"
"Oh…whatever! You know exactly what I meant, so stop trying to be an asshole!"
"You're' the asshole, stupid fox." He corrected as he jumped onto the window sill to leave.
"I am not a stupid fox! You take it back right now!" she yelled, but he tuned her out as he leapt from the window to return to the shop; a wide grin on his face.
Squad 5 Headquarters, 2 Hours Later
Tetsuzaemon sat behind the Captain's desk, Aizen's former desk, with his head propped up with his left hand, while signing a form with the other. As usual, he was still working on some of the last bit of forms from the day before, and hadn't even gotten a chance to look at the morning forms.
The squad's 3rd seat was sitting at the Lieutenant's desk, sifting through the late-night paperwork before handing it over to the gruff Lieutenant. It was almost noon now, and they were already so far behind that Tetsuzaemon was about to consider getting help from Izuru or Shūhei again.
There was then a knock on the door, where Tetsuzaemon sighed deeply and sat straight. "Come in." he answered in a slightly depressed voice.
The door opened and Hinata, Issei, Kenta, and Yuka all walked in, giving the man a bow before Hinata greeted him.
"Morning, Lieutenant. We volunteered to transfer over here to give the squad some help, so we came to see you first." She said cheerfully.
The man breathed a small sigh of relief. "Good, I could use all the help I can get." He said, then turned to the 3rd seat. "Take em downstairs and get em assigned some rooms in the barracks." He instructed, getting a nod from the man. As the man stood up, he returned his gaze to Hinata. "Miss Ogawa, come and have a seat. We have something to discuss before you leave."
The woman nodded, where Yuka placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll put your stuff in your room." She said, then after a nod and smile from the woman, left the office with the others.
Hinata walked forward and took a seat in front of the shaded Lieutenant. "I think I might know what this is about, sir." she informed.
The man nodded. "Then I'll spare you all the explanations and crap. The Captain told me to find the best position for you, and frankly, where I need you the most is here in the offices. For that reason, I'll be assigning you as the squad's 4th seat."
Her eyes widened. "Sir…you can't be serious! The Captain said the best position for 'me', not in the squad!"
He nodded. "As you can clearly see, the paperwork is starting to fall behind again. And besides sleeping and eating, I haven't left this office once. I 'need' you here to help handle it. And I am not going to put you under those two buffoons that call themselves the 6th and 8th seats. The Captain told me about you, and your…personality, that would allow you to keep the others in line. But you don't need to worry about training the squad, or other things like that. In fact, you'd be lucky if you ever got to leave the offices with how backed up we are."
Hinata let out a loud breath as she massaged her forehead. "I should have never accepted." She whined.
Tetsuzaemon then slammed a fist on the desk, shocking her and regaining her attention. "He also told me that you might act like a damn child." He stated in an elevated voice. "I need squad members, not goddamned children. You told the Captain that you accepted, so quit your damn whining and take the damn job. This is the easiest way you could possibly learn how to be an officer, and you don't even have to do strenuous tasks. All you gotta do is sit and help with paperwork, and you're sitting there whining about it."
She sighed and nodded. "My apologies, sir." she said, then leaned forward in a bow. "Please forgive me." She added, then sat straight.
The man nodded back. "As long as you understand, and agree to stop you whining, we'll be straight. Now, go ahead and find out what room you're in, and once you're done putting your things away, get with the 3rd seat and start working on the morning paperwork."
Hinata rose to her feet and gave him a bow. "Yes sir." she said, earning a slight bow in return, then turned and left the office.
Once the door closed, Tetsuzaemon breathed out a low growl and returned to the form he was working on. "This is going to be a long day." He stated, and signed the form before grabbing the next.
Squad 5 Barracks, Present
Kenta sighed heavily as he set a couple of his books down on top of the dresser in the room, then sighed again when he heard a knock on his door.
"It's open." He answered.
The door opened, and he turned to see Issei standing in the doorway. "You about done?" he asked calmly.
The man had been assigned the room next to his, and he was glad about that. Yuka, on the other hand, had been assigned to a room on the opposite side of the building, along with Hinata. So even though the friends were split up a bit, they at least had someone next to them as a bit of comfort.
"Yeah, almost. You seen Yuka or Hinata yet?" he asked.
"Not yet, but she did say that we would meet up here, since our rooms are pretty close to the common room." Issei answered and sat down at the table.
Kenta pulled the bottle of sake out of his bag, along with two saucers, and pour them each a drink, causing the his friend to raise a brow.
"You've gotta be kidding me…It's not even noon yet." He pointed out.
The other man scoffed and handed him his drink. "One ain't gonna kill us. And besides, I have a strong feeling that we'll need it."
Issei sighed and nodded. "I can't argue that one." He admitted, then took a sip.
The men then heard another knock, and turned to see Yuka standing there. "Hey guys." She greeted.
"Hey…want one?" Kenta returned, holding up his saucer.
Her shoulders dropped. "Me, no. But I think you might want to have one ready for Hinata." She stated as she, too, sat down.
Issei rose a brow. "Why?" he asked cautiously.
She looked at him with a bit of agitation. "Oh, I think I'll let 'her' break the news to you."
"What news?" another female voice said from the door.
Yuka turned back around to Hinata. "About your promotion." She answered simply.
The woman's face dropped. "Don't remind me." She moaned, then walked over to Kenta and snatched the saucer from his hand, downing its contents before handing it back and taking a seat at the table. "The Lieutenant assigned me as the squad's 4th seat." She informed, then dropped her head onto the table.
Everyone's jaws dropped. "You're shitting me!" Issei blurted out.
Yuka looked at him and shook her head slowly, where Kenta quickly refilled the saucer in his hand and set it down next to the near-dead woman. Hinata raised her head a bit and took a sip before letting out a long sigh.
"Trust me…he's far more convincing than the Captain is. He says that he needs me more in the office than anywhere else, and I can honestly believe him. You saw that paperwork on the desk?" she inquired, getting nods from everyone. "Well, that was all from yesterday…afternoon."
Their eyes widened. "Damn! This squad really 'was' hurting!" Kenta stated.
Hinata nodded. "Yeah, so unless it's here, or in the offices, you guys won't be seeing much on me for a while." She said with a bit of sadness.
Kenta hummed in understanding. "Well, you did say that you've grown accustomed to paperwork." He pointed out, getting another nod from her.
"Yeah, I actually don't mind it now. I hated it at first, but that was because I was learning so much so fast. But still, with only the Lieutenant, the 3rd seat, and myself, the paperwork is going to be a bitch." She stated.
Kenta chuckled at her language. It wasn't uncommon for her to curse, but it was still funny when she did; mainly because of the 'way' she did it.
"Well, you know where I hide the sake; so, if you ever feel like you need one, help yourself." He offered, then finished his drink.
Hinata chuckled back. "You might want to rethink that one, Kenta. You know I can drink, if I have the mind to." She mocked, then finished hers as well.
His face dropped. "…Shit."
Issei and Yuka laughed at his unfortunate 'circumstance'. "Looks like you better find a new hiding spot, Kenta." Yuka remarked.
"Shut up!" he shot back.
Hinata scoffed, then stood up. "Well, we should get going. I need to get started on that paperwork, before the Lieutenant has a stroke."
Issei and Yuka both stood up, then all three friends bowed to her. "Yes maam!" they said in unison.
She flinched, then growled. "I'm going to kill you for that!" she hissed.
The three friends then quickly ran out of the room as Hinata leaped over the table, crawling along the ground until she could get her footing, then ran off after them.
"Get back here!" she yelled as she ran down the hallway; catching and tackling an unfortunate Kenta, who was at the back of the group, down to the floor.
It's like the old saying goes, you don't have to be the fastest person when running from a predator, only faster than the slowest one. Kenta, unfortunately, 'was' that slowest person.
"Mercy!" he yelled.
She rolled him over and put her face mere inches from his. "I'll show you mercy!" she hissed at him, then grabbed his neck and started shaking the life from him.
"Noooo!"
Squad 5 Headquarters, 20 Minutes Later
Tetsuzaemon set the last form from the day before onto the completed stack and gave a relieved sigh with his head dropped back, before he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." he answered.
Hinata entered the office with a stack of papers in her arms…and multiple scratches and bruises on her face, arms, and legs. Tetsuzaemon looked at her and rose a brow.
"What the hell happened to you?" he asked in an elevated tone.
She stopped in front of the empty Lieutenant's desk and turned her head towards him with a furious expression.
"If you ask me that again, you'll find out very quickly, Lieutenant." She hissed in anger, causing the man's other brow to raise as well.
"Excuse me?" he asked in shock and disbelief.
She raised a brow as well. "Did I stutter? I said, don't ask me again, Lieutenant." She shot back.
The two of them stared at each other for a moment in complete silence. "Are you at least going to tell me 'why' it happened?" he pressed, still in shock from her tone with him.
Obviously, Minato was 'not' exaggerating when he told Sajin, who of course, told Tetsuzaemon, that Hinata's temper was not something to take lightly.
"Let's just say that Kenta and Issei won't be making fun about me being the 4th seat again, and leave it at that." She finally answered.
"And your other friend, Sano?" he inquired.
The woman growled loudly. "Damn bitch got away, after she fought back, as you can see. She's a better fighter than I thought."
Tetsuzaemon snorted lightly and shook his head in disbelief. "Ogawa, your first order of the day is to 'not' put anyone in the hospital." He mocked.
Hinata growled more and shook her head. "No promises, Lieutenant." She replied as she sat down behind the desk and began looking at the first form.
The man watched her for a moment, then sighed. "Tell me something, Ogawa…" he started, getting her attention as he crossed his arms in skepticism. "…how is it that you can so easily stand up for yourself when it comes to others, yet you shy away when you're offered an officer's position?" he asked in disbelief.
The woman's shoulders dropped. "Please don't make me explain this again, Lieutenant. I've already told the Captain twice, and saying it a third time is only going to make me hate this more." She pleaded.
"Yeah, you told the 'Captain', now I want you to tell me. If you're going to be working around me, I need to know what the hell is your problem. I think I have an idea what it's about, but I'll let you be the one to fill me in."
She slapped her hands on the desk as she stood up, looking at the man with anger in her eyes. "It's 'my' business, okay?! What?! You wanna hear that I feel like shit because two members were killed while under me?! Well, I do! That's why I didn't want this damn job in the first place! But here I am, feeling like I've been bullied into it!" she yelled at him. She then took a deep breath and lowered her voice a bit. "The only reason I accepted is because the Captain is adamant that this will help me. Because I trust him, like I trust you."
Tetsuzaemon scoffed loudly at her. "Well that's a load of crap. If you really trusted the Captain and I, then you wouldn't feel like you've been 'bullied' into anything. I'm actually offended that you would think that way. Wake the hell up, Ogawa. If 'anyone' is doing the bullying to you, it's 'yourself'. Just because you're a woman, doesn't mean I won't beat your senses back into you, just like I did Durn. That damn fool must have corrupted your damn ass."
Hinata flinched, then growled again. "H…He did not! Don't blame him because I'm feeling something that's only natural!"
"Heh. Feeling like that 'is' natural, I'll give you that. But you're obviously at the point where you're about to start tearing yourself apart because of it. Was there 'anything' you could have done back in the world of the living that would have changed the outcome?" he inquired.
She turned away. "No. The hollow was just too strong for us."
"Then shut up about it." He said, causing her to look at him with surprise. "If there was nothing else you could have done, then the answer is very simple; so simple, that even in your current state of mind you should be able to see it. You did all you could. You think you're the only one who has lost friends, or comrades in combat? I've lost my fair share of members under my command, and I will admit that I felt the same way you do back then. But I had to see past that and get stronger, to make sure that I could do better next time. So, take my advice Ogawa, and instead of crying over their loss, take their loss as a damn hint to become a stronger and more effective leader. That way, the next time that you take charge, you won't let it happen again." He said firmly.
He then set his completed form aside and grabbed the next. "Now, if you're done with your bitching, let's get to work on trying to not let this damn paperwork bury us." He said in his normal, gruff voice.
Hinata, dropped her head as a lone tear fell from her eye. She then wiped the tear away with the back of her hand and gave the man a gentle nod before sitting down.
"Yes sir. My apologies for my…language." She offered, causing him to scoff.
"If you're worried about your 'language' with me, you won't find me offended. Personally, I've found that 'colorful' words are more effective than kind ones. As long as the job gets done, I don't care what the hell you say, or how you say it. Although…" he paused to look at her. "…I strongly recommend that you keep your temper in check next time, Ogawa. Cause the next time, I won't be so kind back. Is that understood?" he asked, giving her a serious stare.
She sat back down with a huff. "Yes sir." she mumbled, then started looking at her first form.
"And before I forget…" he added without looking, getting her to glance back at him. He looked over to her with a smirk. "…Congratulations on your promotion." He teased.
Hinata let out a loud moan as she dropped her head onto the desk with a thump. "Somehow…someway…Tim has managed to curse me." She whined in a whisper.
Well, it seems Nel is starting to get a better understanding of her feelings towards Tim, and how to handle the consequences of her actions. And now that she has 'willingly' turned away from Gamuza, one can only wonder what this is going to do to her. One would think that the hollow spirit would be quite angry…hint hint'.
On a side note, as you can see I'm not quite down with Hinata and the group as of yet, and they 'still' have a important role to play in Tim's development. But now, with that aside, I need to head off and get back to work.
But one last note to put out, just letting you all know that there will be a poll coming up in the next couple of weeks for everyone to vote on. What is the vote for? Well, that's a secret for now, lol.
Hope you all enjoyed, and looking forward to seeing you all next week.
