The Visit
Disclaimer: I own nothing!!
"I am part of the Squad 11 too you know!" screamed Yumichka, "I don't see why I can't come along too!"
"But I am not sure how many fighters the Captain-commander will allow me!" protested Renji.
"The more the merrier!" stated Yumichka.
"What's the big commotion?" demanded Matsumoto entering the room, "I came to drop off some papers to Captain Zaraki, make sure he signs them Yumichka!"
"See!" cried Yumichka, "I am sick of being the paper pusher of this squad! You would think that I can't fight or something! I am coming with you guys whether you like it or not!"
"Where are you guys going?" wondered Matsumoto.
"The Captain-commander wants to send a small group of fighters to Karakura Town to work with Ichigo," said Renji, "So far it's Rukia and myself. I was asked to pick fighters below captain rank and so I asked Ikkaku-san and..."
"And I am coming too!" repeated Yumichka, "My inclusion is no longer up for debate!"
Renji sighed, "Fine, fine, you can come to Yumichka-san."
"Hmm... this sounds interesting," said Matsumoto, "I have been thinking that I have been cooped up in Seireitei too long! I'll come too!"
"Hah! But you can't!" cried Renji, "I was asked to pick fighters below captain rank and you are a vice-captain. We can't have two vice-captain in the team!"
"Sure we can!" said Matsumoto, "I mean if you are worried about the chain of command, it's pretty obvious that I am in-charge since I have seniority as a Vice-captain over you."
Ikkaku gave Renji a questioning look, "You weren't expecting me to take orders from you were you?"
"I... I..." Renji didn't know how to answer that, finally he forced out, "I think I am going to ask Captain Kuchiki to come along as leader! If we are going to have two vice-captains, one third seat and one fifth seat, who is actually the forth seat but has issues with the number four, then I think we need a captain to lead this thing."
"Great! I'll ask Captain Hitsugaya to lead then!" said Matsumoto.
"But Captain Kuchiki..." started Renji.
"Wouldn't do it," replied Matsumoto, "And I rather doubt you would be able to convince him to do it. No, just leave everything to me and start packing!"
The 13 Protection Divisions Recruitment Fair
You gentlemen are the shinigami recruits who are the future of the 13 Protection Divisions, and the captains and lieutenants of those divisions have written honest messages to all of you! From here on in, I expect you will give plenty of thought to your decision...... on which division you want to be assigned to!
The 3rd Division
Ichimaru Gin
*No reply, as his whereabouts are unknown.
Kira Izuru
1. What kind of individuals are you seeking?
People who don't lie.
2. How would you describe the atmosphere around your division?
I wonder. Lately I've been alone a lot, so....
3. What do you require of new recruits?
That they not lie.
4. Some words for the shinigami recruits.
Even if you come, Captain Ichimaru won't be here.
Frank talk!! with the 6th division lieutenant, Abarai Renji
Since that incident, Kira's seemed pretty down. Well, it's pretty hopeless... Hey, any of you guys who'd think, "Anything's fine! I just want to be helpful to Lieutenant Kira!" -- join here!!
Good luck, Kira!!!
It was late in the afternoon before Kira found the time to visit Matsumoto. When he got to her office he found her wearing a big smile and humming to herself, "Kira!" she cried in delight as soon as she saw him, "Guess what! I am going to the living world on a mission! It's going to be so much fun!"
"I am glad you got the chance to go, Matsumoto-san," said Kira quietly, managing a smile, "You seem happier then you have been for days."
"Thanks!" said Matsumoto, then her expression changed subtly sad as she added, "And thanks also for stopping me the other night. I... I wasn't myself and I would have hated myself later if I had gone ahead with what I was about to do."
Kira could think of nothing to say to that, so instead he decided to tackle the issue that had brought him here today, "Matsumoto-san, I found your scarf," he brought out the scarf and offered it to her.
"That's not mine," replied Matsumoto.
Kira blinked, "Wha... what? Are you sure?"
"Of course," replied Matsumoto, a little confused as to why Kira would think she wouldn't recognise her own scarf, "It's several shades too light, it looks like it's satin not silk and my scarf had my name on it. Where did you find it anyway?"
Kira was about to tell her everything when it occurred to him that it wasn't a good idea. The explanation was long and awkward and besides which, if the captain wanted her to know he had come to see her then he would have woken her up, "I found it just lying around," he replied, it wasn't a lie exactly, "And thought it might be yours given it was pink. But clearly I have not been paying enough attention to your scarf."
Rangiku laughed, "Don't worry, most men don't. I think only Gin would be able to pick out my scarf from among a thousand scarves of a similar hue."
"He would, wouldn't he," said Kira, feeling himself getting irrationally happy.
Rangiku smiled and nodded, "Anyway, thanks for bringing the scarf to me. You better turn it into Seireitei lost and found, the owner of it might be looking for it!"
Kira nodded and left her to her preparations. As he walked aimlessly down the streets of Seireitei, just being happy to be in the moment he saw Soifon and Kuchiki Byakuya talking. Well, he had been ordered to report any suspicious behaviours to Soifon. At his approach the two captains broke off their conversation and turned to him, "What do you want?" demanded Soifon.
"Forgive my interruption," said Kira with a respectful bow, "But I was told to report any suspicious behaviour to you Captain Soifon."
"What happened? You see Ichimaru again?" wondered Soifon, unable to keep the mockery from her voice.
"No," said Kira, "But I did find this in my room," he said as he held out the scarf, "I thought it was Vice-captain Matsumoto's missing scarf but she says that it isn't. She said with the was the wrong colour, the wrong material and it doesn't have her name on it. I do not know how it ended up in my room but it is all very suspicious."
"So it is," said Byakuya as he took the scarf. After a moment's concentration he said, "Nothing."
"Noting?" repeated Soifon.
"Yes, which in itself is suspicious," replied Byakuya, "The only reitsu signature of this scarf belongs to Kira Izuru. As I am certain Vice-captain Kira does not wear pink scarves or at least he wouldn't bring one of his own pink scarves to us claiming it mysteriously appeared in his room, I must conclude that this was planted in Kira's room to toy with his head."
"Feh, sounds like something Ichimaru would do," Soifon pointed out.
"That's not true!" protested Kira, "I mean... I mean... the captain has lied. Lied about so many things. Lied so much that I can't trust anything. Not even my own senses. But that's just the thing about the Captain's lies. They are hard to pick-up. But this, this is not one of the captain's lies. He would have done a better job. He would have planted an exact replica of the Matsumoto-san's scarf in my room. Done such a great job that even Matsumoto-san would have been confused. He would have done things in a manner that messed with the mind of... of everybody he could! He wouldn't, he wouldn't associate himself with such an obvious lie. That would be beneath him."
"Then what is your explanation for this?" demanded Soifon.
"I have none," said Kira, "And I find I do not care either. I was told to report suspicious events to you, Captain Soifon, I have. If you have no more questions for me. Please excuse me, I would like to return to my own division," With that Kira turned back towards squad three, feeling happier then he had in days, if not weeks.
Captain, he found himself thinking, I don't know why you have done what you have done and I hate the fact that we are on opposite sides. But I will do my best in the upcoming battles, if only to show the world that you have trained me well and I'll do exactly what you told me to do. I won't get my hopes up but I won't give up my hopes either. Who knows, perhaps you will return to were you belong. On the side of the Gotei 13, with me and Matsumoto-san...
Author's note: If you are wondering what's going on, I was not happy with the chapter 5 of this fic and since it continued to bother me I decided to rewrite it. For a long time I couldn't decide how to do it exactly. Then I found the translations for the Bleach official Bootleg (http:// kay-willow . livejournal . com / 227062 . html) recruitment section and I just hand to rewrite the chapter in reference to that. Thanks for reading and reviews appreciated as always!