The men of the Tenth Division were running through kido drills. To one side, the unofficial mascot of the Tenth Division, Ichimaru Toshiro was working through the same drills. He imitated their stances perfectly, better than quite a few of them. He knew every chant by heart and recited them as clearly as the rest of the group when they went through each in unison. The only difference was he was wearing a pink and blue patterned kosode and hakama his mother thought was adorable, and he used no kido. No kido in public, ever, was his father's rule, and he obeyed without question. The threatened consequences were too severe.
His mother, completely ignorant of her son's actual skill, smiled as she passed him, carrying a clipboard. She was evaluating each squad member as they practiced. She had gotten very good at picking out weaknesses that needed additional attention, and she led extra training courses in the afternoons where she could focus on individual needs.
She enjoyed the roles she had developed in the division since Toshiro was born. She had started out doing a lot of the training and had been made personally in charge of each year's new members, making sure each fit well in their new positions. She was much more aware than Lieutenant Hanada or Captain Isshin of how their personalities and interactions with their peers would affect their performance. Somehow that responsibility had evolved into assisting in making assignments throughout the division, so much so that neither the captain nor the lieutenant would even dream of giving a long-term assignment without running it by Rangiku first.
Her only frustration was that Gin remained the only person willing to push her zanpakuto training at all. Any other man approaching her with a sword, even a wooden practice sword, treated her like a glass doll they were terrified of breaking. The sexist idiots, she'd knocked enough of them on their asses in return for their special consideration.
As she was pacing back behind the men, Fourth Seat Oda ran up to her. She did her best to refrain from glaring at him. It wasn't his fault the stupid captain had given him Miyako's seat rather than move her up-he'd left the damn seat empty for nearly five years too, Rangiku thought bitterly.
But, no, she smiled at Oda, and asked, "What's up?" In her friendliest tone.
"Ichimaru-san," the young man said. He was terrified of the woman and would admit it if anyone asked. He didn't care if he outranked her. "The captain would like to see you in his office."
"Ok," she agreed, and handed the confused man the clipboard. "Here, write down anything you notice and make sure Shiro-chan doesn't wander off. If I'm not back by lunch just take him to the mess hall with you. He'll find Kei-chan, and she'll make sure he gets fed."
Oda watched after her, wondering when babysitting had become part of a fourth seat's duty, and decided it had probably been the moment Ichimaru Rangiku decided it was.
Rangiku stepped into the office as soon as she knocked on the door. Lieutenant Hanada was standing in front of his desk, speaking to Captain Isshin, as the captain leaned back casually in his chair. The scene was so familiar that Rangiku might not have realized something was up, but the reiatsu on her left was not something she was ever going to miss.
She turned to her husband, sitting in one of the comfortable chairs they had for visitors. "What are you doing here?" she demanded suspiciously.
"So mean, Ran," Gin said, smiling pleasantly. "People will think you don't like me-I was invited."
She turned to her captain in confusion. "Sir?"
Isshin sat forward and smiled. "I was just talking over a possible change of assignment for you with your husband. You don't mind, now, do you?"
Rangiku bit back the urge to tell him that she most certainly did mind, as it was none of Gin's business what any of her assignments were. He wasn't her damned father. She decided what she did, thank you very much. "Of course not, sir," she said, smiling pleasantly.
Behind her, Gin sighed. She was glad that he, at least, realized he was in trouble.
Isshin just laughed as he got to his feet. "Well, Rangiku-chan, I've been telling your husband how impressed I've been with your performance these past few years. Was a time I couldn't depend on you to get anything done on time, now you're taking care of the whole division."
Rangiku nodded. "Thank you, sir." She was mostly annoyed, though. He never noticed how much she had improved with Haineko or even in kido, where she had never spent much time before, but now had become one of the best in the division.
"You've become a real asset, and, as it turns out Hanada, here, is leaving us for a special assignment in the World of the Living, I'm going to be needing a new lieutenant in two weeks. How would you like to be that new lieutenant?"
Rangiku's mouth fell open. She'd thought she'd never be allowed to move up again, that having a baby had put a permanent end to any upward mobility. Isshin had made it very clear on numerous occasions that he was not going to give her any more combat assignments, which, in her mind at least, made her virtually useless.
"Now, before you get too excited, there are a few rules you need to understand; you don't like them, you don't take the job, understand?"
"Yes, sir," she said, nodding immediately.
"I'm not going to be sending you out to lead combat missions-"
"Sir!" she interrupted, but when he looked at her she nodded.
"Lieutenant Ise doesn't lead missions; in fact, I don't think I've ever seen her draw a zanpakuto. You are going to be expected to fulfill a position much like Lieutenant Ise. You're going to keep this place running smoothly. You can allocate any work you don't feel like doing as long as it gets done and gets done right. You know people. You can see where they'll be most useful, and you notice when they need help. I'm bad at both, so you'll be the perfect lieutenant for the division, if you're willing to take the job under those conditions."
"You've forgotten one," Gin said softly.
Rangiku glared back at him, telling him silently to mind his own business.
"A very important one, too," Isshin said. "As long as you're a lieutenant, unless the order comes from above, you are not going to the World of the Living."
"What?" Rangiku demanded. She loved the World of the Living. She went every chance she got. She had even gotten Gin to take her to a hot spring there. It was wonderful! What the hell were they thinking, telling her she couldn't go? "Why the hell not?"
Isshin's eyes went to Gin, and Rangiku turned her fury on her husband. "This was your idea? What, are you just sick of me filling the house with manga? Why the hell would you want to stop me from going to the World of the Living?"
"Ran, if you become a lieutenant your reiatsu will be restricted. If you run into something big you might not be able to protect yourself. You could-"
"I am so fucking sick of you men telling me I can't protect myself. I am a shinigami just like you, and I have fought hollows with my life on the line. I am not some delicate little princess-"
"Rangiku," Isshin interrupted, and he waited for her to turn and face him before he continued. "Those are the rules. Take it or leave it."
She stared at him for a moment, and they could all see she was fighting the urge to scream. "Fine," she said, after a few deep and calming breaths. "I'll follow your rules, and I won't complain. And I do appreciate your confidence in me. That you would chose me, even with all these limitations, is a great honor. Thank you, sir." And with that she bowed low.
"I know you're going to be an excellent lieutenant, Rangiku-chan. I've always expected you to make it eventually."
"Thank you," she said again. "I'd better get back to Shiro-chan now, sir, if there's nothing else?"
"Go on. We'll get together later to make some plans. I'll be announcing your promotion next week. Please, try not to spread it around till them."
"Yes sir. Thank you," she said again. Then she turned, and for a second she looked at Gin. "And you are in so much trouble." And with that she stormed out of the room.
"Not going after her?" Isshin asked in amusement. He would have given her the same restrictions regardless, but Gin's presence had virtually let him off the hook.
"Nah," Gin said, lightly. "She enjoys her lunches with Shiro-chan. I wouldn't want to interrupt."
Isshin burst out laughing at that and didn't stop until Gin was long gone.