"Matsumoto-kun, there you are."
Rangiku's eyes narrowed as Odaka Ryō came walking up to her table in the mess tent. "What is it, sir?" she asked curtly.
The Third Seat frowned. "What's with that tone?"
In the exact same voice, the Tenth Seat replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Odaka's lips pursed in displeasure. "Matsumoto-kun, if you have a problem, speak."
"From what I see, I'm not the one with a problem," she bit back.
"Stop being obtuse and speak plainly," her superior ordered tersely.
"Fine," the strawberry-blonde settled down her chopsticks and swung to face him. "I have a problem with how you treated Gin yesterday."
The Third Seat raised a brow down at the Tenth Seat. "Do you now?"
"Yes!" she affirmed. "And Yadōmaru-fukutaichō thought you were out of line for that little comment, too, if you'll recall!"
"I do, and while I respect her judgment, I am not as convinced as she is of Ichimaru's potential character," Odaka stated.
"And what is your problem with Gin?" Rangiku demanded. "What did he ever do to you?"
"My problem is that he lacks empathy," the older man explained in a brusque, business-like tone. "I will give him enough credit to assume that he at least cares about you, as I did notice a downturn in some of his more distasteful behaviors after you joined us, but I cannot trust someone who is so narrow-minded as to care only about a single person."
She could fast feel her temper start to boil like the volcano in her soul cutter. "And why would that matter to you?"
"Because it means if it came down to saving you or completing the mission, he would choose you," Odaka said. "Ask yourself: how many lives would he sacrifice for your sake?"
For the first time, Rangiku had no rebuttal. Then she looked down and murmured, "To be honest, sir, I don't know what I would do if it would mean saving my best friend."
"It is a natural instinct to look after those close to you, to value friends and family more than strangers," the Third Seat stated in a softer tone. "But the moment you became a shinigami, you agreed that you would prioritize the needs of the world and the Gotei 13 more than yourself and your friends."
The young shinigami bit her lip at this assertion, given that she and Gin had both joined the Gotei 13 not out of altruism, but simple desire to improve the quality of their lives. Though they now lived a life of relative luxury, it should come as no surprise that there was a significant price attached.
As she processed his words, Odaka continued, "And that is the crux of why I do not trust Ichimaru, nor find a favorable opinion of him. His self-centered nature means that there will come a day when he will choose what he wants over what the Gotei 13 commands."
"So you don't like him because you believe he will inevitably become a traitor to Soul Society?" Rangiku scowled.
"The action may or may not be as severe as treason, but basically, yes, I see it inevitable that his self-interest will outweigh any allegiance he feels to the Gotei 13. And do not think that I am the only one who does; both the lieutenant and the captain share similar concerns."
"You're wrong!" she snapped. "Kyōraku-taichō and Yadōmaru-taichō are the only people in the Eighth other than me that he gets along with!"
"That is correct, and while I believe that they still give Ichimaru's character too much credit, they do have a few commonsense measures in place," Odaka brushed off her wrath without visible ire. "For example, haven't you noticed that despite him being a Fourth Seat, Ichimaru has never been assigned to lead any teams, simply being part of one being led by the lieutenant?"
The Tenth Seat winced. "Yes, but that's obviously because of his difficulties with interacting with others."
"And you don't think it telling that even in a situation such as the current one, Kyōraku-taichō and Yadōmaru-taichō still do not trust Ichimaru with the lives of any of their subordinates?"
"Or maybe Yadōmaru-fukutaichō just likes having Gin around," Rangiku countered stubbornly.
"No doubt a contributing factor," Odaka conceded. "But it coincides with how despite their favorable opinion of Ichimaru, the captain and the lieutenant also want to ensure the welfare of all their subordinates."
Her normally vivacious blue eyes no regarded him coldly. "If you hate Gin so much, why don't you transfer to a different division?"
"Because despite how I disagree with Kyōraku-taichō and Yadōmaru-taichō's assessment of Ichimaru, I still feel most at home here in the Eighth Division," the Third Seat seemed determined not to take offense at her accusations, which only served to make her even angrier. "So instead of pointlessly stirring up strife when Ichimaru has admittedly performed no tangible infractions, I aim to leave my personal feelings at home, and treat Ichimaru as if he were one of my other subordinates."
"Except for yesterday," Rangiku scowled.
Odaka nodded. "I admit, that was a lapse of conduct on my part. But let me ask you this: did you notice me express any disdain of Ichimaru before my slip-up yesterday?"
She frowned thoughtfully. "No."
"That's because I am professional. Regardless of how I feel about him personally, he is still a member of the Eighth Division, and when on the job I treat him as such. If you have any inclination of being successful as a shinigami, I recommend you do the same."
"Hmph," Rangiku let out a skeptical grunt.
A tinge of amusement colored the tone of his next instruction. "Pout if you want, but I would also like to remind you that not many superiors would tolerate such… spirited discussions with their subordinates."
Rangiku flushed as she recalled how insubordinate her actions could easily be construed. Despite how miffed she still felt about Odaka's treatment of her best friend, she nevertheless replied, "Thank you for understanding, sir."
"No problem," he nodded patiently. "By the way, the reason I came looking for you in the first place is because you've been selected to go with us on a Hollow-hunting sortie. Report to Yadōmaru-fukutaichō in an hour."
Knowing that meant the upcoming mission would almost certainly have her fight alongside Gin, Rangiku's response this time was a more upbeat, "Yes, sir!"
The objective of the mission was for Lisa to lead a party consisting of Odaka, Gin, Rangiku, and a few other combat-oriented officers into an area where a previous team of shinigami had gone missing. Based on the situation, it could only be assumed that they fell prey to a more dangerous breed of Hollow. Upon reaching the vicinity of their last known position, nothing initially leapt out.
And then, they felt it.
It was as if the atmosphere had intensified around them, stopping them in their tracks and forcing them to brace themselves lest they fall to their knees. Of the shinigami, only Yadōmaru seemed completely unfazed, and even Odaka and Gin were able to mostly maintain their composure, but the rest were breathing far more heavily than what was warranted from their run.
"Well, well, well…" a warbling voice remarked thoughtfully.
The vile power behind this voice belonged to only a single Hollow strolling into visibility from a building it had been previously lounging in. It was crocodilian in appearance, though its legs were longer and positioned underneath its bulk, allowing the beast to avoid dragging its belly on the ground, and its skull was not as flat as the more aquatic living animal it imitated. In terms of size, it was smaller than most of the monsters they had been tasked with purifying, yet it was exuding power that far surpassed even a Menos Grande.
This… was an Adjuchas.
"I knew I would have an opportunity to feast on more delicious souls than humans or Hollows, but even I would not think myself fortunate enough to come across such a banquet," the hungry Menos continued in anticipation. "Is there anyone who wishes to volunteer to be first?"
In response Yadōmaru leapt on the attack, calling out, "Ichimaru, Odaka, with me! Matsumoto, lead the rest of the officers back to camp and tell Kyōraku-taichō what's happening!"
Although reluctant to leave the field of battle, Rangiku knew that if her lieutenant was commanding her to fetch the captain, then that meant his power would be required to emerge victorious, which meant she and the other lower-ranking shinigami would be deadweight if they stayed. With that in mind, she rallied her subordinates and headed back to base as fast as possible.
"A captain?" the Adjuchas noted in pleasure. "Excellent idea, shinigami, I could use a proper main course after finishing with the appetizer."
Deeming banter to be a waste of time, Yadōmaru instead invoked her full power with a cry of, "Smash, Haguro Tonbo!" Now wielding an enormous monk's spade, she quickly leapt around the Hollow, making several probing strikes with her oversized spear, only to find that she was inflicting superficial scratches in her target's armor at best.
"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I must insist you hold still," the surprisingly erudite monster instructed as he turned around and fruitlessly tried to grab the agile lieutenant in his claws. Nettled, he continued his pursuit, absorbed in seeking to snatch her up.
It was on one such attempt where the Adjuchas rose up on his hind legs that Gin uttered, "Shoot to kill, Shinsō!" His sacred spear shot forward in the hopes that the underbelly would prove to be less resilient than the armor on his sides and back.
Unfortunately, this proved a vain attempt, as the tip of his zanpakutō was stopped in its tracks by hardened scales. He quickly retracted his weapon, and just in time to avoid the reptilian foe from grabbing it with his claws.
"Please, wait your turn, as the lady arrived first," the Adjuchas chided the younger shinigami, though this distraction earned him a smack from the flat of Haguro Tonbo's spade, an act that disoriented him mildly but otherwise delivered no damage.
But in that moment when he was recovering from Yadōmaru's strike, Odaka charged in. "Shake the earth, Yoshin!"
The Third Seat's katana shifted into a great two-handed war hammer, which he swung against the beast's side. This time the heartless entity actually let out a sharp exhale in surprise as he staggered to keep his footing.
"Goodness, I actually felt that one!" the Adjuchas coughed as he composed himself.
The special ability of Yoshin was that it amplified the shockwaves of its impact, granting even more kinetic force than what a blunt instrument of that size was already capable of. This also meant that while Yadōmaru was a stronger shinigami, Odaka had the unique ability to induce damage that bypassed the Hollow's hardened hide.
"Indeed, I count myself so fortunate," the bestial foe continued. "You three will contribute greatly towards my path to becoming a Vasto Lorde, and I deeply appreciate how you all are so eager to aid me in that effort."
While the eccentric Hollow was monologuing, Yadōmaru and Odaka attempted to take advantage of his seeming distraction in a pincher movement, while Gin remained a safe distance away with a sharp eye out for the opportune moment to strike.
Then the Adjuchas revealed he had been holding back.
Lightning-fast the beast's tail whipped into Yadōmaru, sending her flying into a nearby pile of debris with enough force that it shook the earth as she landed. At the same time, the Adjuchas backhanded Odaka into the sky.
An instant later, the reptilian monster was in front of Gin with his maw opened wide to bite down. Unable to get away, he abruptly felt himself shoved clear.
His rescuer was not so lucky.
Jaws clamped down on Odaka's leg to prevent his escape, and the ensnared shinigami let out a strangled scream. As he did though, his war hammer slammed down on the vile spirit's snout, which turned out to be both a mistake and a reprieve.
Upon impact, the Adjuchas shook his head in annoyance and bit down harder on his meal. This resulted Odaka's leg being completely severed from the rest of his body, but also freed him from the deadly mandibles. As the Hollow contented itself to devour the limb, Odaka struggled to avoid falling into shock from blood loss as he strove desperately to crawl away.
"Hm, my compliments, shinigami, that was quite good," the crocodilian monster commented placidly. "I must have more."
The scaly head turned towards his wounded prey, and leisurely started to lumber after him, only to stop when he saw an alabaster lance speed towards his face and glance off one heavy eyelid. He moved his gaze towards the guilty party, where Shinsō had already retracted to Gin's hand and was preparing for another strike.
"You know you cannot pierce my armor, so you aim for weak points," the Adjuchas noted indifferently. "Quite clever of you, but you are not the first to make that attempt, nor will you be the last. But if you are so determined to be the next to provide me nourishment, I shall be glad to acquiesce."
With that announcement, the Menos changed his course, and Gin was quick to jump backwards to maintain his range advantage.
"Ah-ah, none of that," the beast chastised, and leapt.
Once again, the monster's usual casual saunter concealed deadly celerity, and in an instant, Gin was on his back with the hand holding Shinsō pinned under one paw. Gazing straight down its open gullet, and Gin reacted with the only weapon left available to him.
"Shakkahō!"
The fireball erupted from his free hand and struck the back of the Adjuchas' throat. The beast recoiled at the unexpected blaze, a meal too spicy even for his palate, and he staggered back off Gin coughing and wheezing. Taking advantage of this opening, the prodigy leapt to his feet and shot Shinsō out again at his foe's face.
Despite his vulnerable state, the Adjuchas still managed to bat the attempted strike away, then directed an unamused glare at the slippery snake. With smoke still emanating from his mouth, he had the visage of an enraged dragon. The boy swallowed nervously and prepared to dodge as he noticed the beast's body coil, a sign of an imminent attack that he was not certain he could evade.
Suddenly the monster's head was knocked to the side as a weighted ball of steel slammed into it. Gin was relieved to see that Yadōmaru had re-entered the battlefield. Aware that she lacked the spiritual muscle to cut through their opponent's armor, she instead used the blunt end of her weapon to for its impact power. Lacking Yoshin's bonus damage, it remained sufficient to keep her foe disoriented.
Again and again, the lieutenant spun her spear around to strike the bestial glutton, an action that served to inflict little damage but still succeeded in keeping him off balance. For his part, Gin moved back several paces and readied Shinsō to take advantage of an opening when it occurred.
On one pass, the Adjuchas lashed out and grabbed the end of Haguro Tonbo and yanked down, bringing the lieutenant into range of his enormous jaws. Realizing it was now or never, Gin let Shinsō speed out in the hope that it would distract the beast enough to save her.
But it turned out to be partially unnecessary.
The taciturn lieutenant let go of her weapon and flash-stepped out of the way of the jaws just in time for them to snap shut on empty air, and reappeared on the ground next to the beast. As Shinsō impacted on the side of the Adjuchas' head, irritating but not damaging him, Yadōmaru grabbed hold of her weapon again, twisted it loose of his grasp, and used the follow-up of that motion to slap the flat of her spade on top of the Hollow's head.
The unexpected impact drove the beast to the ground, and Yadōmaru used her weapon's placement to leap into the air, with her spear as a pole vault to escape any counterattack. The Adjuchas planted its forelimbs on the ground and attempted to push upright, only for another blow from above to abort the motion.
But when Yadōmaru went for a third strike, the crocodilian's tail found her first. The heavy appendage impacted hard against her, and once again too slow to dodge it, she hit the ground with enough force to leave a crater, and she let out a pained gasp at the forced landing.
Swiftly she rolled to get up and keep moving, but it was already too late. The Adjuchas slammed her back down, pinning her under his claws as he glared down at her with a hungry gaze.
Gin flash-stepped to a better position so he could ready Shinsō for another desperate attempt at the monster's eye. But even as he took aim, he was startled to see it was not needed.
Because the Adjuchas' head had been removed.
He stared for a moment as the rest of the body faded into spiritual particles. Then off to the side, he noticed Kyōraku Shunsui, sans pink kimono for once, with his lieutenant held tenderly in his arms.
Intellectually, the Fourth Seat knew that as a captain, Kyōraku was powerful and skilled, and sparring with the man the past few years proved that for all his lazy and womanizing ways, he was leagues ahead of him as a combatant. But this was the first time the boy had witnessed that brutal efficiency in action. No announcement of arrival, no time wasted; he just struck down the enemy from behind without a word.
And to top it all off, in a single stroke too fast for him to even view, the veteran warrior had slain a foe that had been handing the next top three officers their butts. It reminded Gin that as talented as he was, he still had a long way to go before he could consider himself an elite.
"Are you alright, Lisa-chan?" their captain asked solicitously.
"Quit fussing over me, you sentimental fool," Yadōmaru chastised him, "and go treat Odaka-san until the Fourth arrives."
"Right, good idea," Kyōraku agreed somewhat sheepishly. He then called out, "Gin-kun, get over here and look after Lisa-chan."
"Right-o," he immediately obeyed.
"I don't need looking after," Yadōmaru protested as her captain gently put her back on her feet and quickly strode over to his most injured subordinate. "It's just a couple rib fractures."
"Then say yer lookin' after yer young subordinate, who's obviously traumatized by the big bad monster," Gin grinned as he took a place by her side and steadily pulled them both to the ground to rest.
She stared down at him, completely unimpressed by his cheek. "You're a brat."
"Yeah, yeah, glad yer okay, too," he snickered unrepentantly.
"GIN!"
In a burst of shunpo, Rangiku suddenly appeared beside them alongside several officers from the Fourth. After the healers looked him over to make sure he was not injured, they focused their efforts on Yadōmaru, and Rangiku immediately pulled her silver-haired friend into a deep, desperate hug.
Startled but certainly not complaining, Gin returned the embrace and reassured her, "Whoa now, it's all right, I'm okay."
She did not reply at first, instead kept her arms tightly around him to verify that he was still here with her. But after a minute of feeling his arms around her, Rangiku finally felt composed enough to say, "I was really worried about you, that Hollow felt so strong…"
"Yeah, he was a toughie all right," Gin agreed. "But hey, ya managed to get Kyōraku-taichō back in time to save the day, so good on ya."
"He's right, you know."
Both youngsters looked up to see Kyōraku approaching them minus his haori. "You did good getting your subordinates out of a battle they would not survive, and you were the one who alerted the rest of us what was happening. Good work, all around."
Feeling a bit better, Rangiku nodded her thanks. At this point, while with a pair of healers attending to her injuries, Yadōmaru finally chose to ask, "Kyōraku-taichō, what happened to your haori?"
"Oh, I used it to bandage Odaka-kun's leg, since I didn't have anything better available," the captain answered casually.
"Yamamoto-sōtaichō will not be happy to hear that," she pointed out.
Kyōraku waved her concerns off. "Bah, he only cares if I lose the haori, and I know exactly where it is."
"For how long?"
He blinked. "Huh?"
"Once Odaka-san's wound is treated and the healers replace it with a proper bandage, they'll dispose of it like it were any other bloody rag," Yadōmaru pointed out the shortcoming in his otherwise brilliant plan.
"…I think I'll go and stay with Odaka-kun for a bit longer," the captain decided. "For moral support."
"You do that," Gin chortled as that remarkable warrior bravely fled to prevent any possibility of having his old master scold him.
Rangiku watched the captain depart but kept her firm grip on him. "Will Odaka-san be okay?"
"Now that the healers got him, he'll live," the silver-haired shinigami assured her.
"How did that happen, anyway?" Lisa inquired.
Using the hand not currently wrapped around Rangiku, Gin rubbed the back of his head. "That's kinda my bad. The Hollow had me dead to rights and was about to chow down on me, but Odaka-san shoved me outta the way."
"He did?" the strawberry-blonde looked at him in shock. Lisa also perked up in interest, as did the two healers momentarily before they remembered themselves and refocused their attention on their patient.
"I mean, I don't think it was his intention to give up a leg fer me, but yeah, he saved me," the Fourth Seat admitted.
Rangiku then gripped the front of his shihakusho and pulled him so that he was a few centimeters away from her face. "Gin."
Flustered by the close proximity and the intensity of her gaze, he stammered, "Y-yeah?"
"Once Third Seat Odaka is cleared to receive visitors, we are going to him and we're going to thank him for saving you," Rangiku stated without argument. "Am I clear?"
"Yeah, but I kinda already did…"
"What do you mean 'kinda?'"
"Well, after Odaka-san saved me, jus' as the Hollow was about to chomp on him again, I tried to take advantage of an openin' and stab it," Gin explained. "'Course that jus' made it mad at me again, but it is why we still got most of Odaka-san with us instead of none of him… why are y'all starin' at me?"
Sure enough, the two healers had fully stopped their treatment of the lieutenant to stare at him, and Rangiku was gazing in an elated manner that pleased him very much.
But most startling was how Lisa's lips had shifted from her standard frown to a satisfied neutral; it was the closest thing to a smile Gin had seen from her. In an almost smug tone, she was the first to reply. "Oh, we're all just very impressed by your dashing heroism."
The Fourth Seat coughed at the unexpected praise. "Don't ya think yer exaggeratin' a bit?"
Lisa shrugged. "Not really. You did good today, Gin-kun, and I am simply informing you of it."
"C'mon, I was just takin' advantage of an openin', no big deal about that," he attempted to downplay the event.
"And in doing so, you saved a comrade's life," Rangiku countered with another squeeze of her arms around him.
"Yadōmaru-fukutaichō saved me a couple times, too," Gin pointed out.
"True, and thanks to you helping distract it, you also ensured I was not also turned into Hollow food," Lisa replied. "So again: good work today."
Resigning himself, the silver-haired shinigami sighed. "Okay, if y'all say so."
"We do," Rangiku hummed happily. "We're still going to visit Odaka-san later, though."
"All right," Gin acquiesced with a shrug.
"Hey, Odaka-san," Rangiku greeted as she and Gin approached the Third Seat in one of the cots at the Fourth's camp.
"Matsumoto-kun, Ichimaru," the elder man returned politely, and sat up a little straighter. "What brings you two here?"
"Gin told us how you saved him during the fight against that Menos, so I wanted to thank you for saving my best friend," the Tenth Seat bowed to their superior officer.
After a quick elbow to his side, Gin followed suit. "Yeah, thanks. Though it does beg the question…" the silver-haired boy's hidden eyes drifted almost against their will to the stump of Odaka's leg, now covered by a clean white blanket. For some reason the sight of them made him feel uneasy, and this helped him get right to the point. "Why?"
"Because you're my subordinate," Odaka answered without hesitation.
While Rangiku smiled in understanding, Gin just tilted his head in confusion. "But ya don't even like me."
"Because you're my subordinate," the superior reiterated, and then raised a brow challengingly, "Aren't you supposed to be a prodigy?"
"Aintcha supposed to educate me on matters I don't understand?" the youth returned, though there was little bite to his remark.
Apparently Odaka picked up on this, for he stared at the silver-haired youth for a while, then glanced away thoughtfully. "Hm, I suppose this is a topic you have a limited grasp of," Odaka acknowledged almost to himself. "Let me clarify, I saved you because regardless of my personal feelings about you, you are still a shinigami under my command, and therefore your wellbeing is my responsibility."
"It's called 'being professional,'" Rangiku interjected primly.
Gin spared his friend an odd look before he returned his attention to his maimed officer. "While I ain't complainin' I can't help but point out that if ya let the Adjuchas bite me, ya coulda taken advantage of an opening to deal some damage to it."
"Given the disparity of power, I doubt even with my zanpakutō's ability I could hurt it enough to warrant such a sacrifice," the Third Seat corrected him. Here he settled back against his pillows while continuing to regard Gin steadily. "But I must ask in return: if such logic occurred to you, then why did you intercede on my behalf instead of sacrificing me to create an opening?"
"Well, its focus on ya did let me get a shot at its eye," Gin remarked. "'Sides, after ya saved me, it didn't seem fair to jus' let ya die like that."
"Is that so?" Odaka sounded surprised. "Perhaps I did indeed misjudge you."
While Rangiku smirked in triumph at the admission, the fox waved him off. "Don't read too much into it. Jus' makin' sure things were even 'tween us."
"Perhaps," he did not seem convinced, and shared a smug, conspiratorial look with Rangiku. "Well, regardless of your reasons, you have my gratitude."
"What, ya don't blame me fer the leg?" Gin questioned lightly.
"I lost my leg because the Hollow was faster than I was," Odaka returned calmly. "But while this has certainly ended my career as a shinigami, at least I can look forward to spending more time with my family."
"Quite the optimistic outlook fer a guy I've never seen smile." That perpetual smirk was back in full force, with no pains being made to hide it.
Again, Odaka didn't take offence. "When in a dark forest, the best way to keep moving forward is to find the brightest path."
"Cute." Somehow Gin managed to adopt a flat expression while smiling. Zen phrases clearly held little interest for him. "Now, as fun as this has been, we oughta leave ya to rest. See ya."
"Bye," Rangiku stood up.
"Good-bye, Ichimaru-kun, Matsumoto-kun," Odaka replied. "And thank you for visiting."
The younger shinigami waved as they walked away, with Gin a little deeper in thought than he would like to admit.
Odaka's stated reason for his rescue… unsettled him. It was on principle, a moral code, something he himself was painfully lacking. The Third Seat intervened to save a despised subordinate, and consequently, lost both his leg and his career. Normally, Gin would scoff at such sentimentality.
Except… if Odaka had adhered to the same ethical standards (or lack thereof) as himself, Gin would be dead, and worse, Rangiku would be distraught. Furthermore, had he maintained his standoffish standards after being saved, Odaka would also be dead.
But that's not what happened. Since Odaka intervened to save Gin's life, Gin lived. And because Gin took a risk and returned the favor, Odaka also lived, and they both could be reunited with their loved ones… which meant that the most moral decision also was objectively the most pragmatic one.
Gin remained unconvinced that 'principle' and 'morality' should be his primary concerns, but if in certain situations they resulted in a mutually beneficial exchange, then perhaps he would be more open to such transactions in the future.
Not that he would mention this allowance to anyone else; he had a reputation to maintain, after all.
Gradually, the Gotei 13 managed to turn the tide. Plus souls became a scarcer sight, and Hollows likewise lost interest in the area. Over the next several weeks, divisions began to be recalled to Soul Society as the urgency of the situation declined.
Two days after the Eighth Division came home, Kyōraku summoned both Gin and Rangiku to his office.
"It's official," the captain informed them with Yadōmaru at his side. "Odaka Ryō has retired from active service due to his leg injury. He'll be going back to his clan to assist in their administrative duties." He then focused his gaze on the boy in front of him. "Considering your performance during the recent crisis, I have chosen you to fill the vacancy created by his departure. Congratulations, Third Seat Ichimaru Gin."
This promotion came as little surprise to him judging by his satisfied smile. "Thanks, Kyōraku-taichō," the rising star bowed to his captain.
"Great job, Gin!" Rangiku praised him proudly.
"He's not the only one," Yadōmaru interjected.
When she turned a confused look on them, Kyōraku took up the charge. "Your own actions and deeds were nothing to scoff at, either. Therefore, Lisa-chan and I decided that you have earned the rank of Ninth Seat."
"So soon?" Rangiku gasped. "I mean, you just made me a Tenth Seat a few weeks ago!"
"That was in response to your unlocking Shikai, which is a significant step for a shinigami," the captain explained. "This promotion was for your leadership and courage as you carried out your tasks during the emergency."
"W-well, thank you very much!" the girl stammered as she bowed gratefully.
"And you're very welcome," Kyōraku returned. "Now, come on, let's treat you two to lunch to celebrate."
"This day keeps gettin' better and better," Gin remarked. "Thanks, Kyōraku-taichō, Yadōmaru-taichō."
The lieutenant paused for a moment as she seemed to consider something. Finally, she remarked, "You know, having you call me 'Yadōmaru-fukutaichō' all the time has got to be a mouthful for you two. After what we've been through and how often we're in each other's company, I give you permission to use my first name when we're in private."
"Wait, really?" Rangiku gasped in shock and hope.
"Yeah, sure," the brunette shrugged.
"Thank you, this means a lot to me… Lisa-san," she bowed, and after elbowing her friend, Gin followed suit.
"Don't worry about." Their lieutenant snagged her captain by the collar and strode past them. "Let's go eat."
A few days later, Rangiku was not feeling as gratified about her new rank.
"Just bump me down to an unseated officer," she groaned, flopping back on a cushion and throwing an arm over her eyes. "It'll be worth it if it'll mean cutting down on the paperwork I have to deal with."
"You do realize not all of this paperwork comes with your promotion?" Lisa informed her as she finished up the last form for the day. "A lot of this is just the backlog from when we were on the mission in the world of the living."
"I don't care where it comes from," Rangiku moaned, snatching up a piece of paper to glare at it accusingly. "All I know is that it's going to kill me."
"What would the murder weapon be?" Gin inquired from his place behind a desk signing forms.
Before Rangiku could summon the energy for a witty retort, there was a knock at the office door, and a very young voice called, "Um, Lisa, this is Nanao, are you there?"
The lieutenant blinked and looked out the window to see that the sun had long since set. She then got to her feet and strode over. "Yes, I am; coming out now."
As she finished speaking, the door opened to reveal a tiny girl in a shinigami uniform wearing glasses that were slightly too big for her, holding a book that was certainly much too big for her.
"OH MY GOSH YOU'RE SO CUTE!"
Rangiku summed her appearance well, but her delighted squeal provoked the child to squeak and hide behind the doorframe.
"Calm down, Rangiku-kun, you're frightening her," Lisa remarked as she came to stand beside the little girl.
"Sorry!" the strawberry-blonde visibly restrained herself, but her face still beamed at how adorable she found the new arrival.
After making certain her extraverted underling was under control, Lisa turned to the girl and said, "This is Ninth Seat Matsumoto Rangiku. Don't worry, she's nice." Then she gestured to the other person in residence. "This is Third Seat Ichimaru Gin, he's…"
There was an awkward pause as the lieutenant gazed without expression at the boy, obviously searching through her expansive vocabulary to find a way to reassure the little officer without being dishonest about it. The boy in question merely smirked and eagerly awaited what phrasing she would select for him. Finally, she settled on, "…Rangiku-kun's friend."
Before Rangiku could protest the lack of a more positive description, Gin beat her to it. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said 'bout me, boss!" He then turned his attention on the little girl. "An' what's yer name?"
"Uh, Ise Nanao, Third Seat Ichimaru," the tiny brunette answered shyly.
"Well, glad to meetcha, Nanao-chan," the silver-haired officer smiled as he knelt down to eye level with her. "Ya know, I think this here is the first time I've seen a shinigami younger than Rangiku an' I. What 'zactly are yer duties here?"
"I assist in filing the paperwork," Nanao answered quietly. "I know it's not much, but it's something I can do."
"Don't downplay yourself," Lisa gently chided the girl. "You're better at it than Rangiku-kun here."
"Hey!"
"Well, that ain't a high bar to clear," Gin added.
"HEY!"
"If yer so good at it, are ya volunteerin' to do more?"
Though Rangiku did not answer that jibe, her glare promised later retribution. He ignored this in favor of grilling their new comrade. "An' what brings ya 'round here so late in the evenin'?"
"I wanted to visit Lisa," Nanao answered softly.
"We read together every month," the lieutenant elucidated, and gently said to her ward, "I'm sorry I was late getting out, there was more paperwork than usual I had to finish up."
"Don't be sorry! I don't want to be the cause of you not finishing work!" the bespectacled child gasped.
"Well, we're done for the day," Lisa reassured her. "So now we can go read together."
"Are you sure you're not too tired?" Nanao asked in concern.
"Of course not," the elder bookworm answered warmly. To her subordinates she said, "You two are both dismissed. Have a good evening."
"What, we're not invited to the reading?" Gin inquired teasingly.
"No," Lisa denied without hesitation.
"I'm sure that if you ask nicely, Lisa will read to you on another night," Nanao offered innocently.
"Yeah, and maybe she'll tuck you into bed, too," Rangiku chortled, thoroughly enjoying being on the giving side of teasing for a change.
Gin's smile looked strained. "Nice to know I'm so well taken care of."
To be continued…
Author's Note: In some of the earlier drafts Odaka was intended to die to open up the position for Gin to take. Then I realized that since that's how Gin got to be Fourth Seat, having it happen again (even if it's probably the most likely way promotions happen in the Gotei 13; not much opportunity for upward mobility when everyone's natural lifespans can be measures in centuries) seemed a bit too repetitive. So Odaka lucked out and managed to get away with a medical discharge instead.
Odaka's Zanpakutō Yoshin means "Aftershock."
And I admit, having Odaka playing a role in Gin and Rangiku's character development was not planned ahead of time, but just came out naturally as I wrote out the chapter.
I got inspired for the design of the Adjuchas by the Postosuchus as portrayed in "Walking with Dinosaurs."
And Lisa allowing Gin and Rangiku to call her by her first name is completely to demonstrate how close she feels to them, and not at all influenced of how much easier it is to type "Lisa-san" than "Yadōmaru-fukutaichō" all the time.
My thanks to X59 and LoveGlutton for the reviews!
Omake: Shinigami Illustrated Guide
Lisa took her place at the front of the classroom behind the lectern. "Today on 'Ethics for Creepy Child Prodigies,' we will cover reciprocation."
"Ya mean like 'eye fer an eye?'" Gin asked eagerly.
"Considering that is a rule intended to prevent excessive retribution, yes, you should be mindful of that principle as well," the intellectual lieutenant returned. "But today is intended to cover a more positive example in paying back to others when they have done beneficial things for you. This ideal is more akin to the phrase, 'scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.'"
"That an invitation?" the devious pupil asked.
Lisa opened her mouth to shoot that down in her usual manner, but then an evil thought occurred to her. "In a manner of speaking. I am giving you an assignment to practice reciprocation: go to Rangiku-kun and offer to scratch her back if she'll scratch yours."
While Gin suspected an ulterior motive, he was not about to turn down a chance to ditch class early and spend time with his dearest friend, so he immediately agreed and sped out of the room.
When the pair came into the office the next day, Lisa almost smirked at how they both appeared much more relaxed, with Rangiku having a mildly flustered expression. It seemed like it was time for her to have an interesting discussion with them…