Chapter 2: I Never Promised
Disclaimer: Bleach does not belong to me and never will.
Rangiku Matsumoto was never big on doing paperwork or even reading paperwork. She preferred to spend hours talking to people instead of reading through reports. Reports were dull but it was better than seizing about Byakuya Kuchiki being a complete and total ass.
"You can't do that Kuchiki-taicho! You can't! Rukia-chan needs to know. She has suffered enough because of this! This isn't fair!"
Byakuya's face went white and his glare was directed at her. He was about to bite out some
"Matsumoto, you have no right to talk to Kuchiki-taicho like that. Kuchiki-taicho, I apologize for my fukutachio. She has not the right to speak to you in such a manner."
"I would remind you both," Byakuya said coolly, "that it is my decision whether Rukia be informed. I do not need your approval Matsumoto-san nor do I seek it. Now I request that you both leave my office."
The two leaders of the tenth bantai bowed slightly and then left.
Hitsugaya turned towards his subordinate his green eyes barely containing their fury. "You are not to question what decision is being made. The sotaichio said it was in Kuchiki-taicho's hands whether or not Rukia-san would be informed."
"But Taicho, it's wrong. Rukia-chan suffered a lot. Shouldn't she be allowed to know the truth?"
"Again Matsumoto it is not our decision. It is Kuckiki-taichio's."
"He is a heartless teme. Like he cared about Rukia-chan before this. He couldn't—"
Hitsugaya turned towards her his eyes colder than usual. "That is enough! You must control how you feel. I don't like it either but it is not our decision."
He marched off towards the record's room leaving her standing alone.
She was still angry at her taicho but he did have a point. She couldn't do anything about this instead she would focus on learning more about what had happened to Kaien.
The files were confusing and she stared at them in complete despair. She couldn't understand half of this scientific jargon.
"Do you need some help Rangiku-san?"
Matsumoto looked up and thanked kami that this was the person Yamamoto had sent to them to explain the science. The rest of the twelfth bantai freaked her out.
-
Nemu didn't know what to expect. She had never been summoned here before so it placed her in a precarious position. Rarely did she ever leave the twelfth bantai's area. There was always so new experiment to work on or someone her father wanted her to specifically keep an eye on.
She did go to the Women's Shinigami meetings but that was because it was required. Despite her father's best efforts to isolate her she had found some companionship. But most people overlooked her. So it was a rare surprise that she had personally been requested by the Sotaicho to come to the first bantai.
"Kurotsuchi-fukutachio, come in."
She nodded at the elderly man. His appearance was a bit deceptive. No one would've guessed he was the most powerful captain in the Gotei 13.
He was leaning on the wooden walking stick that concealed his zanpakuto.
"You summoned me sotaichio."
"Sit down. I wish to speak to you about a project I have in mind."
Nemu obeyed automatically. She didn't know what to expect from this man but the fact he had a project for her intrigued her.
"I wish for you Kurotsuchi-fukutachio to read through Urahara Kisuke's research. You will be assisted Hitsugaya-taicho and Matsumoto-fukutaicho in their investigation. The scientific facts of the files they are reading a slightly confusing to them and they need further explanation. I, myself, rarely understand all that such documents contain considering it was not my field of study."
She bowed her head lower. "I am honored sotaicho but may I ask why you do not approach Mayuri-sama? Surely he could explain the contents of the files better than I could."
"He is too busy with his bantai and I prefer it be you."
Nemu nodded she already understood the underlined meaning. The sotaicho trusted her. Her father would be tempted to try the experiments. Nemu already knew of his goal to surpass Urahara. It was why she had been created.
"I accept."
-
Hitsugaya Toshiro glanced at the file in front of him. He had to make a decision. It wasn't like he agreed Byakuya's decision. In fact he was very much against it but there was also the fact that it wasn't in his hands.
Matsumoto had been angry and Hitsugaya hated the fact that he couldn't just agree with her. She was right but he needed to support the rules. Sometimes it sucked being a straight arrow.
"Rangiku?"
Matsumoto turned to look at him. It was so rare for him to call her by her first name and he only did it when he was very serious.
"Toshiro?"
"Rangiku, why do you care so much about Rukia being told about Shiba-fukutaicho?"
Matsumoto stiffened slightly before replying. "Rukia-chan was hurt so much. She thinks she killed Shiba-san. They were close taicho. They were always together. They were friends. If one of my friends died and I thought I was responsible I'd want to know the truth."
There were tears in her eyes. It was small tears but they were there.
"Rangiku, are you alright?"
"He was my friend too. He was one of the few fukutaicho's that it was easy to talk to. And he never judged my drinking."
Hitsugaya nodded he knew that some of the other soul reapers talked about Matsumoto as a drunk.
"It's just not fair taicho. No one should have to live with that kind of guilt. Rukia-chan—she loved him taicho. She really loved him and she was never the same after his death."
Hitsugaya had never met Shiba Kaien. He didn't know much about the man except that he inspired loyalty in those that knew him. Matsumoto had lost many friends but perhaps it was the fact that Rukia was her friend too.
Maybe he had wanted to understand. That was the only reason that he would go visit Ukitake. Not that he didn't like the older captain it was just that Hitsugaya wasn't too fond of sweets.
"Toshiro-kun, I didn't expect to see you today."
Hitsugaya smiled at the older man. Ukitake was confined to his bed again. Unohana-taicho had said that the thirteenth squad captain had pushed himself to hard lately.
"I figured I might as well check on you."
"I heard about the investigation. How is it coming?"
Hitsugaya internally winced. He couldn't inform Ukitake of his findings even though he wanted to. The sotaicho had made him swear to keep his silence.
"It is going well. I was wondering something today though."
"Oh? What could possibly make you curious Toshiro-kun?"
"I wondering, why you haven't assigned yourself a new fukutaicho. Surely it isn't easy for you."
Ukitake merely waved his hand smiling though his eyes were hardening. "Sentaro and Kiyone both do the job of a fukutaicho."
"You don't want to replace Shiba-san."
Ukitake visibly flinched at Toshiro's candor. "I'll admit replacing him isn't something I desire."
"He was a good fukutaicho?"
Ukitake raised an eyebrow. It appeared that Hitsugaya was curious about Kaien. Why he didn't know but it he would bet it had something to do with Aizen's experiment involving Kaien.
"He was arrogant, a hard worker, loud and very social. He had a way about making people open up. Like Rukia-chan. She came to us so quiet and afraid. A few months earlier she had been Rukongai and then she was a noble. It was a shock to her."
"Wasn't he married?"
"Miyako, she was kind but it was an arranged marriage. They were friends but I don't know how Kaien really felt about her. They always seemed to have a distance between them. When she died I think he felt responsible."
Hitsugaya took it in.
"He was close to Rukia?"
"Rukia was his favorite squad member. He trained himself."
Hitsugaya was mildly surprised. The fact that fukutaicho had taken it on himself to train her was very significant.
"Toshiro, why are you asking this?"
He glanced at Ukitake. "Let's just say I was curious."
Hitsugaya looked again at the report. So many lives had been destroyed by this one experiment. What right did Aizen have to do this?
But Aizen didn't care about lives. He had even gloated the fact that he had done this to torture Rukia. Rukia already blamed herself for this.
She had been close to her fukutaicho much like Hitsugaya's closeness to Matsumoto. If something like this had happened to Matsumoto wouldn't he want to know? Wouldn't he deserve to know?
Hitsugaya made up his mind. He headed out of his office with the file in his hand.
-
Byakuya had been surprised at the out burst of Matsumoto Rangiku. She should have controlled herself. Hitsugaya hadn't jumped her soon enough in his opinion. He had his reasons. They weren't there that night. They hadn't seen Rukia like he had.
His sister was crying. He could hear throughout the entire manor. Blood dripped on the floor. She was soaked in.
"Rukia, what happened to you?"
He was scared. The great Byakuya Kuchiki was scared.
"Rukia, what is wrong?"
She sobbed harder. "Kaien-dono, he's dead. I stabbed him. I had no choice. The hollow it—"
He marched to the thirteenth division office where Ukitake explained everything.
He let Rukia mourn. He understood. It had hurt when he lost Hisana and Rukia had been close to Kaien. But the grief bothered him.
Three weeks later he requested his sister. She had been so quiet and her eyes were red rimmed. She bowed her head and knelt down in front of him.
"Rukia, you can not remain upset about this. You must move on. People die and we must accept that."
"Hai ni-sama."
He never thought it would hurt to hear those words.
He didn't want to admit that his sister loved that prideful idiot.
He couldn't do that her again. He had tried to ignore the fact that she loved Kaien. He knew his sister worshipped the ground Kaien walked on. She couldn't know this. She couldn't it would destroy her.
-
The rain was pouring hard. It was dark. She wasn't used to the darkness.
Fighting hollows at night was always dangerous but there was something in the air that night. This hollow had destroyed a large group.
Her blood ran cold as they moved further and further following the trail. There were bodies left behind and the blood soaked the ground in thick pools. She moved faster to keep up with the two considerably taller men.
She had never seen the captain out fighting like this. Normally he was too sick and confined to a hospital bed. Now he was moving quickly keeping up with his fukutaicho.
She could barely look at her fukutaicho without crying. His blue eyes that normally were laughing were glazed with pain. She could see the guilt in the way he moved. He was too quiet. She was used to him shouting and bragging.
She moved quickly following them. The hollow was the strangest looking one she had ever seen. The head was large and the body wasn't normal. There was no standard looking hollow.
"I'll go in to scout its capability." Her hand was on her zanpakuto and she was ready.
"Permission to go in alone, sir."
Ukitake merely nodded.
"Kaien, no."
"Rukia, he is fighting for his pride and his wife's pride. Would you rob him of that?"
She should never have let him go alone. It was wrong. Only something bad would happen because of this.
It becomes hazy after the hollow possesses him. And she's scared.
Run. Run. Run.
Don't look back.
He's hurting. I don't want him to hurt.
I love him.
I don't want him to hurt.
No, turn around.
I can't leave him there. I won't leave him there. I'll do whatever it takes to make him stop hurting.
She barely feels her hands move as she turns to face him and he is impaled. And then she sees the red tainting her skin.
His weight was against her shoulder. He was heavy and she could feel his blood soaking down her shirt tainting her. All she could do was hold him.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Thank you. My heart can stay here."
"You don't have to thank me. I couldn't stand seeing you in pain.
His breathing was growing more ragged as she clung to him burying herself in him.
"Thank you."
He kept murmuring and she felt his body stiffen.
"No! Kaien! Kaien! Don't die Kaien! Don't die!"
Her scream echoed through the woods but there was no reply. His eyes were open and his weight was against her but his soul wasn't there.
She had killed him.
Rukia shook out of the dream. Her body jerking considerably as she spasmed. The memory even after all these years was still fresh and vivid. She could still feel his blood staining her skin.
She buried her face further into her pillow and sobbed. It hurt too much.
A few hours later she was acceptable. She breakfast with her brother and moved through the day's events automatically. She still worried about Ichigo who was back in the human world.
As soon as she could she would go see him. He was in some ways a painful reminder to her. His appearance hit her too hard. Even they fact he was loud and argumentative was painful. But Ichigo made some of her ache go away just by existing.
He had saved her life. She had saved his. They were even now but she knew they never would not owe each other. Debts like theirs couldn't be wiped clean.
The division office was busy. She could hear the two third seats arguing about who was more loyal to Ukitake. At least this morning they had posted the mail on time.
Rukia barely glanced at her inbox. She wasn't big on checking on her mail but at least she could do that today.
A lot of it was just notices about her report. There were a few orders but no long term assignments. Then she felt the thickness of an envelope.
To Rukia Kuchiki, classified information.
She gazes at critically before taking it back to room. Alone in the gigantic manor she opens the envelope. Her hands finger the paperwork and then she sees the report: Transmutation of Shinigami and Hollow.
As she reads over it her nightmare begins again and she passes out.
To be continued….
A/N: I know it's dramatic for Rukia to pass out but she just found out what exactly happened to Kaien so I think she's allowed to. Sorry if it seems OC but if I found that someone I thought I'd killed was alive then I would probably have the same reaction.