Disclaim: manga belongs to Tite Kubo
Sorry I totally forgot to post the next chapter...
Oh and sorry but it looks like I don't really manage to put my mind to it and wright... Sorry
Chapter 16: Closer
It was pouring down. No officer wanted to go outside and they would gladly take the cleaning work rather than do the errand. It was a simple day in September really. And with the autumn already at their door, the officers had their annual report to hand in. Unfortunately that meant everyone, including non officers hiding in the division.
Hinamori could only smile as she entered the 10th division library and finding the poor child alone on a table over his papers. Before him, laid many examples of reports and books open on various pages. Looks like the child really wanted to do a good job.
"Do you need any help?" She asked kindly as she came up behind him. Not that that she had ever really met him but she had seen him a few times in the streets and he was the gossip of Seireitei.
"Ah," was the only reply as his back straightened up and his hand shooting in the air resulting in tossing his pencil backward. Turning around while holding his hand to his heart it took sometime before he recognized her. "Sorry," he said in shock, "I didn't hear you."
She chuckled lightly at his reaction. "Hinamori Momo," she greeted him. "Do you need any help?" As she said her name he was quick on his feet.
"I'm sorry I didn't know. Good morning Hinamori." He bowed in respect. "Ryuu." As he didn't really move and stayed watching her in what she interpreted as aw, she sat down in one of the chairs, indicating him to do the same.
"Good morning to you too I suppose, though it is nine o'clock in the evening." He just looked at her with big eyes. "No need to be so formal," she waved her hand in front of her face, "formalities are for great occasions."
Sitting down, he seems to gain his voice back. "Ah sorry, I didn't see the time fly by. Could I help you with something?"
"Ah, yes I forgot, I'll be back in a minute." As she ran of to the far side to the library she found what her captain had asked for on one of the shelfs. Coming back toward the barely lit table she sat down, this time making some noise.
"You do know it's not that important right?" She asked calmly. "I used to think that my report was going to be read carefully, but you soon notice when you are a lieutenant that it is barely taken a look at."
He didn't answer her and continued writing. Looking closer, that must have been the third page he was writing. A report was usually only a page long with an other with personal information, like the level of spiritual energy and health.
"May I ask what exactly you are doing," she questioned after a time, as he suddenly passed to a fourth page. He looked at her with a severe look that made her chuckle. Her 'brother' used to do that when he didn't want her to interrupt him. It was the stage right before the yelling.
"Some researched," he said after a while surely contemplating what was the best option to do.
"Have you written your report yet?" She continued her questioning.
"Not really," he trailed of. "I don't really know what to wright." She smiled brightly at him.
"Just write down some of your activities. For example you can write about the researched you are doing. Or perhaps how you think the division is, from your point of view." He took notes of what she said, or at least she thought he did. "Just write down what you think the captain needs to know." She finished as she understood she was rambling.
"Thank you," he said starting to resemble the books and reports that laid on the table. Watching him move around, she wondered how much time he spend down in the library. He must be lonely.
"Have you been to the 4th squad to take the health test?" She asked suddenly as he put away the last book. Turning around he looked at her with a questioning look.
"You know, the test that would grant you the second paper you need for your report." He didn't get what she was saying as big turquoise eyes looked back at her. Strange, she hadn't noticed how clear his eyes where.
"Every officer need to make a trip to the 4th squad to get their health paper in order. I suppose you didn't have to last year as you already were in the 4th squad. I think they are open to 10 o'clock since the papers are due tomorrow. They are always some who forget they have to go there."
"Do you keep all the records of every soul reaper that is in the Seireitei?" He asked shyly. She nodded.
She prepared to leave when she noticed the child hadn't moved a muscle from the ladder he was standing on. Giggling a little she showed him her hand. "Come, I'll accompany you."
He didn't protest and placed the papers he had been working on in one of the drawers, his own presumingly. He didn't talk the entire way. It wouldn't have been possible anyway as the only sound you could hear was the rain drenching you.
The 4th was indeed open a little while longer. Actually if she was getting it right, they would have it open until all the waiting officers had gone through the medical check. After making sure Ryuu was safe and sound and that he would managed on his own, she returned to her own squad.
The rest off the night she couldn't stop the feeling of knowing those eyes. Something was off. Maybe they looked a lot like Rangiku's? Or was she imagining the resemblance. She would have to ask the next time she passes by the tenth.
…
Rangiku found the tired form of Ryuu over a few frozen books in the ice cold main hall. Even if he had been staying in the 10th division for the past three and a half years, his control over the general element of ice was still something he struggled with.
Incidents happened a lot and frequently. Of course most did not alert the entire squad and tended to just freeze a couple objects before someone managed to wake him up and he would be fine. It would always happen when he was asleep.
And then you had the others, the ones that came every half a year that tended to freeze down rooms and officers if you didn't manage to run away quickly enough. These were not something the officers looked up too. She could just thing of the damage it would have caused in the world of the living. Actually, she must say most officers were extremely scared of the little brat that manage to just freeze down their entire dorm without thinking he was doing anything.
And even if she was certain most captain could feel the energy when it happened, captain Hitsugaya had made sure not to discuss the matter outside of the squad. Incase someone wants to kidnap Ryuu again was his reason. Nobody disagreed. Unfortunate for her, this time was one of those. She took him with her outside to let him heat up at a normal speed under the cold night sky.
"Has he stopped freezing things," asked the voice of her captain.
After the few incidents in the squad, he understood why Ryuu had asked him for help. So he was trying to make him control his reiatsu, but no matter what they tried, his energy would just flare up again. And to make things worse, the more time he spend with the captain in trying to control the reiatsu, the more it flared back up.
"He is calming down. Go back to sleep captain, I'll manage," she said. She was the one that usually took care of him in this state, even if the resistance of the captain would be better suited for this.
The captain only nodded before taking off. She must have dreamt it. Just there she could feel Ryuu's reiatsu pick up just slightly before calming down again. He couldn't possibly reacting to the captains energy, could he?
"I think he is reacting to the captain," she said once in the presence of Renji a late night. They were currently just sitting around sulking, both still somehow pissed by their predicament of being left by the one they loved.
"How so?" Asked Renji pouring himself another cup. They were currently sitting outside, on the porch of the office of the third division.
"His outburst are getting worse and it picks up, especially after training with the captain."
"That could be purely coincidental," he said resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes. "What we currently know is that the kid's zanpakuto is iced based and that letting him live in the human world has messed up all his ability."
"He had three outburst this week and strangely he didn't have any while we were out on a mission. That is not purely coincidental," she huffed.
"But he could react to Hyorinmaru." This time Rangiku was looking at him as if another head had grown out. "You know, since the kid used to have contact with him when he was in the world of the living."
"I don't know," she sight. "And anyway, one thing has been getting one my nerves." She couldn't place it.
"Then do please share," he said taking her out of her thinking.
"Oh yes," she stated happily. One could say they should not discuss this while slightly drunk, but then they never touched the subject when they were sober. "What if his zanpakuto is not ice based?"
He stopped his movement to look at her. "What do you mean: 'what if it's not iced based'? Of course it is. His freezing down the 10th squad nearly each week." She looked at him not really understanding why he was suddenly so mad at her. Did she say something stupid? Probably. What was she saying again.
"Oh, I remember. Ryuu nearly burned down houses when he was in the world of the living. Why the sudden change." Happy about herself she took another glass.
"Now that you mention it," he stated.
"I know, right. Maybe all this time it's the captain that has been freezing the places and blamed it on poor little Ryuu." Oh that must have been it, a light went up for her. "And Karin did the exact same thing in the world of the living. They are blaming Ryuu for their own lack of control."
...
Now Renji did not know when Rangiku had gotten that drunk. In fact he was pretty sure she had been drinking less than him. Well the problem still stood: Rangiku had passed out, leaving him to think about the new information he had. Had Ryuu burned down a house before? That was a new one. Karin had never told him about any problems with the spiritual energy while the kid was in the gigai.
Ever since the incident that happened to him, Ryuu had never been able to get back into his inner world. Or he had once but apparently the entire place was covered in ice and not a trace of the dragon. No matter what he did know, the dragon didn't answer.
Why had Rangiku never mentioned the burning part. It's true it bugged him that in its released form, the zanpakuto was two bladed and had split, meaning he must have an other part too. In fact Ryuu had never been able to release the zanpakuto again after coming to Seireitei.
Oh and the matter that more and more people were growing suspicious was not a good sign. He had even heard that Hinamori had asked about Ryuu's parentage, though she was thinking more in the line that Rangiku had an illegal child that grew up in the world of the living. Strangely that assumption went around a lot. Then the disturbing rumors was that Ryuu was the child of both the high officers of the tenth. You know same eyes and same ability.
And then there was the head captain that knew. Didn't ask, didn't have too; saw it in the eyes of the child apparently. People have a tendency to think Ryuu had his father's eyes, but the head captain was the first to say that the kid had that stubbornness in his eyes that was trade mark Kurosaki.
Renji hadn't told anyone and neither had the head captain. Not even Rangiku knew about that. The head captain had told him over a drink once: 'It's funny to see such young eyes reflecting Kurosaki's.' He didn't have to say more to make the youngest understand that he knew. And the look that came with it of course.
"Captain Abarai," said the newest appointed captain as he stepped into the office the next day, bring him back to earth.
"Yes sorry, didn't get much sleep yesterday." He waved it off. Looking closer he could see that Ichigo had a nice blue spot right under his eye.
"Don't ask," he said as Renji must have been staring. "I was wondering what you where doing today."
"Staying inside," he said motioning to the rain outside. Seriously, Ichigo was the only one that would go out in such a weather as if it was absolutely normal. "What are you even doing in my office?" He asked. If ichigo personally came here he was either running away from Rukia or...
"It's my day off." That didn't explain it. "I wanted to discuss the subject of Ryuu." Not good. "What is the kid up to?"
"Excuse me?" He asked dumbstruck.
"You knew Ryuu in the world of the living, you know everything you are trying to hide, so what in the world is the kid up to?" The captain of the eight squad slung down on one of the chairs, looking at him with suspicion in his eyes.
Ever since the incident on the roof, Ichigo hadn't bugged him on the matter of Ryuu's lineage even if he could see the strawberry wanted to ask. The only thing he had said was: 'I'll leave it for now.'
"He's training I suppose. He's not a threat Strawberry so stop worrying." He said back, cleaning some of the papers of his desk.
"Really, training? Then why exactly is he going through all the archives of every squad." Renji just shoot a questioning look back at his fellow captain. "I found the kid asking my fifteenth seat if he could see through the archives of the shinigamis that are living in the squad. What exactly is he searching for?"
What? His shock must be showing as the orange head continued.
"I see you don't know." He just closed his eyes as thinking. "I don't think you realize his way of acting is strange. He is asking for people who has been in the world of the living that have disappeared or killed over the last twenty-five years. I heard he had been through the entire tenths squad achieves and the ninth. And now his searching in mine. "
What in the world was Ryuu trying to archive? What was he searching for? Oh well he had his suspicions. Damn he even had those suspicion when Ryuu first arrived. He was sure he would be asking around about his dad. Seems like the kid was trying to find it out on his own, behind his back.
"Well I'll leave you with your thinking. Just tell the kid to stop whatever he is doing. It's creepy. And if he don't want to be treated as a prisoner he should stop now before he raises any other suspicions."
And with that Ichigo left. Damn could no one just stop giving him this crap at the same freaking time. First the matte of the zanpakuto, then the family resemblance, then the snooping around. He had to agree that Ryuu was a good actor when it came to it but couldn't the kid just rely on him for once. And Renji had a growing suspicion Ichigo was nearing the truth.
Well for now he should probably take a greater look at the kid and watch out that he doesn't put himself in any other complicated situations.
…
Ichigo found the kid a month later sitting in between the archives of the eight squad. He had been a regular visitor since the beginning of the month. He came around five when the officers were starting to get ready to leave and asked to look at the archives. The fifth seat, that was the one that kept the key, would accompany him to the cellar.
In the beginning the older would stay down in the cellar with him until he kicked the kid out. Finding out the kid had no intention of leaving early he had started leaving him alone down there for two or three hours.
"Having fun?" He asked the little one on the floor, going through the boxes with the letter B. He had never really been down to see the kid but his curiosity dragged him down here to see what he was up to.
Looking up from the paper he was reading and the book he was taking notes in, the child was quick on his feet to greet the captain of the squad. "Un- Captain Kurosaki," he said with his head bent down.
The kid was too uptight to let information slip he could tell. And Anyway the kid must be really bored if he was spending his evenings in the archives in another squad.
"No need with the formalities, call me Ichigo. I was just wondering what you were doing in my cellar every night." When the kid looked back up at him he was greeted with smiling eyes as if, in peace.
"I think it is fascinating to go through ancient reports and archives of people." Well the kid was a great liar because even if he looked totally certain of what he said, no way was he going to believe that. Nobody could like to go through the archives. He raised an eyebrow at the kid.
"Is the tenth really that boring that you can't stand being there in the evening?" He asked teasingly. The child looked away holding his hands together in front of him.
"I eat a little later than them so I don't have to speak with them. They leave me enough food so I don't have to worry. They don't really like spending their meal with a freak."
"So technically you haven't eaten yet," he asked.
"Correct," said the child looking back up at him. He got a brilliant idea.
"Do you mind joining me for dinner then? We can eat in the office if you don't want to eat with the other officers." The child looked both confused and relieved at him before answering: "I would like that very much."
"So how have things been for you," asked Ichigo as they sat in his office over some food.
"I have been treated well I suppose," he said nibbling on his own food.
"And I suppose that's the reason why no one wants you to eat with them." Ichigo gave him the best 'I can read through it' look and he could see the kid got the message.
"I have been treated well by those who care to talk to me, I don't really care about the others."
"I don't know if you have had the time to look up the captains, but I used to be living in the human world." The kid gave him a look that he must believe seems like he was interested but it looked more like someone who tried to tell you 'Duh that wasn't actually new'. Laughing he continued.
"I mean I was born a human like you but had to give up that part because my energy was to high. The difference though is that I needed the help of a soul reaper to gain my ability and I don't know what would have happened if I didn't meet Rukia that day." He smiled remembering the details of his human life but cleared it out to continue.
"I know what you are going through and I understand the complications that has been put in your life. My entire life was bent up side down when I figured out everything I thought I knew was a lie and I have a feeling that is what you are going through too. Honestly I wanted to talk to you a long time ago but I never really got the chance."
He noticed how this really became a monologue and asked: "so Ryuu I'll ask you this: are any of your parents soul reapers?" He could see the emotions playing in the child's eyes, as if debating if he should tell or not. He had hit right.
"My father was a soul reaper." The child looked back down at his barely touched food.
"Was? As in dead or not a soul reaper any more," he asked seriously.
"You can stop being a soul reaper," asked the youngest confused. So dead then.
"Well to a certain degree anyway. My dad stopped being a soul reaper for some years before being one again." Seeing the confused look on Ryuu's face he just waved his hand to dismiss the subject. "Ah well, is that why you go through all the archives?" The child looked guilty away.
"One of the members of the higher ranked told me you kept all the information of all the soul reapers in each squad. I thought that maybe I could find out in which squad my dad was, and maybe a little more about him."
"Yeah, to a certain degree I suppose." He scratched the back of his head. He hadn't had the time to sort through who was dead, quit or was left in the eight squad since the squad was falling together when he was placed as captain. He could deal with that later.
"You know that if you just ask someone they can tell you in which squad he belonged, right?" The kid watched him sheepish.
"My mother is not. Isn't there some kind of rule against soul reapers and humans?"
"Sorry, didn't think about that." Then why in the world was he telling him. What in the world was Renji keeping? Not that the captain minded being trusted but if the head captain learned that the kid was half-half he. Was he stupide? He was half human/ something. Scratch that, the head captain must know already who the kids dad was.
"Do you know your dad's name? Maybe I could find out in which squad he was?"
"Actually, I have no idea who he is or what he looks like," he trailed of.
"What?" Asked the eldest surprised. "Then how in the world do you intend to find him?"
"Going through the archives of every squad? Fine potential fathers and ask my mom when I come home?"
"That will take you a very long time," he figured out. Archives of every freaking squad was like going through the papers of more than 2600 people and more since there were files from old and dead people too. Smiling he had an idea.
"What about you do two things in the same time." The kid looked questionably back at him. "I need someone to go through the archives to sort out who is still alive, who is dead, who has quite and who have been transferred to another squad."
"Okay." Said the child. Smart kid may have figured out, that would actually give him a reason to go through the archives.
"So your work is simple: I'll give you a list over the ones that are here and I want them to be placed closest to the door." The child listen attentively at the instructions. "Do it whenever you want and off course you'll get some money too, to live on. That way you won't be living only on the 10th squad's expenses."
"oh and you know I'm sure that it is an excuse that can be made in many squads as I doubt they all have gone through their own archives." As the dinner when to an end and the youngest had got the total information of his new part time job, Ichigo remember what he really wanted to ask the kid.
"I heard you knew some kind of tweens. You wouldn't happened to know how my sisters are would would 'ya?" Funny enough, this brought a happy smile on the lips of the youngster.
Thank you so much for reading the story even if it is packed with mistakes of all kind :D
Thank you for all the views and sorry for the late update... My philosophy papers were a bit more important...