Chapter 16: Free Time

Time flew for Kirara, and before she knew it, Spring had once again rolled around, bringing with it a whole host of new recruits within the Gotei 13. Everyone always found themselves busier around then, making sure the newbies adjusted to their new Squads and got the hang of their assignments.

Squad 2 had some of the fewest recruits each year, with Squads 1 and 4 usually also lacking, but there were still enough that Kirara had work to do. And on top of that work, she also surprised everyone - including herself - by offering not only to hold another Hakuda class for anyone who was interested, but a Shunpo class as well.

"I knew you'd enjoy it too much," Yoruichi had laughed as Kirara held out the forms to her to let her know about it. Kirara just huffed, her face warming. "Be careful Kirara, by offering so much help, you risk becoming popular. I don't know how I'd cope if we ended up getting more recruits because of it," Yoruichi smirked.

"Like we don't have enough to do around here as it is," Kirara sighed, but blushed at her words. The idea of being considered 'popular' with anyone was enough to embarrass her.

Yet despite Yoruichi's teasings, Kirara went ahead with the classes, and was stunned to find out that both had filled to capacity almost immediately. It seemed the help she had given some of their classmates had been enough to encourage others to try for themselves, and many of Haruki's classmates had been eager to try her Shunpo training when they saw how far ahead of them he was.

"I feel I may have been asking for trouble," Kirara mused nervously as Natsuki laughed herself hoarse. The Lieutenant of Squad 11 was covered in more cuts and bruises than ever with a whole heaping of new recruits for her Squad, who usually ended up receiving the most.

"I can't believe you willingly offered not one, but two classes this year," Natsuki had to wipe tears of laughter from her eyes. Kirara glowered at her, not appreciating the hysterical laughter.

"And I can't believe they both filled up instantly," the other source of laughter had been Hiyori, who studied Kirara suspiciously. "What the hell did you do to these idiots?" she asked. Kirara shrugged.

"Couldn't tell you. I thought I was being ruthless. I guess I wasn't ruthless enough," she sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I figured the Shunpo class at least would be a way to continue teaching Haruki without having to sacrifice my free time anymore," Kirara shrugged.

"Oh yeah, that kid you've been helping. He's still putting up with you?" Hiyori looked as if the very idea of the student tolerating Kirara's training methods for longer than a year was the most surprising thing she'd ever heard. Kirara glared at her.

"Other way around. He's good, but he's still got a lot to learn," she said with a shrug.

"So now you're balancing two classes a week on top of your duties as a Lieutenant, and your other job," Natsuki said, still trying to stop her laughter. "When the hell do you sleep?" she asked. Kirara snorted.

"During the day," she said as if this were obvious. Natsuki and Hiyori exchanged unsurprised looks.

"I don't know why you even asked," Hiyori said bluntly. Kirara stuck out her tongue.

"I don't know why I hang out with you two," she complained.

Kirara found that a lot of the students who had signed up had chosen to attend both classes, and despite her training methods, they all seemed eager to keep at it. It baffled her, but she found herself enjoying it almost as much as the students seemed to.

"Kirara!" the Lieutenant was pulled from her thoughts a heartbeat before someone collided with her and knocked her to the ground. Kirara yelped, and the papers she had been carried scattered in the air.

"Mashiro…" Kirara groaned, knowing that there was only one who was able to catch her off guard - the only one who could near match her own speed.

The green-haired Lieutenant of Squad 9 had always confused Kirara. While most were wary of Kirara and her Squad because of their affiliation with the Onmitsukido, Mashiro seemed to completely disregard it entirely, often clinging to Kirara during meetings. She was cheerful and friendly to most, seeming almost childlike, but she seemed especially attached to Kirara.

The two didn't spend that much time together, but Kirara was fond of Mashiro regardless. So she smiled and patted her head. The other Lieutenant giggled.

"I haven't seen you in ages!" Mashiro beamed as she finally released Kirara. The two got to their feet, and Kirara dusted off her uniform.

"Yeah. I've been…busy," Kirara admitted. It was the truth - with everything going on, she'd barely even had time to visit Rose. Even her nights of drinking suffered, and Natsuki had started threatening to make Kirara pay for her drinks if she missed another night out. "I do have some time now, want to grab something to eat?" she offered, and Mashiro's eyes lit up. Much like Kirara, the fastest way to Mashiro's heart was through her stomach.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Mashiro cheered. Kirara nodded, before pausing.

"Oh…first I should probably get these," she remembered the papers that were scattered around them.

"Why were they lying around?" Mashiro asked, cocking her head in confusion. Kirara opened her mouth, before changing her mind and shutting it again. Better not to say anything to the childish Lieutenant.

"Come on. I'm starving," Kirara said once the papers were safe in her arms again. She'd deliver them after she'd eaten. "How's your Squad? Busy with newbies?" she asked as the two headed for a place that Kirara knew.

"Kensei handles all that stuff," Mashiro shrugged. Kirara wondered if Kensei had ever tried to get Mashiro to call him Captain, or if he'd never bothered. It felt like it would have been a complete waste of time to try, considering her nature, and would definitely only have ended in the two fighting again.

Kirara had overheard Kensei on multiple occasions wondering why he had chosen her as his Lieutenant, but it wasn't as if Mashiro had fallen into the role of Lieutenant; she was strong and fast, as Kirara had learned the one time the two had actually sparred.

It was one of the only times Kirara had taken sparring seriously during a demonstration, and Kensei had banned them from ever doing so again after they'd destroyed a building in the Squad 9 barracks.

Still one of Kirara's proudest moments.

Mashiro glanced at Kirara as they walked, and her big eyes went to the papers that Kirara carried. "Don't you need to do something with them?" she asked, and Kirara looked down at them.

"Eh. They're for Captain Aikawa. They can wait until we're done," she decided. "What do you want to eat?" Kirara asked her, changing the subject. Mashiro hummed thoughtfully, before her hazel eyes lit up.

"Cake!" she decided. Kirara laughed.

"Now you're talking," she grinned.

After eating enough cake that Kirara felt they were both going to have to be rolled out of the shop, Kirara and Mashiro slowly made their way back to continue work. Kirara still had documents to give to Love, and Mashiro had made a non-committal comment about how she was supposed to be doing something too.

"I should have known," Kensei growled as the two reached the Squad 9 barracks. The Captain's eyebrows were furrowed together as they usually were in his angry scowl. "Distracting my Lieutenant from the one thing I asked her to do today?" he asked, glaring at Kirara. She tilted her head.

"I was unaware that Lieutenant Kuna had work to do," she said simply, and bowed to the man. "My apologies, Captain Muguruma," Kirara's deference took the fight out of Kensei, and she saw his shoulders sag. He took a breath, and turned his glare to Mashiro. The green-haired woman was completely oblivious as she watched a butterfly go past.

"Did you at least give the 5th seat his orders?" Kensei asked, more exhausted than angry now as Kirara straightened up.

"Of course I did, I'm not an idiot, dummy!" Mashiro exclaimed. Instantly the anger returned to Kensei's face, and Kirara had to fight not to laugh at his reaction. He was far too easy to bait.

"Why you…" he growled. "And why are you with her?" he snapped as he saw the smirk that Kirara was fighting to hide.

"We went for food. I was just walking this way to bring some paperwork to Captain Aikawa," Kirara answered him pleasantly.

"Yeah, Kensei! Stop being a jerk!" Mashiro pouted.

"If I need a reason to be around here, Captain, I'm always up for a demonstration between our Squads," Kirara smiled sweetly at him.

"Hell no! You're never sparring against Mashiro again!" Kensei growled at her. It had been years, but he was still mad about the building. Kirara's smile turned wicked.

"I meant against you," she winked, and his response was comical. Kensei spluttered, eyes going wide as his ears turned red.

"Ohhh, Kirara and Kensei fighting would be real fun!" Mashiro declared eagerly.

"Shut it!" Kensei snapped at her. "And you, get lost, you demon!" he growled at Kirara, who was laughing loudly.

"Why is it always so loud around here?" they looked around as Shinji complained, and saw him walking with Love and Jinemon.

"Kensei and Kirara are going to fight!" Mashiro chirped brightly.

"I said shut it!" Kensei slammed his fist down on Mashiro's head. Instantly she began to wail.

"I offered, but I don't think Captain Muguruma is interested," Kirara shrugged, looking innocent.

"Are you that bored that you have to rile him up?" Love asked, but was struggling to hide his laughter as much as Jinemon was. Kensei and Mashiro were now in a world of their own, shouting at one another.

"Who can tell?" Kirara shrugged, but the devious look in her eyes was obvious. "Oh, since you're here," she walked over to Love. "These are from Captain Shihoin," she held them out.

"She did mention something about sending you out a few hours ago with these," Love remembered as he took them.

"If there was a deadline to get them to you, then I apologise," Kirara smiled sweetly at him.

"When you smile like that, it makes me nervous," Shinji told her. Kirara angled her head to the Captain standing to her side, and her sweet smile grew.

"Good," she said simply. She didn't miss Love's faint smile, and when he met her gaze, the smile widened. Kirara's smile was just too infectious.

"I have to ask…why were you offering to spar with Captain Muguruma?" Jinemon asked her. Kirara grinned, the devious look shining through.

"Because I'm not allowed to fight Mashiro after the last time," she said simply. Love snorted suddenly.

"For good reason," he chuckled.

"What happened the last time?" Shinji asked, not having heard the story.

"Let's just say it was messy enough that the two are banned from ever sparring again," Jinemon answered him, having been there to witness what had happened. It had been the topic of discussion while drinking for months.

"You really are a menace," Shinji told Kirara, but when she looked up at him, she swore she almost saw approval flicker in his gaze.

"It was Kensei's idea to have a demonstration," Kirara shrugged, not looking the least bit apologetic. "I better go. Lots to do. Maybe they'll stop by sundown," she glanced over to where Kensei and Mashiro were still shouting at one another.

"Sunrise is more like it," Love snorted. The others had to agree.

After leaving the rest of Squad 9 to handle their angry Captain and their unruly Lieutenant, Kirara had decided to visit Rose while she still had some free time. She'd expected to part with Love, Jinemon and Shinji afterwards, but instead she found herself walking with Shinji as he too decided to visit the musical Captain.

"You visit Rose a lot," Kirara broke the quiet between them as they walked towards the Squad 3 barracks. Her hands were behind her back as she moved, light on her feet. When Shinji glanced at her, he couldn't help but compare her light, confident movements with the cautious steps she'd taken in the snow. It had been over a year now, but the memory was still fresh.

"So do you, brat," Shinji fired back, and she grinned in response. Neither gave their reasoning for visiting the Captain. "I'm surprised you haven't just moved Squads, you spend most of your time here," he commented.

"Yeah, would love to see how the rest of the Squad react to someone like me joining," Kirara snorted, and Shinji's eyebrows furrowed at the tone behind it. Almost like she expected nothing but cold reactions from others.

'She's Onmitsukido,' he remembered, and understood the reason behind her expectations.

"Yeah, with how you dress, I'd be scared too," he nodded, and Kirara lifted her head. Instantly the shadows in her gaze faded, and she gave him a probing stare.

"You really are fixated on my uniform, huh, Hirako?" she challenged.

"I think half the Gotei 13 is fixated on that, Princess," Shinji fired back. Kirara rolled her eyes and sped up. However, thanks to his longer legs, it was easy to keep up with her.

"You need to stop calling me that, dumbass," she told him, but there was no real fire behind the words.

"And you need to stop trying to boss me around," Shinji shrugged, looking bored. "Is this how Squad 2 is run? Yoruichi doesn't seem the sort to let you run the show," he commented, and Kirara couldn't help but laugh at the idea.

"You're right about that," she agreed.

"Then stop telling me what to do," he said. Kirara stuck out her tongue, and he responded in kind.

"Ah, the familiar melody of your fighting," Rose gave a sigh as he stopped playing his violin. He lowered it, setting the bow on the desk. "I almost missed it," he told them as Shinji walked in. Kirara bowed before following him in.

"So if we went back to fighting and everyone else got annoyed, we could direct them to you?" Kirara asked, tilting her head with an innocent look.

"Good to know," Shinji smirked. Rose looked exasperated.

"Now I really do miss your fighting. At least I was left out of it," he complained, and Kirara laughed. She then leaned on the table, touching the bow left there.

"Don't worry Rose. You're still my favourite Captain," she told him. He gave her an exasperated look, before reaching out and patting her head.

"Thanks, Kirara," he said, smiling faintly as she grinned. "Don't touch," Rose then slapped her hand away from the bow, and she yelped, drawing back, but the cheeky smile on her face remained.

"Favourite Captain, huh?" Shinji drawled. "I wonder what Yoruichi would make of that?" he wondered, and Kirara turned a glare on him.

"Don't you dare tell her. She'd torment me until I said that she was my favourite," Kirara complained, already imagining it. The cat-like woman would have her tortured if she found out that Kirara had said another was her favourite Captain.

'At least you didn't say it about Hirako' the ever-helpful voice of Kokoro no Kage supplied, and Kirara cringed at the idea. Yoruichi was even more convinced that Kirara was in love with Shinji now that they had stopped fighting, and had spent many a day coming up with ideas of what they got up to in the cave - some explicit enough that Kirara had felt like she would never stop blushing.

'Honestly that last one was enough to almost tell her the truth,' Kirara sighed, and shook her head.

"Now I have to wonder just how true your statement was," Rose said, and Kirara paused before turning her sweet smile back on the man. He was unaffected by it, but had a small, teasing smile on his face.

"How is the flute coming along? I haven't seen you with it since you got it," she asked him with a tone that was a little too bright. It made Shinji snort, and Kirara turned a glare on him for just a second before turning back to Rose.

"You know just the right buttons to hit to change the conversation, my dear," Rose shook his head, and stood up. The man was far taller than her, even making Shinji look short, and patted Kirara's head as he walked past her. "How about some tea?" he offered.

"Sounds great!" Kirara exclaimed in that too-bright tone, and the moment Rose's back was turned, she pulled a face at Shinji. His eyes widened just slightly, before he did the same in response.

"Behave, you two. Or you'll have to find some other poor Captain to harass. Or better yet, maybe you can do your jobs?" Rose angled his head, not missing their behaviour.

"She started it!"

"He started it!"

Rose could only sigh at their childish shouts. They might not be at each other's throats all the time anymore, but it seemed they really hadn't changed.

'It may still be rather loud, but at least it's more comforting than annoying. Perhaps I can compose a new song at last,' he smiled slightly to himself, completely aware that they were still pulling faces at one another when he wasn't looking.

The thud of Satoru's body was muffled by the grass where he'd landed, and the grey-haired man didn't have time to groan in pain. He pushed himself up and away from where Kirara's foot hit the ground hard enough that if it had connected, probably would have earned him a trip to the 4th Division for healing.

"Going a little hard, aren't you, Commander?" he gulped as he threw a punch before she moved away. Kirara pushed to her right to dodge it, and could feel the force of it as it cut through the air - he respected her enough to not hold back, and she appreciated that. Even if it sometimes ended up with her having to go to her brother for healing.

"I've been slacking lately," Kirara replied honestly, and kicked him. This time she caught his side, and Satoru cursed under his breath as he could already feel it starting to bruise. "Between two classes at the Academy a week and all my other work, I've barely had any time for training," she said, and Satoru hummed.

He admired Kirara for her dedication. She'd been given her ranks of Lieutenant and Corps Commander for a reason, and seeing her keep working hard even after reaching that position was admirable. He knew a lot of people saw her as a slacker, and it always annoyed him, but Kirara didn't seem to mind, so he never said anything. But if she asked for a sparring partner, he was always the first to speak up.

Satoru had known Kirara for a long time. He'd already been around for a long time when Kirara joined the Onmitsukido. She was a fresh-faced kid from the Academy, but she didn't take her responsibilities lightly. She was cheeky and playful, but she never once disrespected what they did, and for that alone he never had a problem when she was promoted over him. Satoru was comfortable where he was, and he trusted Kirara with his life.

When Kirara's punch narrowly missed his face, Satoru pushed back quickly. He breathed heavily; they'd been sparring for a while now with neither landing a decisive blow. Kirara tilted her head with sharp blue eyes. "Your mind someplace else?" she asked, knowing him well by now.

"Just thinking about how much of a brat you were when you joined," Satoru replied honestly, and delight spread across her face in response.

"Aw, Satoru. I didn't know you cared," she beamed at him. He laughed, shaking his head.

"I was thinking, that back then I didn't think it was possible for someone to be an even bigger brat than how you were. You prove me wrong daily," Satoru continued, and Kirara joined in with his laughter.

"Proving you wrong is something I enjoy thoroughly, so thank you for that," she teased, lunging at him suddenly. Satoru backed up, and his eyes widened as he found his way blocked by a tree. Cursing, he ducked at the last second, and Kirara barely managed to stop herself before she smashed through the tree.

"My apologies, Commander," Satoru smiled weakly from the ground below.

"Forget about it," Kirara laughed as she offered him her hand. He took it, getting back to his feet. "We were due a break anyway," she pointed out, and Satoru tried not to look too relieved at that. The two walked over to where their Zanpakuto lay, along with their water.

"Commander?" Satoru spoke up suddenly after downing half his bottle of water. Kirara hummed, having been sipping her drink thoughtfully. "Is something on your mind?" he asked, and Kirara smiled faintly at the parallel.

"Just thinking about this peace we've had lately," she said, and Satoru cocked his head. "I know we're still busy, and there's always going to be work for us to handle," Kirara didn't look at him, and he turned away too. No matter how hard they worked, there would always be threats to the Seireitei that they had to handle.

"Have there been more of those strange Hollows?" Satoru asked. He had heard about the Hollows capable of masking their Reiryoku, with the intelligence to use the blizzard to their advantage. It was unnerving to think that Hollows were somehow evolving.

"No," Kirara shook her head, and bit her lip. "I think that's why I keep thinking about it. Hollows like the ones in the mountain, like the one that was luring in people from the Rukongai…it feels like we should have seen more of them. Even if no more have popped up since, this shouldn't be a new thing," she sighed.

"Sometimes I think you'd be better suited for Kis…Captain Urahara's Squad," Satoru told her, and Kirara stuck her tongue out at him.

"I just don't like not knowing things," she complained.

"A good trait to have in the Patrol Corps," Satoru told her, chuckling. "But you are also impossibly nosy sometimes," he told her, and Kirara huffed, turning to him and resting her hands on her hips.

"Breaktime's over," she said, and the man's laughter vanished.

"Oh, I'm going to regret that comment, aren't I?" he asked, suddenly nervous. Kirara flashed a wide smile at him that was all teeth and no warmth.

"You should already be regretting it," she told him. Satoru gulped. So much for avoiding a visit to Squad 4.

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