"S-sorry, Kurosaki-kun! Are you okay?!" Inoue waved her hands in a panicked matter as Ichigo clutched his head. "My head is as hard as a rock! I was trying to catch you, but..."
"Inoue!?" He yelled.
"Hn, for someone covered in blood, you're surprisingly energetic, Kurosaki." Uryu snorted.
"Ishida! Chad! Ganju! Who's that?!" Ichigo pointed to the two Shinigami he'd never met.
"Uh...I'm no one important. Just pretend I'm not here." Aramaki sighed.
"And like hell you're forgetting me." Mizuki cackled. "Mizuki Hayashi, Fourth Seat of the Eleventh Division. Remember my name, or I'll haunt you."
"But...You're alive." Ichigo floundered for words.
"Actually, every single Shinigami is dead. Kuchiki-san is dead. Renji is dead. Shuuhei is dead. Kenpachi-taicho is dead. Excreta. It's completely possible."
"Right." Ichigo nodded, looking slightly disturbed. "Everyone's unhurt...That's good."
"We're not 'unhurt', per se..." Uryu sighed. "But compared to you, our injuries are not worth mentioning."
"...And Inoue, are you hurt?"
"Huh? Me!? No, I'm completely fine!" She waved her hands around. "Even though I'm completely useless, Ishida-kun and Shinigami-san over there protected me. And Zaraki-san carried me! So, I was never really in any danger at all...But...But..." Inoue's hands trembled as she grabbed her pant legs. "I was just so worried about Kurosaki-kun."
"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun...I wasn't able to help you." A tear slid down Inoue's pale cheek. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun, for staying alive...I'm so glad that Kurosaki-kun is okay."
"Thanks Inoue." Ichigo smiled.
"Let's get moving. Here is not a good place to sit around. We're all sitting ducks. Ganju-san, help Ichigo walk, and I don't want to hear any complaints."
Mizuki stiffened, placing a hand to the side of her head as confusion crossed the Ryoka's faces.
'Binding successful. Taicho, Fukutaicho and temporary fukutaicho of Gotei Thirteen, and the Ryoka; this is Kotetsu Isane-fukutaicho of the Fourth Division speaking. Can everyone hear me? An emergency situation has occurred. This emergency transmission is under the authority of Unohana-taicho of the Fourth Division and myself, Kotestsu Isane. Please listen carefully. Everything I am about to say is true.'
'One formerly deceased Aizen Sosuke has severely injured both Hitsugaya Toshiro-taicho of the Tenth Division and Hinamori Momo-fukutaicho of the Fifth Division. Also, Aizen Sosuke, Ichimaru Gin, and Tousen Kaname have completely wiped out Central Forty-Six, according to evidence we have gained. The death of Aizen Sosuke was faked by himself using complete hypnosis, the ability of his Kyoka Suigetsu.'
"What was that? Just now...?"
"She said something about forty something and then something about hypnosis." Uryu frowned. "What are those supposed to mean?"
"How come I didn't hear anything?" Inoue cupped her hands around her ears.
"That voice was from the Fourth Division. You never came in contact with them. That's probably why you didn't hear it." Chad hummed.
"But taicho killing taicho is their problem, right?" Ichigo asked, leaning heavily on Ganju. "Why did she tell us that?"
"She told us because she thought we ought to know." Uryu sighed.
"Huh?"
"Don't you see, Kurosaki? From the sound of it, this Central Forty-Six is probably a high standing governing institute of Soul Society, and the taicho named Aizen murdered everyone in it. Aizen probably did that to make people think that what he wants is what Central Forty-Six wanted. What does he want?"
"The execution?" Ganju asked.
"Correct. Since we came her, Kuchiki-san's execution date has been pushed forward again and again...You must have found that strange as well. Relating this to that message just now, the taicho of the Fifth Division, Aizen Sosuke...His goal is to kill Kuchiki-san!"
Ichigo's head shot towards the Hill they'd let not too long ago.
"Great. Now we have to backtrack." Mizuki pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let's go. Ichigo,"
The ginger glanced over.
"Eat this." She threw him a small pill from inside her bandages. "It's one of those energy pill thingys from the Fourth Division. Hanataro uses them. Should help you get back into bankai. We'll meet you up at the top again."
He nodded, down the pill and sprinting, phasing into his bankai as he ran.
"You should know your way by now." Mizuki turned to the Ryoka. "But you have to stay out of the way. Aizen is more powerful than he lets on, and if I'm right Ichimaru will be up there along with Tousen. Stay out of the fight."
"But-"
"Inoue you can't fight, Uryu is out of order. Chad has to protect both of you. So, don't fight. That's an order, you understand." She fixed them all with a stern look. "Well?"
"Hai." The three bowed, although Uryu was stiff.
"I'm just doing it to keep you alive, you know. Ichigo wouldn't be too happy about you all being dead." Mizuki shook her head and then began running.
Mizuki made it to the top in time to see Renji collapse in a pool of blood, and Aizen advancing on Rukia. She sighed, tensing her feet and using Shunpo to dart forward.
Rukia let out a quiet squeak as she was hoisted off the ground.
"Hayashi-san!" Rukia gulped, staring up at the woman who had her slung over her shoulder.
"Mizuki Hayashi," Aizen lifted an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I've been helping out. You know, shoving my foot up people's asses. You wanna turn?"
"Release Kuchiki Rukia."
"Sorry. No can do. See, I've got orders from Taicho and Fukutaicho to help the Ryoka." She smirked. "I'm helping them by kidnapping Rukia from you. That's just how it is."
"Release Kuchiki Rukia, or I'll have to take drastic measures."
"You know you can't beat me. I'm like Kenpachi-taicho." Mizuki chuckled. "And wasn't I the favourite pick for the lieutenant position? You came after me."
"Why did you refuse that position?" There was genuine curiosity in Aizen's voice.
"If you must know, I don't like paperwork. I don't do much reading; I know how, I just don't like to do it."
"I see. My demand and threat still stands."
"Can't we just settle this over a game of rock-paper-scissors?" She sneered.
"Are you not in the Eleventh Division?"
"Oh, I am. I was being sarcastic." She rolled her eyes, shifting Rukia on her shoulder. "I could kill you right now, if I wanted to, you know."
"Ah yes. Your terribly modern zanpakuto."
"Ain't it just great? Oh, that's right. You'd know the best. You were the last person the receiving end of my zanpakuto. I haven't release it in a while. Well, not against anyone anyway."
"This won't do."
"Bakudou Number Sixty-One: Rikujokoro." Six yellow beams of light hit Mizuki. Tousen lowered his fingers as Aizen plucked Rukia off Mizuki with one hand. She glared, a animalistic growl rising from her chest.
"C'mon." Aizen glanced down at the raven haired female in his grasp before taking hold of the red collar around her neck. "Stand up, Kuchiki Rukia."
He waited, and a drop of sweat slid down Rukia's face.
"Ah, I see. Your entire body has become limp because of my reitsu? Okay, don't worry about it. It's just easier for me if you can walk on your own."
Mizuki watched out of her peripheral as Ichigo began pushing himself up, blood soaking on of his sleeves.
"How pitiful...You're still conscious." Aizen sighed. "You must really hate the fact that your strength doesn't match the level of your vitality. Though it would be best to stop that recklessness. Right now, your spine is the only thing holding your body together. No matter how hard you try, there is no way to stand up without destroying your body. It's not a matter of spirit,"
The brown haired taicho dropped Rukia in favour of place a hand on his sword.
"It's physically impossible. Look on the bright side; you've been helpful already, so just lay there quietly until you pass on. Your mission is over."
"You...said...mission..?!" Ichigo panted, pain seeping into his words.
"Yes. I knew all along that you would come, and I knew the point of entry. I knew that you would appear in the Western Rukongai. Therefore, I dispatched regular patrols in the vicinity, so that the Seirei walls would be lowered the moment after you arrived. Then I sent the Third and Ninth Divisions to the inside of the wall and sent Gin to keep you out."
"If you thought there was a Taicho patrolling the other side of the gate, the only percievable method would be Shiba Kukkaku's cannon. That would result in a dramatic entrance of invaders who survived a fight against a taicho. The actual invasion was truly phenomenal. Thanks to you, even a taicho was murdered. It didn't seem like that big a deal in comparison. It was really easy to make our moves."
"W-wait...How did you know we were going to land in the Western Rukongai?!" Ichigo heaved, face barely lifted above the dirt.
"That is an odd question." Aizen quirked a brow. "Was there any other possibility? Urahara Kisuke's referential location was the Western Rukongai. So the only place his dimensional gate could take you, was the Western Rukongai."
"What?!"
"Why are you making that face?" Aizen snorted. "Aren't you his subordinate? Didn't you come here to take back Kuchiki Rukia because Urahara Kisuke ordered you to?"
"Wha...What the hell?"
"I see. So you don't know anything." He grabbed Rukia's collar and lifted her from her knees. "That's fine. Since this is all over, I'll tell you about it. Do you know about the Shinigami's four basic forms of combat? They are Zanjutsu, Hoho, Hakuda, and Kido. All of them are similar in that they each have a limit. No matter how much innate capability you have, you can never overcome the limitation of a Shinigami's spiritual body. That is where the growth stops; in other words, that is the Shinigami's there no way to break that boundary? Is there no way to grow and surpass your innate limitation? There is...But there is only one way. That is a Shinigami-Hollow hybrid."
"Hollow-Shinigami. Shinigami-Hollow; when the boundary between Hollow and Shinigami are removed, you can create a new existance capable of new heights. This concept has existed in theory for a long time. I focused on Shinigami-Hollows, and I had successfully created several Hollows that were close Shinigami. Hollows that could hide their reitsu, a Hollow that could make Zanpakuto vanish, and even fuse with a Shinigami. But all of them were trash, and not worthy of being called breakthroughs."
"Other researchers are bound by stupidity and morality, so no one made any sort of breakthrough either. No one, except Urahara Kisuke. He created a substance that reacts beyond conventional physics of Soul Society. It can instantly dissolve the barrier between Hollow and Shinigami. The name of that substance is called 'Hougyoku'. It is an extremely dangerous material. He probably thought so too, because he tried to destroy the Hougyoku. However, he could not find a way to destroy his creation; so , in desperation, he did something else. That was, he put a barrier around the Hougyoku and buried deep within a person's soul. Figured it out yet?"
"The place he chose to hide it in, was you, Kuchiki Rukia."
"Wha...What did you say!?" Ichigo growled.
"By the time I had discovered this, you had already gone missing in the real world." Aizen glanced down at her with a slight smile. "I knew intuitively, that this was all Urahara Kisuke's doing. A gigai is made of up of high-density spiritual matter and is used to temporarily contain a recovering Shinigami. Therefore, it is usually very easy for Soul Society to locate a gigai. Yet they lost track of a Shinigami after she entered a gigai...? That should be impossible. However, he developed a type of substance that did not contain spiritual matter, and because he created an untraceable gigai using that special substance, he was sentenced into exile. There was another reason for his exile: that particular gigai caused the reitsu of the Shinigami inside to deteriorate."
"So, the Shinigami that entered that gigai could never recover their reitsu, their control over that gigai would become dull and eventually, they would lose all reitsu and change from a Shinigami into a normal human spirit. Don't you see? He wasn't trying to help you." Aizen peered through his glasses at the Shinigami he was holding. "He was actually making you human, so that he could hide the Hougyoku forever. Fortunatly, you were discovered a few months later. I immediately went to Central Forty-Six and-"
"AIZEN!" Komamura roared, landing behind him. The Kido around Mizuki partially shatter, and she fell gasping to her knees, trying to regain what breath she had.
Her gold eyes closed, and her reitsu flared silver around her body, eliminating the Kido from her body once and for all.
It took several minutes for her to get the feeling back in her arms, having been in an awkward position for several long minutes.
When her eyes opened again, her concentration vanished and her ears picked up Aizen's voice.
"-You are no longer of any use to me."Aizen lifted Rukia and held her out like a piece of trash. "Kill her, Gin."
"It can't be helped." The silver haired man sighed. Mizuki's hand flew to her zanpakuto as he pulled out his own.
"Shoot Her,"
"Obliterate,"
"Shinso."
"Nejireta yona Sakkaku!"
Gin's zanpakuto veered off course as several silver blasts hit it, and Rukia vanished. Aizen blinked, turning his eyes first to Mizuki and then behind him, to Byakuya, who had taken his sister.
"Whaddidya have ta do that for, Mizuki-chan?" Gin tilted his head at the green haired woman, who was holding a pair of bright silver pistols with cyan markings on the side.
"Orders from my taicho and fukutaicho, Ichimaru-san." She smirked, pulling one of the pistols back to blow some steam off of it. "I'm helping the Ryoka, so you can't kill Kuchiki-san."
"Nii-sama?" Rukia gasped. "Nii-sama!"
Fortunately for Byakuya, Mizuki's shots had kept Gin's Shinso from hitting anything live-threatening. Unfortunately, it still hit him.
"Nii-sama!?" Byakuya fell to his knees. "Nii-sama! Why...Why did you save me?! Why, Nii-sama? Nii-sama? Nii-sama!"
Aizen stepped forward and Rukia pulled her brother against her chest protectively. Mizuki levelled a pistol with Aizen's head and kept the other trained on Gin. He was stopped however by two dark blurs.
"What a nostalgic face!" Aizen stared down at the dark-skinned woman who had the heel of her palm against his blade hilt.
"Don't move." She warned. "If you move even one muscle,"
"You'll lose your head." Soifon finished, blade pressed against his neck. Her grey eyes moved to Mizuki, who nodded and kept both guns on Gin.
"Very well."
"Ah," Gin whined, a pout on his face. "I don't like having your guns on me."
"Awe, poor baby Ichimaru." She cooed sarcastically. "You get my guns."
"Can't I have something else? Like your hands~?" He suggested with a grin.
"Not happening." Mizuki snorted, fingers pressing against the trigger. "And I want your hands where I can see them."
Gin pouted again and lifted his hands into the air.
"Ah! The Gate Guardians!" The silver haired taicho glanced over his shoulder.
"Even those three are traitors?!" The purple-haired woman by Aizen gasped.
"What will you do now?" Aizen asked, his glasses glinting. "Not even you two can come after me while fighting all of them at the same time, can you?"
A loud howling noise filled the air, and the final Guardian dropped onto the other three along with a large breasted woman in red and white.
"Kukkaku!"
"Yo, Yoruichi! I got really bored, so I decided to drop by after taking a walk. So then, let's do it, Jindanbou!"
"Osu!" Jindanbou nodded.
"Sprinkled on the bones of a beast! Pointy tower, red crystal, steel cartwheels. Move and make wind. Stop and make calm. The sound of the warring spears fills the empty Castle! Hadou Number Sixty-Three: Raikouhou!"
Gin gazed over his shoulder at the battling Guardians and Kukkaku.
"Hya! What immense strength! What ever should I do?" He waved his hand, which was caught by a blond.
"Don't move, please."
"Hi, Rangiku. Fancy seeing you here." Mizuki grinned, keeping one gun fixed on Gin and moving the other to Tousen. Rangiku pressed her blade to Gin's neck and ignored Mizuki.
"Sorry, Aizen-taicho! She got me~!" Gin sang.
"This is the end." Yoruichi tensed slightly.
"What did you say?"
"Don't you sense it, Aizen?" She asked. "You have been completely surrounded."
The other taicho and fukutaicho appeared and Mizuki sighed with relief, her shikai vanishing the second before they arrived.
"It's over." The purple haired woman growled.
Aizen smirked.
"What? What's so funny, Aizen?"
"Yeah. Sorry but, it's time." He chuckled.
"Soifon! Move away!"
The two jumped aside just as a square beam of light erupted around Aizen.
"Im-impossible." Ukitake gasped, staring as the beam hit the sky and a crack opened to show a white long-clawed hand which pulled open the rip.
"Menos Grande!" Soifon shrieked. The over-large Hollows pushed against each other with shrieking roars.
"Gillian! Just how many of them are there?" Soifon's lieutenant gaped.
"Wait!" Shuuhei yelled, his grip on his zanpakuto loosening slightly. "There seems to be something else in in there!"
What looked like a half-lidded eyes appeared, and two poor beams shot out of the sky; one for Gin, and one for Tousen.
"Too bad. It would have been nice if my capture lasted a little longer." Gin turned his head to Rangiku. "Farewell, Rangiku. Sorry."
The ground within the square light cracked lifting the three taicho with it as it floated.
"Trying to run? You..." Iba nearly started forward.
"Stop!"
"Sui-taicho!" Iba turned.
"That beam of light is called Negation. The Menos use it to rescue their comrades. Once that light is cast, the area inside the light becomes a completely separate dimension and impenetrable outside. Everyone who has fought the Menos before knows this. From the moment that beam of light came down, Aizen has gone out of our reach."
Mizuki's gold eyes fixed on the black abyss and narrowed slightly. A small black-and-purple butterfly appeared in her hands, which were cupped before her and no one noticed when the pretty insect flew through the crack in the sky.
"Goodbye Shinigami, and goodbye young Ryoka. For a human, you really are interesting." Aizen stepped inside the black portal. Gin cast a glance over his shoulder before it closed, and Mizuki nodded.
It wasn't long before the Fourth Division squads arrived, and Mizuki planted her behind on a rock that had appeared when the three traitors had left.
"Squad Two and Three, you will attend to Kuchiki-taicho! Squad Seven and Ten, assist Eleven and Thirteen on Komamura-taicho! The sixth stage of Abarai-fukutaicho's treatment is complete! Seven and Nine, prepare for transport." The Third Seat ordered. "Due to the severity of the injuries, we have set up a clean air barrier! Everyone must preform treatments up to the Eighth Stage and then transport the patients to the General Medical Faculty."
Rukia worried over her brother as the officers treated him, while Komamura insisted he was fine, and Renji's inconcious body was taken away to Fourth Division.
"Iemura, Third Seat...What should we do?" Two of the Shinigami shuffled over.
"Oh, Four and Five. Go and treat the injuries of those Ryoka. They are the saviours of Soul Society."
The two Shinigami nodded before running over to where the Ryoka had set up shop. Mizuki braced herself on her thighs, leaning over to let the end of her braid tickle the ground.
While Mizuki was unharmed in anyway, she was also terribly bored.
"Hayashi-san," One of the Fourth Division members approached her cautiously. "Are you in need of any treatment?"
"Tch." She stood, peering down at the very short male. "I'm going back to my Division. Maybe somebody's there to spar with."
"Hayashi-san!" He protested.
"What's your name?" She glanced over.
"Fujioka Takato." He muttered.
"Fukioka, I'm not injuried. I'm bored." She crossed her arms. "Now, unless you can provided a spar, fuck off."
"Hayashi-san, I was given orders-"
"That's nice." She snorted, before using Shunpo to vanish.
Ikkaku roared, challenging any of the un-injuried Division members still within the building. She snorted, leaning up against the wall.
"OKAY! NEXT!" He scowled, sword held high in his hand. "Hey! Hey! Hey! What the hell is wrong with you guys!? Are you too cowardly to come up?! Useless!"
Mizuki glanced over her shoulder as Ichigo appeared, looking far better than before.
"Have fun." She pat his shoulder and strode away, braid flicking against Ichigo's stomach as she turned to fast. While the two hadn't gotten to know each other well, Mizuki and Ichigo had developed an interesting relationship. She treated him like a younger brother at times, and Ichigo wasn't positive about that yet. The green haired woman didn't really care though.
She also had a small friendship with Sado, whom she had first found and helped. The two had sparred once or twice while their Quincy friend made clothing.
Inoue...Oh, god. Mizuki thought Inoue was a bimbo. A large breasted, ginger haired, bimbo. However, after Inoue sparred with her, which was a surprise, Mizuki gained a small amount of respect for the girl. It wasn't anything close to a friendship. And whoever this Tatsuki was, Mizuki wanted to meet her.
Mizuki passed her taicho in the hall and gave him a grin.
"Ichigo is that way." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "Don't go too easy on him, Ken-chan."
"Heh!" Kenpachi grinned, his pace quickening.
Mizuki grinned, lacing her arms behind her head. The woman strode past Ichigo's partially open door and shook her head at his stupidity. He'd left his zanpakuto in his room.
"Baka."
The woman continued on, thoughts of her past plaguing her mind so much she didn't notice that she had nearly run into Sado.
"Hayashi-san." The tall male seemed surprised.
"Oh, hey, Sado." She smirked, grabbing him by his arm and dragging him to the rather scenic (for the Eleventh Division) courtyard and thrust a bottle of sake into his hands. "Have a drink."
"I'm underage."
"Does it look like this face cares? Besides," She grinned. "Nobody here will tell you off."
It didn't take long for Mizuki's sake to start kicking in, and a rose blush dusted her cheek. Sado, on the other hand, was taking small sips of his own sake.
"Did you know I have a brother?"
Sado tilted his head, glancing over at her with his deep eyes.
"My twin, Taro. He's the older one."
"Where is he?"
"Everyone says he's dead." She shrugged, leaning against a support beam. "I know better. He's alive. I know he is."
"What if he's not."
"Taro's alive. You wanna know how I know?" She smirked mysteriously. Sado inclined his head. "He sends me letters from wherever he is. That's how I know. Everybody else thinks I'm delusional. Taro sends them through Hell Butterflies, so I know that they're his. You'll keep my secret right, Sado-kun?"
"Hm."
"Glad to know I can trust you." She pat his arm. "And I'm here if you need advice. I don't have much to do around here anyway, other than terrorizing the other Divisions."
"Once we go back to the real world," Chad spoke slowly. "There won't be a way to contact you."
"You live alone right?" She tilted her head up, eyes narrowed at the sky. Sado nodded.
"I'll teach you how to send me messages through Hell Butterfly. It's not too hard." She smiled, draining the last of her sake. "It'll be our secret!"
Chad smiled.
"I probably won't be up when you all leave tomorrow. So have a safe trip back!" She slapped him on the back.
"Hayashi Mizuki-san?" Mizuki glanced up, drink halfway into her mouth. Ikkaku, Shuuhei and Rangiku all paused in their loud laughter.
"What?" She narrowed her eyes at the messenger kneeling beside her.
"Hayashi-san, the Sui-Taicho would like to speak with you. Please make haste to your audience."
"Can't be helped I suppose." She stood with a groan. "Hopefully, I'll see you all later."
Rangiku grinned, toasting to her with a bottle of sake before falling over.
"Try not to let your boobs escape." Mizuki warned before vanishing. She was half-way to the First Division when Shunsui showed up.
"I'm going to guess this meeting is very important." She crossed her arms. Shunsui sighed, noddding and gesturing for her to follow him.
Genryuusai was waiting with both eyes open when they arrive, Shunsui nodding and Mizuki knelt on the floor as was proper.
"Stand. Have you been in contact with your brother?"
"He hasn't replied yet. I sent him a Butterfly when Aizen, Tousen and Ichimaru left."
"I see. Report when you have news." He hummed, eyes closing as Mizuki stood. "However, I have also received a letter. It was found in Ichimaru Gin's office."
"He has a lot of those." Mizuki snorted, earning a slap over the head from Shunsui. "Don't hit me! I hit back!"
He held up his hands and chuckled.
"The letter found in Ichimaru Gin's office," Yamamoto drew the attention back to something more serious. "Was addressed to myself, and the contents were to be read under drastic circumstances."
"Well, recent events have been drastic."
"The letter contained what he wanted done with his Division. Kira Izuru will remain his fukutaicho, and he specified that he wanted someone to watch both his fukutaicho and his Division. You have dealt with a temporary position before. From henceforth, until a new taicho may be found, Hayashi Mizuki you are promoted to Taicho of the Third Division."
"Awe." She grumbled, bowing. "They're such pessimists. Don't know how to have fun in battle. I'm just there to take care of paperwork and shit, right? What about Divisions Five and Nine?"
"Hn." Yamamoto nodded. "Hitsugaya Toshiro has taken over paperwork in the Fifth Division until such a time that Hinamori Momo may return to service. Hisagi Shuuhei has also taken care of most of the paperwork while under Tousen Kaname's time as taicho, as Tousen is blind."
"Well, that's that then, isn't it?" Mizuki grumbled, pouting slightly.
"Sasakibe," Yamamoto's fukutaicho stepped up, holding a pristine white haori, holding it up so Mizuki could slip her arms into the sleeves. "You things have been moved from the Eleventh Division for the time being, and placed within Ichimaru Gin's previous quarters."
"I'll start my work tomorrow morning." She bowed, not kneeling on the floor now that she was a taicho, however temporary the position was.
"Kira, wake up." The blond blinked his eyes open, groaning against the light. "Let's go."
His eyes caught the ends of the white haori and he bolted up right.
"Taicho!?" He gasped, clutching his head.
"Yeah? What?" He blinked, surprised when his eyes met a bound chest.
"Did you hurt yourself?"
"I didn't know ya cared, Kira-san."
"Taicho...?" It took a moment for him to realize the voice was female. "Gah! Mizuki! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Tch. That's Hayashi-taicho to you, thank you very much, Kira-san."
"Hayashi..?"
"I'll explain when you put some clothing on." She pointed to his bare torso, and Kira made an attempt to cover himself like a modest schoolgirl. "No use hiding. I've seen more than that, remember."
"Sorry, reflex." He grumbled, standing in just his underwear as Mizuki left. He was left wondering what the hell was going on.
"Oh," Mizuki stuck her head back in just as he dropped his dirty underwear to the ground. "Assemble the Division in the big hall."
Kira nodded, a faint blush on his face as he threw on his clothing. It was easy to relay the message through the Division and soon enough everyone was settled into the large hall, sitting in rows according to their squads.
Mizuki entered, her usually braided hair pulled into a high ponytail which swished against her new haori. Mutters entered the room as she stopped in front of them all.
"Right." She sighed, arms crossed as her haori slipped down both shoulders to rest on her elbows. "Yamamoto-Sui-Taicho has given me the temporary position of your Taicho. For those of you who don't know, my name is Hayashi Mizuki. I am...I was the Fourth Seat of the Eleventh Division. Hopefully, until the issue with Ichimaru Gin is solved, we can get along."
"What is happening to the other two Divisions?" One man near the back stood.
"Hitsugaya-san is taking care of the Fifth until Hinamori Momo is able to return to duty, or a new taicho is found. Hisagi Shuuhei will continue as he was before Tousen Kaname left. Any other questions?"
"Why you? Why a Fourth Seated Officer?" A woman in the middle row spoke up. "And from the Eleventh Division no less."
"I'm a lot older than I look. Not as old as Ukitake-san, or Shunsui-san, or the Sui-Taicho, or Unohana-san though. I've held a temporary fukutaicho position when Shiba Kaien was killed. Just because I'm in the Eleventh Division, doesn't mean I think about battle all the time. I train a lot, I've made a network, and I will not abandon any of you if you need me. It's just who I am."
"For the next couple of days, Kira-san will be showing me what the hell goes on around here, because I'm pretty sure that it's way different than my Division. You're dismissed and I'll be in Ichimaru's garden if you need me."
She strode out, leaving the Third Division chattering loudly. Kira rushed to catch up with her.
"You handled that rather well." He murmured, falling into step slightly behind her.
"It's the fact that I don't give a damn what they think. I'm not a very private person, you know." She smiled at him.
Kira chuckled, flashing her a grin that normally wasn't seen on his face.
"Don't I know that."
"I'm gonna have a nap." She waved over her shoulder as she entered the pretty garden Gin had constructed. "Wake me up if you need something."
"Hai, Hayashi-taicho."