Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

Chapter Eleven - A Gathering of Hollow

"So bored," the young Captain of Squad Ten moaned as he idly flipped through the stack of paperwork that he had been attempting to complete. Normally this would have been an easy task but the young prodigy was having difficulty concentrating on his work. "I don't wanna do this right now."

The boy's thoughts flashed to a memory of Captain Hitsugaya and, with a growl, he once again picked up the pen and forced his hand to move. It was his duty to complete these damnable forms and he would do it, whether he wanted to or not.

A voice echoed in his mind. "I don't enjoy doing paperwork. I just realize that it has to be done."

"Ugh," Shiro said, shaking his head as he quickly finished the task that he was loathe to do. He really hated it when things like that happened. "I know that it has to be done. I don't need a reminder from my previous incarnation."

"Captain Shiro!"

The young white haired captain glanced up from the paperwork that he had just completed and watched as his vice-captain entered the office. Kin looked as though she had been running and Shiro found himself wondering exactly what was going on. After all, his vice-captain was normally one of the overly calm people in the Seireitei. Something must be going on to make her run like that.

"What is it Kin?"

"Head Captain Ukitake has issued an order for all captains and vice-captains to assemble in the Squad One conference room ASAP," Kin informed her superior, taking deep breaths. The run to the Squad Ten barracks had winded her and she made a mental note to train more often.

"What's going on?" Shiro asked.

It was highly unusual for the officers of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to be assembled for a meeting that they weren't already aware of. Normally the Head Captain gave them a couple of days warning when they had to gather for a meeting.

Something was definitely off about this situation.

"Alright then," Shiro said, getting to his feet. The young captain grabbed Hyourinmaru and hastily secured his zanpaktou across his back. "Come on Kin. We should probably go."

"Yes sir," Kin said, falling into step behind her captain.

Together Shiro and Kin made their way across the Seireitei and, when they arrived at the Squad One conference room, it was to find that they were two of the first to arrive for the meeting. The only ones who had arrived before them were Matsumoto and her new vice-captain, Kasumi.

The young Shinigami/Quincy had risen quickly through the ranks after her graduation from the Shinigami Academy and Shiro had heard that Matsumoto was absolutely thrilled to have the girl as her vice-captain. After all, Kasumi had always been a perfectionist with her school work and apparently this quality carried over to her duties as a vice-captain as well.

"It's like old times," Shiro had thought to himself when he first found out about the situation. "Only the roles are reversed."

"Shiro-chan!" both Squad Thirteen officers said, their voices blending together.

Shiro and Kin walked over to the spot where Matsumoto and Kasumi were standing and together the four officers discussed the ramifications of this meeting. Each had a theory about why the officers had been so hastily called together but that was all they were; theories.

The order to assemble so quickly was taken seriously by all of the officers and soon the room was filled with the captains and vice-captains of all thirteen squads. Ichigo and Rukia were the last to arrive, owing to the fact that they had to travel from the world of the living, and they cast a questioning glance toward their son before falling into their place in line.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Head Captain Ukitake said in a quiet voice, taking his place at the head of the room. Concern was etched on the face of the leader of Soul Society as he gazed around at the group of assembled officers. "We have a major problem."

"What is it Jyuu?" Captain Kyouraku asked, picking up on the worry that was radiating from his best friend. Normally he would have made an attempt to lighten the situation but even he sensed that something was terribly wrong and as a result was unusually serious.

"Hollow are gathering from all corners of the world," Head Captain Ukitake explained. "I'm not sure to what purpose but they are assembling near Karakura. It is eerily like when Aizen was planning to use the town for his plans..."

Shiro's blue-green eyes widened as he recalled the words of his friend Heikichi, the reincarnation of Aizen. The older boy had told both him and Kasumi that the Hollow wanted him to lead another rebellion against Soul Society and that he... "Head Captain Ukitake!"

"What is it Shiro?" Head Captain Ukitake was normally more formal during officer meetings however since they had two Captain Kurosakis, he always used the younger of the two's first name.

"You remember my friend Heikichi right?"

Ukitake nodded. He did indeed remember the young reincarnation of Aizen, whom Shiro had trained to use his powers years ago. "I do."

"Well," Shiro said, sounding somewhat guilty. He knew that he should have shared this information with his superior the minute that he and Kasumi had learned of it but he hadn't wanted to focus undo attention on Heikichi. "I met him a couple of weeks ago and he told me that the Hollow had been contacting him, wanting him to lead another rebellion."

"I see," Ukitake said.

"And he was moving to Karakura," Shiro continued, unable to read Ukitake's facial expression enough to determine whether or not he was in trouble. Not that it really mattered much at this point. "I think he's probably the reason that the Hollow are gathering."

"So," Captain Kuchiki said, his voice as calm and cool as always. "Is the boy a threat?"

"I don't think so," Shiro said, recalling the day that he, Kasumi and Heikichi had fought against the group of Hollow that had came for the reincarnation of Aizen. Heikichi had seemed so determined to get rid of them and he had always been on the kind side. The young captain turned his attention back to the Head Captain. "I'm sorry sir. I should have told you about this sooner."

"It's alright Shiro," Head Captain Ukitake said. "We're all entitled to errors in judgment."

Shiro bowed his head.

"Captain Kurosaki," Ukitake said, turning his attention to the orange haired Captain of Squad Five. "I want you and Rukia to look into this and see what you can discover. After all, you are both familiar with Heikichi as well as being stationed in Karakura."

"Right," Ichigo said, nodding his head in understanding.

"I want everyone to assemble a group of ten officers," Head Captain Ukitake said, his gaze sweeping around the room. "We have to do away with the gathered Hollow as soon as possible. We cannot allow them to organize their strength."

Everyone in the room knew what the Head Captain was really thinking. They could not allow the enemy to get as strong as they were when they were led by Aizen. The Winter War against the traitor captain had cost the Shinigami many lives and it wasn't something that anyone wanted to go through again.

"Yes sir," the captains chorused.

"Dismissed."

Shiro turned to his vice-captain, a strange look in his blue-green eyes. "Kin, I want you to assemble the group of officers as per the Head Captain's orders. And you're in charge of the squad until I return."

"Captain..."

Without another word the white haired youth hastily left the conference room, his white haori billowing out behind him. Kasumi glanced up at her captain and Matsumoto nodded her head ever so slightly. The young girl mouthed the words thank you before she rushed out after her best friend.

"Shiro-chan!" Kasumi called out as she raced after the Captain of Squad Ten. She quickly caught up with her best friend and together the two young Shinigami ran across the Seireitei. "Where are you going Shiro-chan?"

"I have to find Heikichi," was the young man's reply.

"Then I'm coming with you," Kasumi said, giving him no room to argue.

Shiro chuckled softly to himself. "I would try to tell you to go back but I know that it wouldn't do any good. You've became somewhat rebellious in your old age."

"Coming from you I'll take that as a compliment," Kasumi said, offering her friend a broad smile.

"Of course you will," Shiro said, sliding to a stop in front of the Senkaimon that would take him to the world of the living. The boy paused here and cast a roguish grin in the direction of his best friend. "You know, perhaps I should have asked permission before running off to the world of the living."

"Oh come on Shiro-chan," Kasumi said, shaking her head. "That would have ruined your perfect record. After all, as I recall, you always said it was easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission."

Shiro couldn't help but laugh at this phrase, which he had indeed often used when he was younger. "So what about you?"

"Me?" Kasumi said, reaching out and placing a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "I have to go so that I can keep you out of trouble. After all that's been my job since we were little kids."

"Alright then," Shiro said, a look of determination appearing in his blue-green eyes. "Let's go."

"Right."

A/N - the Hollow are gathering! Oh No! Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was short. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.