07
After living in a highly civilized society such as Seireitei for so long, the Toushiro Hitsugaya had grown accustomed to the presence of polite and demure women, with the exception of his Lieutenant of course. The worst experience he ever had with the opposite gender was enduring a verbal abuse from a certain short Vizard long ago when he was still a child. So it somewhat surprised him that the first female he met in this new world was a shameless teenage girl. Even then, as a professional, he didn't let it bother him and thought nothing of it.
Surely, the next female residence he would encounter in this village would be just a normal lady. However, he considered to do a side investigation about this unexpected 'anomaly' as he watched a lady with long wavy black hair tore off the front door of his new ninja associate's apartment before tossing it at the poor guy. At that moment, the lady could be described as a female Kenpachi Zaraki, in a good way of course.
Unlike the young Captain who watched the whole situation in amusement, Kakashi was panic. As he held his broken door, he prayed that his old friend couldn't see his new ghost friends sitting there in his living room. He got to get her out of here before it got out of hand.
"That was uncalled for, Kurenai! You can't allow me to feel a bit happy that my place had been left unharmed, can you? Now, leave me alone!"
"You don't have the right to complain, Kakashi! I can't believe you have the nerve to be your usual lazy self at a time like this! Honestly, I wished this place got destroyed. It's not like anyone ever come here to do anything productive..."
Right at that moment, she finally noticed the two strangers in traditional attires watching her with raised eyebrows, and to her surprise, she recognized one of them. She was pleasantly surprised that she just stood there staring at him. If only she knew how much her presence irked him...
Toushiro was more than pleased as he noticed the lady's interest to his senior.
"Do you know this lovely human female, Captain Kuchiki?"
"I unwillingly met this female human earlier this morning. She can sense our presence. What do you say, Captain Hitsugaya? Should we allow her to intrude in this ordeal or simply erase her memory?"
"Kenseikan-dono..." Feeling somehow hurt by the man's cold words, she didn't see how his eye twitched as he heard the name she addressed him with.
Understandably, Kakashi was worried for his friend by this unexpected turn of event. Not to mention, the way the two Shinigami addressed her just sounded suspicious. His protective instinct took over then.
"Hold on, Captains. Kurenai here is one of my oldest friends. Despite her bullying me, I trust her deeply. So as much as I want her to stay out of this matter for her own good, I don't think we have any right to erase her memory. Unfortunately, I doubt we can lie to her. But don't worry. I'm sure she just wants to know what's going on." He knew she was smart and wise enough to make the right decision after this, considering her condition.
The younger Captain waited for his senior to give the explanation, since he was the one who knew this lady. But after seeing the nobleman behaved somewhat immaturely by looking away from her, he decided to do it himself. He just needed to scare her off a bit.
"Alright, Kurenai-san. I am Captain Toushiro Hitsugaya. And the man you recognized as Kenseikan-dono here is Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. Before we begin, I want you to know that it'd be easier if you don't believe our explanation, and perhaps consider us as nothing more than Hatake-san's... imaginary friends."
Alas, that didn't seem to deter her at all. So he waited patiently as she took a seat beside her friend and fixed her gaze at his fellow Captain.
Fortunately, the lady was very intelligent, unlike a certain teenage girl he was familiar with. Even though her eyes rarely left his senior's apathetic face for some reasons, she always grasped everything he said. Of course, there were times when she needed a moment to accept some shocking notions such as the fact that they were literally death gods, but it was understandable.
He made sure to give her the chance to ask a question after each explanation he made, and she took it, but again for some reasons, she always seemed to direct her questions to his senior. At first, he suspected she didn't take him seriously, since he looked considerably younger than her. The nobleman didn't even bother to say any words unsurprisingly, and that left him as the one who gave the answers. In the end, he didn't let it bother him, since none of her questions meant to doubt them, and were filled with curiosity and wonderment.
Nonetheless, it would only be fair to mess with his senior a bit for being uncharacteristically difficult.
"Well, I give you my gratitude, Kurenai-san. You've accomplished the impossible. After so long, Captain Kuchiki finally had an interaction that doesn't involve work with a woman other than family members. Thanks to you." This remark awarded him with a dead glare, but it was so worth it.
The two humans in the room could only look at the irritated Shinigami Captain in complete bewilderment for a moment. The male one was the first to recover.
"You're kidding, right? I mean, look at him! He's even prettier than Kurenai. And she's one of the prettiest women I know! I'm sorry, but there must be something wrong with Captain Byakuya if that is true. No offense!"
"Don't be rude, Kakashi! We don't know for sure. Maybe Kenseikan-dono... maybe... maybe he prefers the same gender more?"
She didn't know why she felt this disappointed by the idea, but she stopped pondering it further as the man gave out an aura of someone who was about to commit a mass murder. Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of the Gotei 13 Sixth Division had never felt this humiliated, ever.
"That is not true. I just happen to be a man who highly value honor and commitment. Excuse me if that doesn't make me seem normal like Captain Hitsugaya who routinely take multiple women to his quarters at night."
Surprisingly, the Captain in question only looked slightly annoyed. Kureinai in particular expected him to be embarrassed, and frantically deny the accusation. That could only mean that the accusation was pretty much true. It was just so unexpected to her. She understood that the boy was beyond powerful, but she still couldn't help giving him a disapproving look.
"Oh my. But he seems to have not even yet reached twenty. At first, I even believed that he's a typical grumpy boy who secretly has a sweet girlfriend waiting for him back home..."
"You're too naive, Kurenai. I bet that type of girls couldn't hope to satisfy our new friend here. He needs a girl who could wreak havoc to his systematical life, like maybe Ino-chan? Is that right, Captain Toushiro?"
"Wait a second. What are you implying, Kakashi? I didn't even know that they know each other. Now you're telling me that they are already together? I couldn't think of more incompatible persons."
"Foolish female human. Captain Hitsugaya has abandoned his human female."
Soon, the room's temperature was rapidly dropping somehow. The one responsible for this just couldn't help it. He didn't get how his attempt to rile up his senior ended up backfiring this badly.
"I suppose it is necessary for me to remind all of you that it's about time we continue the discussion about the impending calamity ahead of us."
―
Ino knew that her Shinigami little sister was technically older than her, and surely had much more experience in battle. That still didn't make it easier for her to accept that the adorable little girl could actually turn into this terrifying killing machine. As soon as they began their spar at a secluded field miles away from Konoha, her normally innocent face became devoid of emotion. And she didn't waste much time to show how superior she was in strength and speed.
She winched as she observed the numerous craters and crushed boulders around them. The reason she could keep up so far was her expertise in Kido that had saved her numerous times already. She also figured the only way she could win this fight was by using her ninja knowledge in deception to its fullest. So here she was in the shadow preparing the incantation of a spell, while her opponent blasted the place where her shadow clone stood into a huge crater.
Couldn't find anything left of the teenager, Hachigo gasped worriedly, blaming herself for using too much power.
"MISS INO! I DIDN'T MEAN TO KILL YOU. I thought you... would've dodge it..."
The real Ino Yamanaka showed herself then with her palm raised before closing her fist, having already done with the incantation.
"Bakudo #63. Sajo Sabaku!" An ethereal yellow energy chain appeared to bind the surprised little girl's upper body tightly.
"YOU'RE ALIVE, MISS INO! I'M SO HAPPY! And wow, this is such a quality binding spell. I can't hope to break out of this, at least not until my body fully matured."
She actually shed tears, feeling so relieved that she hadn't lost one of her two favorite persons in her life. And she looked so cute! After quickly dispelling the chain, the teen girl hurriedly ran toward her to give her a hug.
"I'm sorry for making you worried like that, Hachigo-chan. You're so strong! I had no choice but to trick you a bit. Anyway, does it mean I'm the winner?"
"MHMMM! And as promised I have something for you!"
Hachigo quickly took out her small compartment device before producing something out of it. There, neatly folded in her hands were black and white garments. Ino looked in wonder at the expensive looking garments as the child Shinigami offered them to her with a smile.
"Eh? What is this?"
"This is a highly durable customized Shihakusho. I developed it myself with the base design I took from Nemuri Nanago's latest uniform. I did plan to wear it when I grow up, but I THINK IT'D LOOK BETTER ON YOU, MISS INO!"
But after a moment and her pretty friend still didn't accept the gift, her smile dropped slowly. She was worried that she had become a disappointment again.
"Uh... you don't want it? Should I make it purple or maybe MORE REVEALING?"
"No! I want it! And I don't think I like revealing outfits that much anymore..." Really, what was the point if by revealing more skins she still couldn't attract the attention of the one boy she wished to have?
Maybe he would see her differently if she wore a Shinigami outfit?
A hopeful smile appeared on her face then as she finally accepted the gift before taking a closer look at it. And she was so surprised to find that the normally boring Shinigami uniform could be this stylish. With this, there was no way he would ignore her anymore!
"Thank you so much, Hachigo-chan! You're really talented, you know. This is perfect! Can I try it now?"
"SURE! WAIT A MOMENT, I'll build a tent to give you some privacy!" But it didn't seem necessary after all...
There in the open field, the teenage girl shamelessly took off each piece of her clothing until she was left only in her underwear. It was then that she noticed with surprise that she had grown up a bit. She could feel that she was slightly taller than before. Her already sizeable breasts had noticeably grown bigger, fuller. And her flat stomach had become more nicely toned along with the rest of her body. She had not had the time to care about any of this during her time training in the Dangai. So the one year did really count...
She got sidetracked again then as instead of changing into the new outfit she wished to try immediately, she spent long minutes admiring its fine details first. It was only after her little companion began to feel uncomfortable seeing her nudity that she excitedly began to put it on piece by piece, saving the fancy choker for last. The black and white custom-made Shinigami uniform hugged all of her shapely curves perfectly since it had the ability to adjust its size automatically.
Wearing this stylish Shihakusho along with the pleasant changes of her body really made her personally feel mature and classy. So it was only natural that she took a moment to savor this feeling that gave her hope that she could eventually compare to a certain Shinigami Lieutenant.
"So... How do I look?"
The little Shinigami looked on in awe. All this time, she considered her predecessor as the most beautiful woman ever lived, but at that moment she wasn't sure anymore. She could only hope she would be at least half that good looking once she got older.
"WOW! AMAZING! Captain Hitsugaya would surely stop being mean to you once he saw how pretty you are like this..."
"You think so?! I- I mean, I couldn't care less about how that condescending jerk thinks of me. There's no doubt he still has endless excuses to keep looking down on me after this." Ooh, the hope was definitely there blooming in her heart.
Perhaps it had something to do with her being an artificial soul, but Hachigo often felt like she could read others better than most adults. And this time, she couldn't help wondering why her pretty friend seemed to deny her feelings.
"But you're important to him, Miss Ino! DON'T BADMOUTH HIM, PLEASE. I know Captain Hitsugaya. I know how he behaves toward the ones dear to him."
"If he thinks treating the ones dear to him like trash is the right thing to do, then there must be some malfunctioning in that genius head of his."
The teen fully expected that the little girl would be ready to defend her idol again. It seemed like she was about to, but just as she opened her mouth to shout loudly as usual, she abruptly closed it again. A thoughtful look appeared on her cute little face as she sensed a familiar malicious spiritual pressure trying to breach into this realm.
"THIS IS... I have to find Captain Hitsugaya."
"Wait, Hachigo-chan! What's wrong? You miss him already?" It had only been a few hours, geez.
"A HOLLOW!"
The little Shinigami then flash-stepped away, leaving the surprised teenage girl behind. Since she herself was still a kind of novice 'Shinigami', Ino needed to concentrate a bit to feel the noticeable tension in the air. It came from her village...
―
The two Shinigami Captains had been doing some research in another secret library that their ninja associates had suggested to them earlier. For hours, they had been looking at some records mentioning the people of this realm's knowledge about the otherworlds and spiritual beings. It was rather interesting, in particular the fact that nothing indicated that they had ever heard of Hollows, much less encountered one. Ironically, just as they started to discuss the reason behind such anomaly, a distinctly Hollow Reiatsu appeared and began to weigh down on the atmosphere. They left the library at once, but with the calmness of veterans who had faced this short of situation far too many times.
Soon later, the two stood on top of the Hokage monument like they did earlier that morning, watching with unimpressed expressions the ugly Menos Grande struggling to get through the newly formed Garganta. Their little subordinate soon appeared near them, innocently pointing at the gigantic beast.
"CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA! CAPTAIN KUCHIKI! Can I kill it, Sirs?" It was like she was asking if she could eat some delicious cookies.
The Sixth Captain gave her a look of disapproval.
"It's only proper for us to wait until it finishes its entrance, child." To him, it was dishonorable to attack a not ready enemy no matter what.
Hearing that, the Tenth Captain tried his best to not roll his eyes. Besides, he actually agreed with his senior, not for the same reason of course.
"Stay here and watch, Hachigo. I know it's somewhat cruel, but I find it necessary to gauge these people's capacity to defend against otherworldly threats."
Once the Menos fully appeared, the whole village was shaken by its ear-piercing scream. There appeared to be several spiritually aware individuals in panic trying to help the oblivious majority to get into safety. A good number of brave ninjas didn't waste their time, and began to attack the horrific beast with various techniques at once. Their effort seemed to be futile unfortunately, until a giant orange toad with a boy in an orange outfit standing on top of its head appeared. Perhaps then the battle could be seen as even, at least in size.
The two Captains knew very well that size meant nothing in high tier battles. The easy example was the fact that this massive Gillian Menos were the weakest class of Menos, absolutely nothing compared to the Vasto Lorde class that were no larger than human. The one and only exception was perhaps the gigantic Quincy they fought in the penultimate of the Thousand-Year Blood War. But then again, the thing that gave them most troubles at that time was that particular Quincy's Miracle, not his size.
Interestingly enough, the ninja forces actually managed to get the upper hand. But it was more because of their solid cooperation, not just the giant toad's presence. Feeling threatened, the Menos suddenly began to charge up a big glowing red and black energy in its mouth.
Even the always composed Captain Byakuya Kuchiki couldn't ignore this any longer.
"Cero. It's getting out of hand, Captain Hitsugaya. Letting them all be annihilated would only get you into a deeper problem, if that's even possible."
Just as he was about to pull Senbonzakura out of its sheath, however, his hand was stopped by his fellow Captain. The boy appeared as calm as ever, not even really looking at the Menos. Soon later, their little subordinate excitedly pointed her finger at the one he actually had been keeping an eye on.
"LOOK! THAT'S MISS INO!"
The girl appeared just then a few feet above the beast's head, and even from this distance, the three Shinigami could hear the words she intensely muttered.
"Sanzai suru, kemono no hone! Sento, koso, kotetsu no sharin. Ugokeba kaze, tomareba sora. Yariutsu neiro ga kojo ni michiru! Hado #63. RAIKOHO!"
The battlefield was illuminated for a moment as the 'demi-Shinigami' fired the massive concentration of energy that resembled a golden lightning struck down toward the gigantic Hollow. Thankfully, the rest of the ninjas had already moved away before the powerful spell completely incinerated the Menos Grande and the immediate vicinity.
The aftermath of the battle was filled with silence until suddenly joyful cheers resounded all around the vicinity. As soon as the new heroine descended from the sky, her friends and comrades ran toward her. They cheered for her, and in disbelief asked her how she could accomplish such an impossible feat. Among them, a familiar masked ninja took a step back, and turned his head toward the three Shinigami before subtly giving them a friendly wave.
Surprisingly enough, it was the Sixth Captain who returned the greeting with a curt nod.
"That Hatake. He is a quite formidable warrior indeed. If not for his leadership and instructions, not even half of them would've survived the battle."
It was very rare for the nobleman to praise someone, but his praise always showed the remarkable worth of the ones who received it. His fellow Captain knew this very well as he thought the same.
"Agreed. He somewhat reminds me of a certain humble shop owner who always lent us a hand in times of need."
Their little subordinate, however, was disappointed that the boy didn't pay more attention to a certain blonde girl's new appearance. She then shyly tried to get him to notice her pretty friend.
"Captain Hitsugaya? Have you noticed how Miss Ino looks different than usual? SHE LOOKS SO PRETTY!"
"Hm? Ah, I see. You gave her a Shihakusho. There's no harm in that. That's very generous of you, Hachigo."
Even though the young Captain followed his praise by ruffling her hair fondly, she was still dejected that she was the only one who got the praise. It didn't help that the Two Captains began to ignore her again. Captain Kuchiki in particular didn't even seem to listen to her talking as he analyzed the situation.
"This event has proven the credibility of your hypothesis, Captain Hitsugaya. The first ever appearance of a Hollow here showed that the balance of this world has really been compromised to the point that a contact with Hueco Mondo is possible. Nemuri Hachigo, come with me. I want you to install a communication screen at Hatake's place. The Commander must hear the report of this development immediately."
The little girl glanced at her favorite Captain once more time in disappointment before moving to follow her less favorite one with a pout. She began to see why her pretty friend liked to badmouth him in frustration. He could be such a jerk sometimes. And for the first time ever, she felt angry at him.
―
The rest of the day had been spent by Ino and her friends at a small restaurant celebrating their recent survival against a mysterious monstrosity that was not less powerful than a Biju. Understandably, they asked her what she knew about that creature, and of course how she suddenly became so strong. She gave vague answers like what the monster was called, and how it was created from tormented souls. Technically, she also didn't lie about her new power, telling how she met a Shinigami who gave her this power and knowledge as a compensation for endangering her life. They seemed rather skeptical, but considering a lot of the bizarre things they witnessed during their career as ninjas, no one had the right to doubt her.
It was not until the sun began to go down that they all decided to call it a day, leaving only her and her best friend as they decided to take a nice evening walk together. Said friend had been looking at her funny for a while since they saw each other that day.
"This world is surely full of surprises. I didn't see you for a day, and you suddenly had some super power and most importantly, a much better taste in fashion. It's like a dream." Sakura could've sworn that the blonde also looked a bit older, like about a year older.
"Care to repeat that, forehead?! Nothing has ever been wrong with my sense of fashion! Though I admit that I've become much classier now. Still, it's pitiful to criticize others just because you feel self-conscious of your child-like body, you know."
"Hey! You've gone too far, Ino!"
"Ooh? Did I say something wrong? No! It was a fact. Look at my amazing body and tell me that you don't feel inferior!"
"Why should I? I'm proud of my modesty."
"No wonder you still haven't got laid."
"At least I haven't already been a slut at the age of sixteen like a certain pig!"
"Take that back! I only have my eyes on one boy for a while now, Sakura!"
The two best friends growled at each other heatedly for a moment until the maturer one sighed tiredly as she noticed her friend's eyes somehow had become teary. It surprised her because as far as she could remember, the blonde had never been ashamed of her kinda loose morals. She was honestly curious about this, and realized that she wouldn't get any answer if they couldn't talk like adults.
"I'm tired of fighting with you. How come you could fight like that anyway? You can even fly! Do you really expect me to believe that a real Shinigami taught you all of that? I've studied about Shinigami before. They are entities of unimaginable power that more resemble a force of nature than a conscious being." She shuddered as she remembered that the Sandaime sacrificed his life to the Shinigami to defeat Orochimaru years ago.
"He's a whole different kind of Shinigami. And yes, he's a boy, an absurdly attractive one at that."
Sakura never took her friend seriously whenever she talked about handsome boys because it happened so often to the point that it seemed like she had a poor standard. This time was different though, considering what the blonde said with teary eyes earlier...
"The one you have your eyes on? What's he look like anyway?"
"Let's see. He has unruly white hair, though his skin is kinda tan. He's about this tall, and visually a couple of years older than us. So far, I've only ever seen him in a black attire with a sleeveless white haori over it. What else... Oh! He always carries a long sword - Hey, forehead! Are you listening?"
The other girl had been staring at a small bridge nearby instead of paying attention. Inwardly, she sighed in disappointment of her friend's lack of creativity even at making up stories. Though she got to admit that the blonde had a really good taste this time.
"Yeah... he looks stunning. The sunset light makes it seems like he's coming from heaven... You were describing the boy standing on that bridge, weren't you? Poor guy doesn't even notice that he's being used by you. Next time, be a bit more creative if you want to fool me with your imaginary Shinigami boyfriend."
What a coincidence, a pleasant one, though. Ino took a moment to admire the breathtaking view. She was really in love, helplessly in love. But then something crossed her mind, and it made her feel really angry at him.
Her friend was alarmed as she suddenly stomped off toward the boy without warning.
"Hey, wait up! Do you really wish to embarrassed yourself more, Ino?!"
But the girl didn't listen. Her Reiatsu was flaring uncontrollably as she stopped a few feet away him. The temperature around the vicinity was dropping, but he wasn't the one responsible for it for once as she glared furiously at him.
"Where the hell have you been, huh?! We were attacked by a Hollow! Is it not your duty to deal with those monsters? I know you could've killed it easily just by glaring at it. So why?! Why weren't you there?" She desperately hoped he would tell her that he simply had been away and couldn't return in time.
"You got the chance to show off. What's the problem then? You looked great there by the way, even more so in that Shihakusho. Stunning."
He just recently figured out what Hachigo meant earlier. And he had to admit that the girl looked gorgeous, furiously gorgeous. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be the right time to give her compliment. If only he said such a thing to her earlier that day, it would've really made her day. But at that moment, it made her feel as if he was making fun of her, sadistically humiliating her.
"Don't play with me, Toushiro. I know you have a hidden intention."
"Oh well, since you seem to have got smarter too, you might be able to understand that it's just a matter of time until things turn horribly wrong. Aside from the impending calamity, the threats from the otherworlds would be inevitable. That sudden Menos attack was an unexpected but convenient opportunity for me to see the people of this world's capability to survive against such threats. It helps me to devise further plans accordingly."
"To you it was a good thing then? It was horrible, Toushiro! We were lucky no one lost their life."
"It was unfortunate. However, we must prioritize the survival of the world and its people as a whole. Risk is always inevitable. You should think like an adult -"
- SLAP! -
"To be honest, I half expected you to give me another Soren Sokatsui."
"Believe me, if only my spells were strong enough to kill you, I would've gladly given you one."
Meanwhile, all the tension between the two made Sakura squirm. Even as a medic, she couldn't really tell if it was a physiological tension, an emotional tension, a sexual tension, or maybe all of them. It was so awkward for her to be in their presence, but she needed to step in, especially after putting things together from their conversation the extent of this supposedly Shinigami's power.
"Um... Ino? I understand you two know each other, but... don't you think that was a bit too harsh?"
"No. I would really do anything to see him die. You're lucky I forgot to introduce him to you. Even I wish to have never known this heartless god."
Without another word, she quickly grabbed her friend's hand. She just felt so tired all of a sudden, her Reiatsu dimming quickly as she dragged the surprised girl away from the still impassive Shinigami.
The outfit Hachigo gave to Ino is the one Nemu used during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.