Impatience and Worry

Soul Society, Eleventh Division grounds

Madarame Ikkaku was bored and showing it. Ayasegawa Yumichika was deflecting his hot-headed friend's verbal diarrhoea with his usual laid-back attitude, knowing that Ikkaku wasn't irritated at him, but at one of the usual things that always irked the Third Seat. This time, it was bureaucracy and red tape.

"I can't take it anymore! When was the last time we got to cut some things up!?" Ikkaku groaned loudly.

"It hasn't been all that long, you know."

"Yeah, so why didn't any of us get the assignment to go to that barbarian world!"

"They'll send for our division when they need help. And you know they will. Everyone always need our help."

"Yeah! 'Cos no other division fights like Zaraki Division!"

"So you'll just have to be patient and wait."

Ikkaku groaned again. He finally flopped down on the grass near his friend who sat on a clean bench, giving up for the moment. "Hey Yumichika?"

"Hmm?"

"Pass the sake."

Soul Society, somewhere away from prying eyes

Two captains, one wearing a hat and one with flowing white hair, were enjoying the peace and quiet of that particularly pleasant day. The warm sun and gentle breeze were lulling them into a restful afternoon slumber. Two pairs of rapidly approaching flash steps stirred them both into wakefulness.

"Taichou!" a young female voice called out from one direction.

"Taichou! I have news!" a male's voice called out nearly at the same time from a different direction.

Kotetsu Kiyone and Kotsubaki Sentarou arrived about the same time, both panting hard from exertion, and both then immediately trying to recover and look presentable before their beloved captain. The two captains shared a glance, and Kyouraku Shunsui looked on in amusement as Ukitake Juushirou smiled warmly at his two acting lieutenants.

"Good work, you two," the captain of the Thirteenth Division said. "What news have you brought?"

"I have the update that you requested!" Kiyone immediately answered, getting up from where the two had been respectfully kneeling. Sentarou jumped up too, insisting he had arrived first.

"Does it matter who arrived first?" the Eighth Division captain drawled. He then faced his friend and said, "Should I be bothered that Nanao-chan isn't here to report something to me?"

"Ah, no, no, this is just something specific I wanted to know," Juushirou said with an unconvincing laugh.

"Oh?" Shunsui said, half-curious. "So, what's the report?" he asked the two.

Kiyone glanced at Juushirou seeking permission to speak before answering the other captain, but Sentarou took a risk and spoke up first.

"It seems Hitsugaya-taichou and Matsumoto-fukutaichou have made contact with the inhabitants of the other world! Initial reports have been sent through to Twelfth Division for processing; Central 46 and all Captains should receive the report from them by tomorrow morning. More importantly, it seems Hitsugaya-taichou is well and as yet unharmed!"

Juushirou smiled, acknowledging the report and thanking his subordinates before dismissing them. His fellow captain looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you still checking in on that boy? I doubt he'll be as pleased to know you watch over him so carefully. He can take care of himself, can't he? At least most of the time, heh. He is a captain, and with good reason, after all. Some might think you're stalking the poor lad!" Shunsui laughed good-naturedly.

Juushirou laughed also, blushing ever so slightly as he fondly thought of the youngest captain in the history of Soul Society. "Well, you know I have a soft spot for him. But it's nothing weird, really!"

"Oh, I know," Shunsui said with a chuckle. "But does he? Next you'll be sending those two over to 'assist' Hitsugaya, or worse, you'll be heading over to that place to check in on him personally...I won't cover for you if you tried that, just so you know."

"I know," Juushirou said with a sigh. "I can't justify going there, not even if it is to just take a look around for myself. Are you telling me you're not the slightly bit curious about the place?"

"Perhaps."

"Anyway, I do worry. Why they keep sending him on these unusual missions, and why he keeps accepting, is beyond me. Are they waiting for him to fail or something? It seems unfair..."

"Who knows. But he's young. And he's in good company. He'll survive." Shunsui grinned a little, thinking of Matsumoto Rangiku. He wasn't hopelessly attracted to her like so many were, but there was nothing wrong with appreciating a beauty. So distracted by his thoughts he was, he didn't quite hear a slight change in tone in his companion's voice.

"I hope so."

A/N terribly sorry for those awaiting updates! I haven't given up on this story, believe me. This is kind of a peace offering, a short chapter. I hope they're not too OOC... I have a lot of Bleach chapters/episodes to catch up with, plus busy real life dramas, but I will be veeery slowly continuing with this. Thanks for the encouraging (and hopefully continuing!) reviews and your patience! Sat 27 Feb 2010