Hinamori's Apprentice
Chapter Four
"Karin Kurosaki was a wonderful child, and she will be sorely missed by her family and friends. Born to Isshin and Masaki Kurosaki on May Sixth with her twin sister Yuzu, the first several years of her life were spent like those of a normal child alongside her siblings. Then, at the tender age of four her childhood would be changed by the untimely death of her mother. Despite the traumatic loss, Karin bravely kept on going, refusing to cry over her own sorrows. When she was six, she…"
Ichigo stared into his lap as he listened to the eulogy. Yuzu sat next to him, crying into their father's shoulder. Ichigo didn't like this place at all. It felt just like when their mother died. Once again, he was at a funeral for a dear family member that his actions indirectly killed. He refused to look up, as that would mean looking at the open casket that held Karin's body. He had only taken one glance at it near the beginning of the funeral before looking away. They had prepared the body so that she looked peaceful with a small rose clasped in her dead hands, but this wasn't the Karin that Ichigo knew. The Karin he knew was far more lively and full of energy. That was something impossible to give to a corpse. He didn't want to look at her like this. He preferred to keep his own memories of her separate from this.
The eulogy dragged on, detailing Karin's short life. Her love of soccer was mentioned, as were other facts about her life. Ichigo didn't like this at all. He hated being told about his sister by someone he didn't even know. It was the man's job, and it was necessary for others attending, but that didn't mean he had to like it.
Ichigo was in such shock that he was barely able to think clearly. Karin was dead…the very idea seemed nearly impossible. He was overwhelmed with guilt. Had he been in Karakura instead of working to become a Captain, he would have been there and might have been able to protect her. But he wasn't. He was too busy pursuing captainship to protect his own sister. He felt disgusted with himself. He already knew that he wouldn't go any further with his Captain training. He wasn't going to be a Captain, he was staying in Karakura. This was where he belonged, not in Soul Society.
The funeral continued, with Yuzu continuing to cry next to him and the man at the front continuing to deliver the eulogy. When it was over, the casket was closed, and was removed from the room for burial. Most of the others present stood, but Ichigo remained seated. He didn't feel like he could stand up right now. He felt like there was a huge weight on his shoulder. He could only watch dully at everything around him, his mind barely paying attention to what was going on.
---
"This meeting to discuss the situation regarding Captainship of the Fifth Division has come to order," Yamamoto said in his booming voice, "Captain Ukitake, your official report please."
Ukitake stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, preferred candidate for the position of Fifth Division Captain, has withdrawn his bid for the position following the death of his sister in the world of the living. There have been no further reports from Kurosaki, and details of his intentions are scant. However, it is clear that he should no longer be considered a likely candidate for Captain."
"Indeed, Ichigo Kurosaki has abandoned his previous bid to fill one of the missing Captain's positions," Yamamoto said, "This leaves the question of what is to be done in regards to the position, which as you all know has been empty for some time and which needs to be filled as soon as possible."
"Isn't the answer obvious?" Soi Fon said, "We must pressure Kurosaki to change his stance, and make him accept the position. We need a Captain for that division, and his personal issues do not compare with that need. It is foolish to simply allow him to walk away when so much effort has gone into readying him for the task."
"But do you really want someone like that for Captain in the first place?" Byakuya Kuchiki said, "Kurosaki is a powerful Shinigami, but he is divided in loyalty between Soul Society and the World of the Living. It is my opinion that he should not have been considered a candidate in the first place. Besides, he does not possess the proper attitude of a Captain. He is too brash and hot headed."
"He is young, but I believe he would make an excellent Captain," Ukitake said, "There may not be much we can do about his current situation, but we should at least acknowledge his potential. I say that we leave the position open, and give him the option to assume it as soon as he feels ready. I suspect that he may indeed one day decide to become Captain, and we should be ready for that."
"But we don't know when that will be," Komamura said, "He may never voluntarily assume a Captain Position, in which case we must either force him to accept it or find another candidate. I find the idea of forcing it on him to be distasteful, and thus recommend that we look elsewhere for Captain candidates."
"But where? Who else would make a suitable Captain?" Soi Fon said, "As much as I disapprove of some of his traits, he is the only one I can think of who would be appropriate for the position.
"What about Vice-captain Abarai?" Kyouraku asked, "He has Bankai, does he not?"
"That's right, and he's shown himself to be a fierce warrior," Kenpachi noted.
"He used to be in the Fifth Division, which also works in his favor," Unohana said.
"Captain Hitsugaya, what is your opinion, having witnessed Abarai using his Bankai in the field? Do you believe he has the skills necessary for a Captain?" Yamamoto asked.
"He has shown himself to be strong. I don't know that he's as strong as any of the Captains standing here today, but he has proven himself in combat nevertheless. He may very well be at the level of a lower-tier Captain," Toushiro Hitsugaya replied, recalling what he had seen of Renji's Bankai in past missions.
"What about you Captain Hisagi? How do you think Abarai compares to yourself prior to your recent promotion?" Yamamoto asked the recently appointed Captain of the Ninth Division, Shuuhei Hisagi.
"From my observations, Renji Abarai is at least as powerful as I am," Hisagi said calmly.
"However there is one key difference between you two," Byakuya Kuchiki said, "You are a capable leader and a diligent worker. As Renji's Captain, I can attest to the fact that he does not have the necessary skills to lead a Division. He is indeed powerful, but not to the point of being able to properly run and manage a division. I'm afraid I could not support any bid for him to become Captain."
"Bah, what do those things have to do with anything?" Kenpachi growled, "I would have preferred Ichigo, but Renji Abarai is powerful, and I'd pick him as Captain if I were in charge right now. Skills and leadership as you define them don't matter. He's good enough to be Captain I say."
"For you obviously," Mayuri Kurotsuchi muttered.
"But who else is there?" Komamura said, "Given the current lack of suitable Candidates, without Kurosaki, Renji Abarai is the only real candidate for the position."
"I think you're all forgetting someone," Shunsui Kyouraku said lazily, "Vice-captain Hinamori."
The room erupted into whispers. Everyone seemed stunned by the suggestion. Several of the captains muttered things such as 'ludicrous' and 'absurd' before Yamamoto shut them up with the tap of his cane on the floor.
"That is enough, we will be professional during this meeting," he said sternly to the Captains. He turned to Kyouraku. "What is your reasoning for suggesting Momo Hinamori?"
"Well, for starters she's already Captain in all but title," Kyouraku said, "She performs all the regular duties of a Captain and has proven herself quite capable of managing her division."
"But being a Captain is more than just performing the job," Soi Fon said, "A Captain must be absolutely dedicated to their position and understand the importance of it, and has to be of the greatest degree of strength. She has a history of letting her feelings get in the way of her duties, and has not even obtained Bankai. She is not suitable to become a Captain."
"She is highly gifted," Kyouraku said, "I've been watching her recently. She's been training a lot with her zanpakuto. She may not be as powerful as most Captains, but the degree of control she has over her power compensates for that. I'd estimate that she could obtain Bankai within five years."
"We can't just appoint her Captain just hoping she'll have Bankai someday, she needs to have it now if she wants to be Captain," Byakuya said.
"I must confess, I am concerned at her current power level. I have no doubts about her capabilities as a leader of her division, but I am not sure she is powerful enough to be a Captain," Ukitake said, "She's proven herself to be gifted, but to the extent of being ready to be Captain? In many years perhaps, but not in the near future."
"Still, we must consider the reality," Komamura said, "We need a Captain for Fifth Division. To not do so will cause long term damage to the strength and mobility of the Gotei 13 as a whole. I think that given these exceptional circumstances, she need not have Bankai to become Captain."
"But she is nowhere near the level of the rest of us," Byakuya said, "If she were just a bit weaker than us, it would be one thing, but a Captain and a Vice-captain are on entirely different levels, just as a Vice-captain and an ordinary Shinigami could not possibly be compared. The reason that Bankai is a prerequisite for Captains is that it exponentially increases a Shinigami's power. Without Bankai, there is no way a Shinigami could hope to compete with a Captain."
"Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Hisagi, you are both close to Vice-captain Hinamori. What are your feelings on this?" Yamamoto said. Toushiro took a deep breath.
"She is a master at Kido and controlling reiatsu, but from my observations she is not at the level of a Captain. I'm afraid I cannot support any attempts to make her a Captain," he said, his voice wavering slightly.
"I disagree," Hisagi said, "Hinamori is powerful enough to be a Captain. With all respect to Captain Hitsugaya, I must say that you underestimate your old friend, possibly due to your own speedy growth. Was it not her reiatsu that awoke your own latent powers?"
"Yes, but I hardly see that as relevant," Toushiro said.
"I think it is," Hisagi said, "Hinamori may not be on your level of power, and thus did not advance as quickly, but the degree of control she has over it more than compensates. Sheer reiatsu isn't enough to be Captain, it must be controlled, and from my observations she has learned to control her power much better than you have."
"She has less of it, therefore it's easier for her to control," Toushiro said.
"I was her Senpai; I was able to see her growth in power much more closely than you," Hisagi said, "You've already nearly reached the pinnacle of your power, just not the degree of control over it. Hinamori on the other hand has achieved a great degree of control over it, but has not yet developed her power to the same degree."
"What are you saying?" Toushiro asked.
"I'm saying that if you were suitable to become Captain despite being young, inexperienced, and lacking total control over your powers- and don't kid yourself, you know it's true," Hisagi added upon receiving a glare from Toushiro, "If, despite all that, you were named a Captain, I think it is reasonable to say that Hinamori could potentially be a Captain. I myself have only recently achieved Bankai, yet here I am, Captain of the Ninth Division. You are underestimating her, Captain Hitsugaya."
"I believe that is enough discussion," Yamamoto said, interrupting their argument, "This is indeed highly unorthodox. Normally when a Shinigami without Bankai attempts to become Captain, they must either obtain recommendations from a majority of Captains and approval from the others or must kill the previous Captain. Vice-captain Hinamori has done neither. However, given how great our need is for a new Captain of Fifth Division, we will be holding a special vote tomorrow. Vice-captain Hinamori and Vice-captain Abarai are to both be informed that they are under consideration for filling the Captain position. We will vote tomorrow, and if either of them obtains at least seven votes out of the eleven Captains here, we will take further steps to decide if they are suited for the position. I urge you all to think carefully on this issue. Dismissed.
----
Momo Hinamori stared at the messenger in shock. She couldn't believe what she had just been told. Her? A Captain candidate? She could hardly believe it! She had thought many times of the prospect of being a Captain, but it had always seemed like a far-off dream, not an achievable goal. Yet here she was, being considered for the position of Captain.
"Thank you," she said to the messenger, "You may go now." The messenger bowed and shunpoed off. She took a deep breath to try to stem her excitement.
It would be a long shot, she knew that. She had to get the approval of at least seven Captains, and on top of that, she would be competing against Renji, who already had Bankai. She wished she were able to reach Bankai. She had meditated and trained with her zanpakuto heavily, and while she had made progress, she didn't feel any closer to Bankai. She wondered if she would ever be capable of it. It was said that Bankai could only be achieved by the strongest of Shinigami after at least 100 years of experience and training with a zanpakuto, and required several more years to actually gain control over it to the extent it could reliably be used for combat. Momo had only been a Shinigami for just under fifty years. Logically, nobody should have been able to achieve Bankai in that amount of time.
But Renji had. Toushiro had even earlier. Momo felt rather inadequate when compared to them. She knew she wasn't that powerful, but she wanted to believe that she was at least strong enough to compete with her friends. She lowered her head slightly. Such thoughts made her think of Toushiro. It had been eight months since she and Toushiro had stopped seeing eachother regularly. It wasn't that they didn't want to be friends, it was just…circumstances that forced them apart. She supposed it all started back when Toushiro had entered the Shinigami Academy.
She was already in her final year when Toushiro began attending. She was very excited; after all, she had been telling him to enroll for a long time. She knew he had spiritual power, she was able to sense it in him shortly after she developed her own powers, and she had been hoping for a long time that he'd eventually join. When he did enroll in the Academy, Momo was at first very happy, but soon that feeling of happiness had begun to lessen when she realized just how powerful Toushiro really was.
She had always known that Toushiro had a large amount of reiatsu, but she never realized just how much of it she had, nor did she realize he would be a prodigy in seemingly everything he did. He had rapidly advanced to the level of the sixth year students soon after arriving. He was amazing at everything he did. He quickly surpassed Momo in swordsmanship, as well as hand-to-hand combat and stepping techniques. The only thing she was able to do better at was Kido, and even with that he approached her level. It made her feel bad about herself. To see the funny little boy she had grown up with rapidly surpassing her in the skills it had taken her six years to learn was disheartening. She was proud of him, and did everything she could to encourage him, but deep down, she felt a little sad. It made her feel guilty, but she could not deny that she was jealous of her friend. She still cared deeply for him, but things just weren't the same with the knowledge that he had not only surpassed her, but had done so in a single year.
Momo had hoped that perhaps after they had become Shinigami, things would be better, but that was not the case. Aside from their duties keeping them apart for long periods of time, Toushiro continued to get more powerful. Momo meanwhile continued to steadily improve herself, getting stronger but not nearly at the level of Toushiro. It reached its peak when Toushiro obtained Bankai, and later became the youngest Captain in Gotei 13 history. She was proud of him, and still cared for him dearly, but that was really a turning point in their relationship. At that point, there was no hope of her being able to keep up with him. When they were younger, they had promised to protect eachother, but after he became a Captain it felt like it was only Toushiro who protected her. When she had lost herself to her emotions due to Aizen's treachery, it was Toushiro who saved her. She ought to feel grateful to him, but she couldn't manage to feel anything but jealousy. She didn't care that much about power, but when she saw a close friend going so far beyond her, it was just too much. To make matters worse, Toushiro now acted differently. He was still cold, grumpy, and stubborn like he used to be, but he just wasn't the same as when they lived in Rukongai. He acted more like an adult than a child. Momo knew it was silly to be bothered by something like that, but she couldn't help it. Their friendship was falling apart, and by the time they noticed, it was too late.
Momo remembered the day they had ceased to be friends. It was a rather routine mission to the world of the living, with her and Matsumoto accompanying Toushiro as backup. There was a hollow attack, and while it was not particularly powerful, due to a series of circumstances that Momo couldn't even remember, she had wound up in a situation in which she was trapped by the hollow, unable to escape and facing its attack. Toushiro had saved her, scolding her for being careless.
She should have been grateful, but instead she got angry. She told him that she was able to handle herself, and that she didn't need him to constantly protect her. He pointed out the numerous times he had saved her, and that evidently she did need his protection. At this point Momo snapped, yelling at him for not taking her seriously and looking down at her, not giving her the credit she had earned. She was a Vice-captain after all, and wasn't completely weak. Toushiro had responded by saying that she didn't give him the respect he had earned either, saying she should have been proud of him for ascending to a Captain position. He correctly accused her of jealousy, and said that she did not give him credit for all the hard work he'd done to protect her. They argued for some time after that, though Momo forgot the details of the fight. By the end of the fight, they were no longer friends.
There was no anger lingering between them, and they didn't hate eachother, they were simply no longer friends. Momo even began to understand Toushiro's personality change, she herself becoming a bit more 'professional' now that she had the responsibility of managing her division alone thrust upon her. When they encountered eachother, they would address eachother curtly by their respective titles before walking off. Their friendship simply could not last. Both of them were at fault for undervaluing the other. It made Momo very sad, but there was nothing she felt like she could to about it. Everything was so messed up between them, she didn't know if they'd ever be friends again.
This was part of the reason that Momo wanted to become Captain. She desired to prove herself worthy to Toushiro. Their biggest problem was that they had trouble respecting and acknowledging eachother. Sure they knew how powerful eachother was and how hard they worked, but Momo always felt like Toushiro was powerful but didn't work as hard and Toushiro felt that Momo worked hard but wasn't very powerful. That was the sort of thing that tore them apart. Momo hoped that by becoming a Captain, they might be able to reach a better understanding with eachother and become friends again. She wasn't sure exactly how, but she couldn't think of any other way.
"Hey Momo, what're you thinking?"
Momo turned to see Renji behind her. She put on a fake smile.
"Oh, hi Renji, how are you?" she said cheerily, hiding the gloom she felt.
"Okay I suppose. I heard you also got selected as a potential Captain," he said.
"Yeah, but I doubt I'll get the position. I don't even have Bankai," Momo said, "You're much more likely than me to get the position."
"I wouldn't say that. You're still a much better leader than me. I may have Bankai, but you're actually capable of running and managing a Division," Renji said.
"Thanks. By the way, do you know anything about how Kurosaki is doing?" Momo asked.
"Why, are you concerned for him?" Renji asked.
"No! I mean, he was going to be my Captain so I guess maybe a bit concerned, but I ask mainly out of curiosity," Momo said.
"Well…he's not doing so good. From what I hear, he's gotten pretty depressed and isn't very active right now. He's probably not going to be quite himself for a while…"
Momo stared at her feet. Despite all of his flaws, she could not help but feel sorry for Ichigo. He had lost his little sister; that had to be really painful for him. On top of that, he had the guilt of not being their when she was killed. It must have weighed heavily on him. The death of a loved one was never easy, and given Ichigo's…complex circumstances, it was probably even worse. She knew by her own words that a Shinigami shouldn't be distracted from their duties by emotional attachments, but she still completely understood how much pain Ichigo must be going through. It was impossible for her to feel bitter towards him with that sort of knowledge.
"Do you think he'll get better soon?" Momo asked.
"Only time will tell," Renji said simply, "Come on, let's go over to Matsumoto's place, she's throwing a party to celebrate our nominations."
"Really? That's nice I suppose," Momo said apprehensively, knowing what Matsumoto's parties tended to involve copious amounts of alcohol.
Her suspicions were soon proven correct when Renji led her to a nearby bar where Matsumoto was already waiting eagerly outside with Izuru, Isane, and Kiyone standing beside her.
"Momo!" Matsumoto said cheerfully, running up and embracing Momo, her breasts smothering her. Momo managed to squirm her way out of Matsumoto's hug, blushing a little bit.
"Hi Rangiku. I take it you already started?" Momo said.
"No, I wouldn't start drinking without you! Though I did have several brandy-filled chocolates!" she said brightly.
"I see…well, shall we go in?" Momo said.
"Yeah, let's start! Rangiku said we couldn't go in until you're here!" Kiyone complained.
"Well it is a party for her and Renji, it wouldn't make sense for them not to be here," Isane said reasonably.
"Come on, let's go! To the booze!" Matsumoto shouted, prancing into the bar with everyone else following after her.
The bar was dark, but fairly comfortable. They all took seats on the bar stools at the front of the bar. Momo sat between Matsumoto and Izuru. There was nobody else at the bar, and the bartender promptly came up to take their orders.
"I'll have a pure malt scotch," Izuru said. As the bartender wrote down his order, Matsumoto gave him a tap on the shoulder.
"What, is that all?" she asked.
"Well…yeah," Izuru said.
"Don't be such a wimp! Get at least two drinks!"
"If I want more I'll simply order more after I'm done," Izuru said.
"This is a party! You start out with more than just one drink! That's how I always do it! You hear that everyone?" Matsumoto said looking over everyone present, "You have to get at least two drinks to start out with! If you don't, I won't let you leave until you outdrink me!"
"Fine," Izuru said wearily, "I'll also have a small cup of Seishu Sake."
"I want hard cider and coconut brandy! And put them in tall glasses!" Kiyone said energetically.
"There, you see Izuru? Kiyone knows how to have fun!" Matsumoto said.
"I'll have a pale lager and a glass of vodka," Renji said.
"If you have it, I'll take an elderberry wine," Isane said, "But if you don't have that, I'll take a red wine."
"We don't have either of those," the bartender said.
"Really? In that case I'll take a white wine."
"We don't have any kind of wine," the bartender said.
"No wine?" Isane said in confusion, "Okay, how about Sherry?"
"That's a type of wine, so no."
"Cognac?"
"No."
"Perry?"
"No."
"Peppermint Schnapps?"
"No."
"Palm wine?"
"What did I say about wine?"
"But palm wine isn't even a real wine! Wine is made from fruit like grapes, and palm wine is made from the sap of palm trees! It's not a wine at all!" Isane protested.
"The things you're asking for are too fancy and exotic. Try something simpler," Matsumoto suggested. Isane sighed.
"I guess I'll have…mead then. Okay, mead and a small beer," Isane said, catching a look from Matsumoto. Matsumoto raised her hand to order next.
"I'll have two beers, tequila, and four cups of whatever kind of sake you've got!" Matsumoto said brightly.
"You sure you ordered enough?" Izuru asked dryly.
"Yeah, I think so," Matsumoto said, "Okay Momo, your turn!"
"Actually I don't really drink that much, so I was thinking maybe I'd just watch you guys drink," Momo said.
"No! You have to drink too! You can't enjoy a party without drinking!" Matsumoto said cheerily, already drinking the first of the alcohol she was given.
"Okay…I guess I'll have a peach schnapps," Momo said.
"Momo…" Matsumoto said sternly.
"Oh fine," Momo said wearily, "I'll also have a light rum."
"Rum? Ha! You hear that guys? Momo's a pirate!" Matsumoto shrieked with laughter.
"I only ordered it because you made me. Besides, modern rum is nothing like the stuff made back in pirate days. It's much more cleanly prepared and-"
"Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me!" Matsumoto sung cheerily. Momo sighed, watching as the bartender brought her drink. She took a small sip of it as she watched Matsumoto's antics. The others were likewise enjoying their drinks.
"Woo-hoo! Is this a party or what?" Matsumoto said loudly. She slapped Momo on the back. "I'm glad you came, I was worried that you'd refuse to come like my mean old Captain!"
"You invited Toushiro too?" Momo said in surprise.
"I invite him to these things all the time, but he never comes!" Matsumoto said, "Every time I try to get him to drink he just pushes me away!"
"Well of course he does! You can't give Toushiro alcohol! He's too little for it! Besides, it will upset his tummy!" Momo said.
"Awww, how cute! Momo's worrying about Captain! You're such a little cutie Momo," Matsumoto said drunkenly, patting Momo roughly on the head.
"How can a person get so drunk so fast?" Momo asked.
"Hey, you've been a party animal at times too," Matsumoto said, "Remember that time that I convinced you to drink an entire bottle of sake and convinced you to kiss Nemu?"
"What???!!!! I don't remember doing that!" Momo protested.
"Yeah, you were pretty drunk," Matsumoto giggled, "Or how about that time in the world of the living where you got drunk and ran naked through Tokyo?"
"What?" Momo said in a horrified voice, "I did that?"
"You sure did, you crazy little party animal!" Matsumoto laughed, "And then there was that time I got you drunk and convinced you to get a tattoo!"
"A TATTOO?!?!?!" Momo shrieked, "I never noticed having a tattoo anywhere!"
"That's because it's on your butt!" Matsumoto giggled.
"Rangiku!!!!!" Momo shrieked, "All of you look away!" Momo tried to look around to her back side, lifting up her Shinigami uniform to try to see the tattoo.
"It's no good, I can't see it! I need someone else to take a look at it for me!"
"I'll do it," Renji said.
"Not you!" Momo yelled, her face flushed, "Isane, could you check it out?"
"Um, okay," Isane said. She came over and lifted up the backside of her uniform so that Isane could see what the tattoo was. Isane immediately blushed.
"Oh…" she said, covering her mouth a little, "That's…wow…"
"What? What does it look like?" Momo asked in a panic.
"It…it's just a smiley face," Isane said.
"Well actually it looks like-"
"Izuru! Don't look!" Momo shrieked, hastily putting her uniform back into place, highly embarrassed. After a few moments though she turned to Izuru, "So how bad is it?" she asked reluctantly.
"It say's 'Kido Goddess'," Izuru said.
"Oh, well I guess that's not so-"
"Also it has an image of you in a leather thong with a whip made out of Kido."
"Uhhhh…" Momo dizzily collapsed into her chair, clearly mortified.
"Hey, I thought it was cool!" Matsumoto said.
"You graffitied my rear end Rangiku," Momo said dully, too horrified to speak. Before Matsumoto could respond, the door opened and Shuuhei Hisagi walked in. Momo glanced at him.
"Oh, hello Captain Hisagi," she said, her voice flat and dull.
"What's wrong with her?" Hisagi asked.
"She found out about the tattoo," Matsumoto said.
"Oh, yeah I was wondering when that would happen," Hisagi said.
"What? You mean you were in on it too?" Momo said, suddenly alert again, "Why didn't you stop her from defacing my perfect butt? What man would want it now?"
"Probably guys into bondage," Renji snickered, earning him a smack from Momo.
"Hey, be glad it was me," Matsumoto said, "Shuuhei wanted to put '69 4-EVER' on your forehead."
"Oh my god…" Momo said, gripping her forehead. She looked at the drinks before her and pushed them away, "I'm never drinking again."
"Fine, more for me," Matsumoto said, snatching away her drinks. Hisagi suppressed a chuckle.
"So Momo, are you excited?"
"Yeah, though I'm trying not to get my hopes up," Momo said, "My chances are really low. I don't even have Bankai. Renji is much more likely than me to get the spot."
"Don't count yourself out just yet," Hisagi said, "I'd say you have a decent chance of getting enough votes for further consideration. You're forgetting that I'm a Captain now, and I was present at the meeting."
"You really think I have a chance?" Momo asked, her expression brightening a bit.
"It's an uphill battle for you, but I'd say you have a chance," he said, "Think about it: you already fulfill most of the roles a Captain plays. They know you're capable of that. You may not be at a Captain's power level right now, but I believe you could eventually reach that point, and right now the main concern is filling the seat. Power level is of secondary importance to the necessity of filling the position. They're desperate to wash away all remnants of Aizen's betrayal, and by having someone replace him, they're essentially removing one of the last lingering effects of his betrayal. That's partly why they made me Captain. Even having just achieved Bankai, I wasn't really of the proper level for a Captain, but they desired the spot filled so much that they chose me to be Captain. The same could happen for you. You already have shown yourself capable of most Captain duties, you have a history with the Fifth Division, you're currently the top executive officer of the division, and you have shown your dedication to your duties. If you can convince them that you will indeed become stronger, you have a real chance of getting the votes necessary for further consideration."
"That's great!" Momo said, "What about Renji?"
"He's got Bankai, but some of the other Captains feel he's not really Captain material. Still, they do need a Captain, and may end up being favorable towards him on the same premise that they might be towards you. Renji's strong, and even if they're doubtful of his leadership abilities, that does count for something."
"So how many votes do you think Momo and Renji will get?" Izuru asked. Hisagi glanced at the ceiling, thinking carefully.
"Well, you both have my vote," he said, earning smiles from all present, "Aside from me though, Renji probably will get the votes of Kyouraku, Zaraki, Unohana, and Komamura, though we have no way of knowing for sure until all the voting has taken place. Momo will definitely have Captain Kyouraku's support, he's the one who first nominated her. Komamura seemed likely to support her as well, though I can't be sure. Several others seemed to at least be considering you, which is a good sign."
"Um, do you think that Tou...Captain Hitsugaya will vote for me?"
"I can't be sure, he seemed to be on the fence," Hisagi said, "Don't worry, you'll know by tomorrow."
"Yeah…I guess so."
---
Karin sat on a bench at the side of the road, kicking her feet. It had been about a week since she had arrived in Soul Society, and already she was adapting to it. She had soon learned about the details of Soul Society; about Seireitei, Rukongai, Shinigami, everything. She still felt extremely sad, but soon after arriving she resolved that she would not cry or obsess over it. Nothing she did would change anything now, so there was really no point to it. She had to live with it and make a life for herself here in Rukongai.
She already had joined a 'family' of other souls. One of the first thing she had learned upon entering Rukongai was that it was rare to end up meeting actual family, so it was best to join up with an 'adoptive' family. Her's lived in the house of an old man and included seven other children. It was nice, but it wasn't really the same as her real family.
Karin wondered how they were doing. She knew that they would all be very sad over her death, and could only hope that they would be able to continue with their lives. She was particularly worried about Yuzu. Her twin sister did not have Karin's emotional strength, and Karin wasn't sure how well she would fare. She sighed. She really wanted to be back there; to be in her own bed, to live with her family, and just to be alive again. The pain and sadness was crushing, but Karin did not cry. She had learned soon after her mother's death that crying just made others share the pain she felt. Besides, it wasn't like she was unique. Everyone around her once had friends, family, and a home, only to lose that with their death. Crying would only make herself feel worse, and cause others to think her to be childish. She wouldn't cry, even if she wanted to.
When she had first arrived, she had speculated on the possibility of meeting up with Ichigo. He was involved with the Shinigami after all; she thought that if she could find a Shinigami who would take her to Seireitei, she might eventually be able to meet up with him. The other souls she had met quickly shot this idea down however. They explained that Shinigami rarely came this far out into Rukongai, and that when they did, they looked down upon the souls residing there. Even though the Shinigami were the military of Soul Society, they rarely actually bothered to leave the comforts of Seireitei.
The more she learned, the clearer it was that she would never see her brother or the rest of her family again. If she did end up seeing a Shinigami, they probably would just leave her, thinking she was lying or that it was a trick to get into Seireitei. Slowly, she had become resigned to her fate of living in Seireitei, and was left with little choice but to accept it.
"Hey Karin, Grandpappy wants us home for dinner now."
Karin glanced up to see that her 'sister' Mashi was standing nearby. She had brown hair tied back and was wearing a dull colored Kimono. Karin stood up, nodding to Mashi before walking down the street to their home. When she went inside after Mashi, she saw that plates had already been set up for dinner, and that most of her 'siblings' were already present. Several of the younger ones were running around, chasing eachother. There were seven total, including Mashi. The others were named Dreis, Rina, Wui, Sofi, Rubi, and Asmato.
"Hey guys," Karin said.
"Hi Karin," They said together. Karin could not help but smile. Even if they weren't really her family, she was glad that she had found people like this to live with. They all treated her exactly as if they were her actual family, and had shown great care for her.
"Okay everybody, the foods ready." The old man who cared for them came out of the kitchen, carrying a large pot that he set on the table. He was old and looked frail, but was quite a bit stronger than he looked, able to lift the large pot with ease. He dished out meat and potatoes onto all of their plates.
"Mm, alright! I'm starving!" Karin said, smelling the delicious food.
"In Soul Society, people don't starve," the old man said with a smile.
"Well you know what I mean. I'm really hungry," Karin said with a shrug.
"In Soul Society, we don't get hungry either."
"Whatever, I guess I'm just a freak then," Karin said, rolling her eyes and digging into the food before her. Karin has realized soon after coming to Soul Society that most souls did not get hungry, yet she did. She had no idea why, and only knew that she was the only one eating because out of hunger.
Everyone present was enjoying their food. The old man didn't have a ton of money, but he always made the most wonderful food. Karin quickly finished her plate and was about to help herself to more when she saw that Rubi wasn't eating anything. Rubi was a small girl with short brown hair with a bow in it. She had arrived in Soul Society only a few days after Karin, and had been adopted into the 'family' around the same time.
"Rubi? Are you okay?" she asked. Rubi didn't answer. She pushed away her food and ran out of the room, tears in her eyes. The old man was about to get up but Karin stood first.
"I'll talk to her," she said. She walked out of the room and out to the back of the house, where she saw Rubi crying.
"Rubi? Are you okay?" Karin asked in an unusually gentle tone. Rubi looked up and shook her head, sniffling and wiping her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Karin asked.
"What-what's not wrong?" Rubi sobbed, "I…I'm dead! My family…my mom and dad and little brother…I'll never see them again! All my friends, my house, my school…everything I knew in my life is gone!"
"I know it hurts, but you can't just spend your time crying over it," Karin said, "You have to make the best of it and make a life for yourself here!"
"H-how? I don't know this place! I'm confused and scared and lonely! How can you just be so calm about all of this? Why aren't you at all sad? You died just a few days ago, yet you act like you don't even care? How can you be like that?" Rubi asked.
"Who ever said I didn't feel those things?" Karin said quietly, "I feel the same way you do. I'm sad – beyond sad! My whole life was taken away from me! All the things I've known are gone! I'll never be able to live the life I wanted to now! The sadness and grief is terrible! I'm scared too! I barely know anything about this place, and I don't know what I'm going to do next! I'm confused over what to do and what I'm supposed to do next! I've lost all of my friends and family, so I'm lonely! I feel the exact same things you do!"
"But how can you be so calm about it? How can anyone after all of that?" Rubi asked.
"Because there's nothing I can do about it," Karin said, "Crying won't bring me back to life, nor will it reunite me with my family or help me start a new life here. It will just make me feel worse and burden those around me. That's why I don't cry. I'm still sad, scared, and lonely, but I'm not going to let those things consume me." Rubi sniffled and looked up at Karin.
"Thank you," she said, giving her a hug, "Um, can I ask you something? May I call you…sister?" Karin gave her a pat on the head.
"Of course."
---
"Vice-Captain Hinamori! Vice-Captain Abarai! You are here to hear the results of the vote," Yamamoto said, "If either of you receives at least seven votes, you will be placed under further consideration for appointment to the position of Fifth Division Captain. Is this understood?"
"Yes sir!" both Momo and Renji said. They were tense and nervous, anxious to hear the results. The other Captains were assembled in the First Division meeting hall, waiting to hear the results.
"Renji Abarai!" Yamamoto said, "You have received a total of five votes, two votes short of the minimum necessary for consideration. Therefore, you failed the vote. Momo Hinamori! You have received three votes, four short of what was needed, and thus also failed. As neither of you have received enough votes, I will ask that you excuse yourselves from the rest of this meeting.
Both Momo and Renji bowed and gave the Captain's their thanks before walking out of the meeting room.
"Well, I guess it was too much to hope for," Renji said lazily, "They probably never seriously considered us anyways."
"Y-yeah," Momo said quietly, "Listen Renji, I think I'll take the long way out."
"Oh, okay," Renji said. Momo turned a corner and picked up her pace, hoping Renji didn't notice the expression on her face.
She was foolish to have gotten her hopes up. Her chances were extremely low, yet she had allowed herself to become emotionally invested in the idea of being a Captain. She had tried to prepare herself for the likely rejection, but she wanted to be a Captain so badly that she had ignored common sense. She didn't even have Bankai, yet she allowed herself to think that she had any chance of becoming a Captain. She felt very stupid right now. She had wanted to prove herself so badly. To herself, to the other Shinigami, and…to Toushiro.
She had hoped that becoming a Captain might give her another chance at friendship with her old friend, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen. He probably even voted against her, as Hisagi, Kyouraku, and Komamura were probably the three who did vote for her, meaning that Toushiro voted against her. This thought made her unbearably sad. He of course was completely justified, and he couldn't vote for her just because of their former friendship, but that didn't make it hurt any less. She rubbed at her eye a little bit, wiping away a tear threatening to spill out.
"Are you okay?"
Momo jumped. She turned to see Toushiro standing behind her.
"Cap-Captain Hitsugaya! You scared me!" Momo said, her heart pounding.
"Sorry," he said, "I wanted to check on you. Are you okay?"
"Why-why yes sir! I'm doing great!" Momo said with a fake cheery smile, "Thank you for your concern; I am honored that a Captain thought to ask me such a thing. Now if you'll excuse me, I really must be going."
Momo turned and briskly walked away, hoping that Toushiro did not notice the tears in her eyes.
Thanks for reading! Thank you to war90, DW64, Photophopic, psyco101, Aly Dee, and Yemi Hikari for reviewing! I made an extra large chapter (at 8,300 words it may actually be the longest I've ever written) this week because my family is going on vacation to Toronto on Sunday and I'm not sure if I'll be able to update for the next week. I might be able to squeeze in a chapter before I leave, or if the hotel I stay at has internet and I have time, type up a chapter to post while I'm actually on vacation, but don't get your hopes up over it. Please review! I love hearing from my readers!