It was late morning in the small teahouse, gentle light just showing through the paper walls of the 8th Division building. Within, three captains of the Gotei 13 met as they did every day at the beginning of the week, two senior captains who'd been there since its inception, joined many years later by a third, younger captain. Though originally reluctant to associate in such a casual manner with such venerable superiors, he'd eventually been persuaded and now there he was.
With a sigh, Matsumura removed the strip of black cloth he wore tied over his eyes. His drinking partners, or more particularly, the 8th Division captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, insisted that he didn't wear it while in their company and deferring to his seniority, he obeyed. He'd been born blind and the white pupils had always been a cause for intimidation when he'd been younger. Though then again, as Shunsui was accustomed to say, it wasn't much of an improvement.
But the blank emotionless stare was all people were left to see when they looked at him, just as all he could now see was the world in a blaze of reiatsu, everything visible by its spiritual pressure and presence. His lack of sight had been compensated for by enhanced senses of reiatsu. Somehow, he'd prefer to just be able to see normally.
Shunsui shoved a bowl of sake across to him and the drinking began. The third member of their group, Captain Jushiro Ukitake of the 13th Division, sipped a cup of green tea, looking more serene as the other started with the first bowl in one and refilled. Similar to every other weekly 'meeting' they'd had since Matsumura had made captain, it wasn't until the third bowl that they started talking, catching up on recent events and doing a very manly version of gossip, sometimes involving the most attractive females in Soul Society, directed by the 8th Division captain. It was usually followed by his lieutenant suddenly appearing out of nowhere to cuff him around the head or pour something over his head for his lewdness.
"So how about yesterday, Shiro-kun? Heard you got stuck in with some Hollows out in the Rukongai. What's that about?"
Matsumura shrugged, taking another long draft of sake and gesturing for a refill. He needed it before speaking. "Yeah. You heard right there. I sensed a presence out there and got my officers together as soon as I realised it was right where our recruits were. Luckily we managed to get there in time before any were killed. One's recovering with Unohana-sensei's people but he'll make a full recovery in about a week." He paused. "But that Hollow... There was something strange about it. Its aura was different from any I'd ever encountered before. Distorted somehow..."
"It wouldn't be the first, actually." Ukitake joined into the conversation now, setting aside his cup of green tea and taking a bite out of a piece of ohagi. "Over the past few days, we've been getting reports of increasingly stronger Hollows appearing in the area, more Adjuchas class Hollows among them. Not just that but some are manifesting powers we've never seen before. Many squads have already been lost. The remains of the ones you took out are the first we've been able to take back for analysis since this situation began."
"Yeah, I've heard. And Kirio-chan was meant to be coming back with some results from her findings. She took her search team out last night when we got back and said she'd have something by morning. She's normally faster than this… Maybe there were complications." Matsumura looked thoughtful for a moment before turning slightly in his seat. "Isn't that right, Lieutenant Yadomaru? What's the recent news from the 12th headquarters?"
A rustle from above and the head and shoulders of the 8th Division lieutenant appeared from a sliding hatch in the ceiling, her long dark ponytail swinging below like a pendulum. She peered down at the three captains, pushing her glasses back up as they slipped down her nose due to her inverted position.
"According to Captain Hikifune, the research team seems to having trouble with identifying the characteristics of the remains they recovered. For some reason, no two results or readings they take are the same and it keeps damaging their equipment with each run and if not for the captain's insistence that she never fails, they would've given up by now." She seemed to pause for thought before adding, "And also she said Captain Matsumura should be patient next time and not rely on other people to spy for him."
They watched as the 8th Division lieutenant disappeared again without another word, off to go eavesdrop on someone else, crawling away through the ceiling cavities. Shunsui continued to peer up at the hole she'd left in his ceiling. "Shiro-kun. Did you have to use my Lisa-chan to get information for you? She's quite delicate, you know."
A curse from above made the three captains glance up again. It seemed Lisa Yadomaru hadn't left the building yet. Matsumura shrugged again. "It's not like I sent her. She just always seems to know stuff and she just happened to be in your ceiling just now which makes her useful for finding information. Why don't you tell her not to eavesdrop on captains having a private talk? You wouldn't catch my lieutenant doing that."
"Well I do but…she always replies with that it being human nature to be curious about secrets. And then she tends to disappear before I can say anything else so I let her get about her business."
There were sounds of movement outside which Matsumura at first thought to be Lieutenant Yadomaru still making her way out of the building. Ukitake glanced over at Shunsui, who nodded in turn, looking pointedly from him to the area directly over his shoulder. A jerk of his head to the other senior captain was acknowledged by the 13th Division captain and then both began to move slightly in their seats.
"Jushiro-kun…? Shunsui? Why are you…edging away like that…?" Matsumura raised an eyebrow as he noticed the two senior captains shuffling sideways, the latter and more colourfully attired of the two dragging the tray of sake along with him. A dark shadow fell across him. Behind him, his senses picked up an explosive surge of reiatsu as a figure who'd been previously concealing his presence advanced. The captain of the Tenth Division sighed. "Oh shi…"
With a roar, a giant burst through the wall behind him, shattered wood and paper fluttering all around. A sword came swinging down, driven downwards by great murderous force, aimed for splitting his head down the centre. Matsumura dived forward, rolling and coming to his feet, haori billowing out behind him as he whipped around, falling into a fighting stance. A haze of smoke filled the gap where a hole had been smashed through the side of Shunsui's drinking room, the outline of a figure just visible standing there.
The towering man drew back a hand and the clouds of dust parted to reveal the enemy, black shihakusho, white captain's haori and scarred torso bared. A huge zanpakuto was aimed at his chest, a vicious blade five and a half foot long sharpened to a razor edge. There was a wild gleam in the eyes of Captain Kenpachi Harashi of the 11th Division stepped inside. His reiatsu blazed like a sun in Matsumura's altered vision. "Prepare yourself, Shiro Matsumura. I have come to kill you!"
"Again…?"
Matsumura shook his head and shrugged. He looked over at the two other captains present but Jushiro gave his usual smile that told him he had nothing to do with this while Shunsui just continued on with pouring himself another drink and pretending someone hadn't just burst through the wall of his teahouse. Seeing that they were going to be no help, he looked back at the wild 11th Division captain. "Maybe another time, Kenpachi. As you can see, I don't even have my zanpakuto on me."
Someone cleared their throat very loudly and pointedly. Looking around, Matsumura found Rei standing there, clutching the large sheathed form of Shiroiken in her arms. She gave him a wink before tossing it across the room, his arm automatically reaching out and catching it. He sighed again. His fingers curled around the hilt and he draw the massive blade out, tossing the sheath aside and levelling it. "Alright…fine. Let's get this over and done with then."
"When this is over, Rei-chan…we're going to have words about conspiring with other captains against your own superior." Matsumura ignored his lieutenant's replying grin and turned to face Kenpachi…and lunged. A flash step brought him inches from Kenpachi in a moment, his open palm striking the other captain and throwing him backwards out of the room again. With a bound, he leapt through the hole in the wall after him, landing on the grassy lawn outside Shunsui's drinking room in the centre of the 8th Division headquarters, a small, calming courtyard in imitation of Jushiro's back in the 13th Division soon to be redecorated.
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His opponent skidded to a halt, the latter's face alive with excitement at impeding combat. The giant wasted no time in breaking into a run, a force of destructive power racing forward to try and crush him before the battle had even started. Hefting his own blade, Matsumura drew back and lashed out as the opponent got within range.
Their zanpakuto were a blur of motion, their massive size belayed by the speed by which they wielded them. The savage all-out offensive of Kenpachi was met by the stoic, controlled defence of Matsumura's kendo, honed through countless years of training under the eye of Captain Unohana of the 4th Division. Matsumura's vision was ablaze with bursts of reiatsu, a furious storm that struck and broke against his blade.
His zanpakuto flared white as his own attacks tore into Kenpachi's whirlwind of spirit-forged metal, seeking a gap in their defences. Simultaneous blows and they were locked. Matsumura grit his teeth, fighting to force back the greater strength of the 11th Division captain. Dropping low, he let the opponent's superior force spin him around, coming around with a rising uppercut, open palm driving Kenpachi back with a blow under the chin, sending him stumbling back.
Shiroiken flashed with a blue aura as Kenpachi charged forward, a reckless assault that left no room for Matsumura to strike back effectively as blow after blow rang off its edge. His few attacks rebounded ineffectively against the oppressive advance. The heavy blade, enhanced by the wielder's monstrous strength made each parry and block resound throughout his body as the smaller captain continued to stand his ground.
A slice nicked his check, fresh blood seeping from the cut and leaving a warm trail down the side of his face. Another swipe just grazed his shoulder. Manic laughter rang in his ears as the 11th Division captain continued to bear down on him, unrelenting. He just needed an opening…a break in the attacks to strike back. The tactical section of his mind worked furiously, trying to read the other's seemingly random attack pattern and analyse it for the right time to counter. 'There!'
Shiroiken screamed as it slashed through the air, knocking the other zanpakuto aside in mid-swing and throwing Kenpachi off his stride. The sound of the two blades clashing against each other rang throughout the courtyard. The return stroke opened up a cut across the man's chest, spattering the grass with blood. Driving forward, Matsumura delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that sent Kenpachi stumbled backwards before managing to halt, stabbing his zanpakuto into the ground for grip. A trail of blood ran from the corners of his mouth as he wiped it aside with the back of his hand, staining his white sleeves. His bloodied teeth were bared in a grin.
"Good, Shiro Matsumura. I'd be disappoint if you didn't put up a fight before killing you." Kenpachi raised his zanpakuto before him, the heavy blade held aloft in his fist. His reiatsu, already pouring out in waves, seemed to surge yet again as his he opened his mouth to roar to the heavens. "Rend the earth asunder! Chiryouken!"
The earth around Kenpachi cracked, a massive crater forming at his feet. The already-oversized blade in his hands seemed to grow even larger, becoming wider and longer. Teeth-like shards of metal slid from the edges, black metal stained with the rusty tinge of dried blood. Traced in silver upon its mirror-like face was the outline of a bloodhound, eyes glowing with a dull red light. It was a monstrous weapon…wielded by an equally fearsome opponent.
"Shiro Matsumura, prepare to be shown that even with weapon such as that, you shall still fall before me. Die!" Kenpachi charged again, both hands grasping the hilt and bearing down upon him, the black blade howling as it carved the air apart.
Matsumura felt the corner of his lips twitch in a smirk as he drew back his own zanpakuto, lunging forward to meet the attack, ice started to form down the silvery surface of its own accord. Power surged in his sword arm as he burst forward, both hands driving it onwards, light flashing off the trail of ice crystals that flew in the wake of his slashing blade. "Shatter! Shiroiken!"
His blade glowed and became pure white as the zanpakuto tore through the air. Against him, Kenpachi surged forward, Chiryouken howling as it cleaved down, aimed at not just cutting but crushing the enemy with its weight. The force of their conflicting spiritual pressures made the trees all around them bend away, pulses of energy churning a tempest around them with their blades at the centre. The world seemed to explode with reiatsu, almost blinding Matsumura as his zanpakuto suddenly ceased movement of its own accord.
A glowing figure had appeared between the two combatants, a female bathed in pure white light. Long white hair fluttered out behind her, her long captain's haori rippling around her. A zanpakuto in the form of a tachi blade was held above her head, the blade locked in the quivering teeth of Chiryouken. As the light faded, Matsumura realised why his zanpakuto had suddenly come to a stop in an instant, the furious assault dispelled to nothing in an instant. Shiroiken was an extension of himself…and he could never bring himself to harm her. The grin on that beautiful face told him she knew it too.
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Captain Kirio Hikifune of the 12th Division gave a shove upwards and Kenpachi stumbled back, still reeling from having his attack neutralised so suddenly, his movement arrested without him even realising it. With a casual flick of her wrist, she sheathed her blade at her side in a single smooth motion and strolled over to Matsumura, coming to stand before him, hand on her hips. "Shiro-kun…I thought you said you weren't going to go fighting with Kenpachi anymore. It's bad for your health."
Matsumura held up his hands defensively, his expression incredulous. "It's not my fault. It was all Kenpachi attacking me like a madman and I was defending myself. Tell her, Kenpachi!"
He stabbed a finger at the 11th Division captain but the man was already walking off, waving a dismissive hand in reply. He turned to get support from Ukitake or Shunsui but the two were also gone, the trails of a colourful cloak whipping around a corner and out of sight. Mikihara was whistling to herself, averting her gaze and pretending she couldn't hear anything of what was going on. Hikifune raised an eyebrow before clapping him around the back of the head.
"You're just lucky I stopped you now. If Unohana-sensei caught you fighting again, she'd be very displeased. And you know what happens then." Ignoring Matsumura's paling expression, she turned on her heel and started to walk off, her robes billowing out behind her. "Come on, Shiro-kun. We have a captains meeting now. The old man wants us all to assemble at the First's headquarters immediately."
Rubbing the back of his head where her hand had struck, Matsumura looked after her. Even when they'd been younger she'd been the one to take the authoritative role in their relationship. Nowadays she still liked to remain on top in whatever the situation they ended up in. A slap on the back from Mikihara returned him to reality rapidly from his reminiscing as she came to stand next to him.
Hikifune glanced back a moment, looking back over her shoulder. "Hurry up, Shiro-kun. I swear...if we're late because of you, you're going to think a twenty-four hour spar with Kenpachi is like a fist fight with a prepubescent recruit in comparison to what I'll do to you."
"Alright, then. I'm coming." Matsumura shrugged again, setting off at a jog to catch up with the 12th Division captain, calling over his shoulder as a flash step took him out of view. "You look after the recruits and the HQ until I get back, Rei-chan. I'll be back shortly…I hope."