Okay, everybody, sorry it took so long, but here's Chapter 2 of the story, The Ninth Division Child, once more with special thanks to . By the way, if you haven't read "Soul Reaper Puppy" then this will be difficult to understand.
Chapter 2—The Puppy and Child
Komamura yawned as he woke, and the sound carried throughout his room and into the hallway... Maybe even throughout the barracks. He scratched his ears slightly as he got up and began to dress. No sooner had he finished dressing did someone knock on the door to his quarters. He pulled on his haori and cleared his throat.
"Enter!"
The door opened and his son, Koji, entered, looking slightly tired. He waved at his father before quickly hiding his hand behind his back.
"Good morning, Father," Koji greeted cheerfully.
"Oh, Koji, I didn't know you'd come back," Komamura said, stifling another roaring-yawn. "How was the mission? Everything go okay?"
"Y-yes," Koji replied. "I just got in." He punctuated his sentence with a nervous chuckle.
Komamura raised an eyebrow as he started to walk out of the room, Koji close behind. They made their way to Komamura's office. Once inside, Komamura took his usual seat behind his desk, and Koji made his way over to the chair which rested against the wall. Just as he grasped it, he winced and suppressed a yelp before looking behind him at Komamura, who was watching him carefully. Once more, he laughed it off with a nervous chuckle.
"How'd the mission go?" Komamura repeated.
"Just fine. Without a hitch!"
"So, what're you hiding?"
Koji yipped before saying, "Nothing."
"Show me your hand."
Koji carefully held up his left hand.
"The other one!"
With a defeated sigh, Koji held up his right hand and waited for Komamura to make a remark about the slightly bloody bandage that was wrapped around it. They were silent for a few seconds.
"So?" Komamura began.
"So, what?" Koji asked.
"Are you really going to make me ask?"
"Ask what?"
"What happened to your hand? How did you injure it?" Komamura demanded. "You were just supposed to exterminate a few low-class Hollows. They weren't even Menos-level! It should've been an easy task with your skills, your Bankai."
"Well, it was kind of a surprise."
"An ambush?"
"Well, not exactly."
"THEN WHAT HAPPENED?" Komamura demanded and Koji winced.
"I dropped my sword," he said finally. "I was trying to show the others that I was a great Soul Reaper, so I tried some sword tricks, but I kind of..." He gave another sheepish chuckle as he held up his hand. "It just kind of happened. I'd done that trick so many times before, I just thought I could do it again. It was just twirling it on my finger."
"Koji, I shouldn't have to tell you—a Third Seat—that you shouldn't be playing when you're on an assignment, small or otherwise," Komamura chided and Koji looked at his feet; they'd suddenly become easier to look at.
"I know, but—"
"You're a skilled Soul Reaper and one day, you could become a captain, but not if you keep playing around like a child," Komamura said. He shook his head. "No, I can't say that. A child was just made a captain."
"Really? Somebody replaced Captain Muguruma?"
"Yes, they did. Jin Narukami," Komamura replied, thinking carefully. "Can't rightfully say I know much about him. He's interesting, and I don't think he's much older than Captain Hitsugaya."
"I wonder what he's like," Koji muttered, glad to have the subject away from his injury.
"You can find out yourself," Komamura noted, pointing at the door. "ENTER!"
The door opened and a black-haired boy in a captain's haori walked in. "Good morning, Captain Komamura," Jin Narukami noted. "Are you busy right now?"
"No, not really," Komamura said. Then, to Koji, he said, "We'll discuss that later."
"Yes, sir," Koji murmured dejectedly.
"Is there something you needed, Captain Narukami?" Komamura questioned.
"Just wanted some advice from a veteran captain," Jin replied. "Hope it's not too much trouble, I just wanted to know more about your leadership style. I've asked a lot of captains, but they all say different things."
"That's because everyone leads differently," Koji said before he could stop himself and Jin looked at him in surprise. "My father likes to earn people's loyalty and respect. He's a very calm captain with a lot of talent and pride and everyone in the Seventh takes pride in their captain."
"Koji..." Komamura began, but Jin spoke quickly.
"Really? Captain Komamura's your father? What's it like being in the Seventh? How would you describe it?"
Slightly taken aback by the sudden barrage of questions, Koji was momentarily at a loss for words. He looked to his father for some kind of support, but his father simply said, "Answer him."
"Well, I think it's great. I like working with my father," Koji said quickly. "He's a really fun captain and a really cool parent."
"Is he like Captain Kyoraku?"
"No," Koji answered. "He doesn't really like to drink and he's not exactly the most sociable, but the men can come to him and talk to him almost anytime. He's always there for his subordinates, no matter what happens and he's very forgiving."
Komamura growled lowly, just loud enough for Koji to hear, but quiet enough for it to be inaudible to Jin.
"Wow," Jin mused. "I've got a long way to go." He thought carefully. "Well, thank you for the information," he said to Koji. Then, to Komamura, he said, "Thank you for your time."
"Are you going to another Division?"
"Yes. I haven't talked to Captain Zaraki yet, so I figured—"
"Go with him, Koji," Komamura ordered. "Make sure he doesn't come back injured because of something stupid."
Koji winced again. Flattery had not distracted his father when it came to the foolishness of twirling a sword on the battlefield.
"So, are you really Captain Komamura's son?" Jin asked as they walked towards the Eleventh Division.
"Well, yeah," Koji replied. "He adopted me after a mission to the World of the Living. Not sure exactly how it happened, but it did and now I'm little Koji Komamura, although my first last name was Shimizu."
"Which one do you go by."
"Either one. So, Captain Narukami, how long have you been captain."
"A day, and I'm already a nervous wreck," Jin sighed.
"I was like that when I joined the Seventh. It'll get better," Koji assured him. "Trust me, Captain Narukami, it'll get easier once you get used to the new position. Besides, you're pretty young to be a captain. Prodigies like you learn quickly, don't they."
"Prodigy? Not really. Just lucky."
"Luck isn't enough to be come a captain, sir," Koji said. "I'm sure you're going to go far, Captain—"
"Call me 'Jin'. I don't like titles."
"Okay..." Koji said awkwardly. He had never called a captain by his or her first name before.
They turned a corner together, but then they heard a surprisingly strange laugh. They looked up at the wall on their left, and they saw someone; a figure darkened by the sun behind it, but it was recognizable, especially with the sword in his hand.
"YOU! SHRIMPY CAPTAIN!" It was the rough voice of Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.
"M-me?" Jin squeaked.
"Yeah, you! How strong are you?"
"I think I'm strong," Jin answered. He tugged at his haori. "I made captain after all, you know."
"Fight me!"
Koji started to back away slightly. "Captain Jin, this sounds like a bad idea," Koji warned. "Captain Zaraki is a bit... eccentric."
"I'll fight on one condition! You answer a question for me!" Jin called.
Zaraki seemed taken by surprise, but smiled nonetheless. "Whatever!"
"How do you lead your division?"
"WITH POWER! I'M THE STRONGEST, SO I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT! THAT'S WHY I'M CAPTAIN!"
Kenpachi Zaraki charged downward, sword drawn with intent to kill...
Here's the next chapter, let me know what you think. Sorry it took so long, but I've been swamped by schoolwork on my first week back. I hate snobby college professors.