Serieitei..
10th Division Barracks – Captain's Office..
-----
Papers rustled and stacked with a dull thud as Isshin Shiba, Captain of the 10th Division, frowned at the latest stack of incident reports spread across his desk like an unholy offering. The normally bright and animated man looked unusually grim as his sharp eyes scanned line after line of dry, clinical detail.
"Multiple disappearances reported in the outer districts of South Rukongai. No witnesses. No traces of spiritual pressure left behind. Just gone."
"Hollow sightings near District 50 of the North and 55 of the East Sector. Several patrol teams have gone silent."
"A squad from the 8th reported an Adjuchas-level signature... before transmission was lost."
Isshin exhaled sharply through his nose, leaning forward and rubbing at his temples with one hand while flicking a report aside with the other.
"This many vanishings in this short a time? And Hollow sightings this deep into Rukongai..." His brows furrowed. "It's too coordinated to be random."
He shoved back from the desk, letting his haori hang loosely from his shoulders, and reclined into his chair with a long, exhausted groan. He stared up at the wooden beams of the ceiling, jaw slack in dramatic despair.
"I swear... if this is a premeditated strike against Soul Society, I'd at least like to file for a hazard bonus." He tilted his head, muttering under his breath, "Or maybe just fake my death and go hang out with Shunsui for a week. Wine. Breeze. Peace. Bliss."
As the thought lingered, a lopsided grin crept onto his face.
"Lucky bastard's probably napping under a tree right now while I try to figure out if the world's ending."
Then, a quick movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Turning his head, Isshin spotted his Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto, sitting at her desk near the window. The late afternoon light spilled over her long hair as she hunched over a small parchment, pen dancing swiftly across the paper. Her expression was… focused.
Too focused. Suspiciously focused.
Isshin squinted. "...Rangiku?" No response.
"Raaangikuuu," he sing-songed. Still scribbling, she replied without glancing up, "Yes, taichō?"
"What're you writing?"
"A report," she said casually. He blinked. "Wait, really? A real report? On time? Without bribes or death threats involved?"
She paused. "Okay, not that kind of report." Isshin's eyes narrowed. "Then what kind?"
"A different kind." There was a silence between them. The faint chirping of distant cicadas filled the gap.
Isshin slowly sat forward in his chair, resting his chin on one hand and peering at her with exaggerated suspicion. "Love letter?"
"No."
"Shopping list?"
"No."
"Poem about sake?"
"I already wrote that last week."
"…You're writing a complaint about me again, aren't you?"
She finally looked up, arching an eyebrow. "Why would I waste time writing complaints when you just incriminate yourself every time you open your mouth?"
"Tch! Rude!" Isshin threw a hand to his chest like she'd stabbed him. "Where's the respect for your hard-working, paperwork-slaving, increasingly grey-haired captain?"
"I saw you use three of those reports as a coaster for your tea."
"That was strategic placement! I was testing ink durability!"
Rangiku just gave him that sly, amused smile she always wore when she had him beat, equal parts charming and cheeky.
Then, after a beat, she leaned back and looked out the window. Her tone softened, almost imperceptibly. "You're worried about the disappearances too, huh?"
Isshin glanced back at the paperwork, then nodded slowly.
"Yeah. It's not just the scale, it's the silence. Feels like someone's testing us." His voice dropped a bit. "And I don't like the timing. Not with how quiet Central 46 has been."
Rangiku folded the paper she'd been writing on and tucked it away inside her uniform.
"I've already requested a few trusted patrol units to do quiet recon on the outer sectors. No official orders. Just eyes and ears." She met his gaze. "You always said a good lieutenant should take initiative."
Isshin blinked.
Then a slow, genuine smile broke across his face. "Well damn. That's actually captain-level thinking. You trying to steal my job?"
Rangiku yawned, waving him off lazily. "Not unless I can replace all your meetings with afternoon naps and strawberry desserts.."
He chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit. The office was quiet again for a moment, though now the silence felt more like a pause before action than oppressive worry.
Isshin leaned back once more, looking toward the far horizon through the window.
"Alright then," he murmured. "Let's see what the shadows are hiding."
After more than a minute in silence, Rangiku finally heaved a sigh of relief, and placed her brush down. Wiping the sweat on her face with the upper side of her wrist. She rose, her robes loosely hugged her busty figure. As she fast walked towards him, her revealing chest jiggled, glistening with sweat that made Isshin's mouth go wide right there, salivating and drooling, even going as far as daydreaming unholy thoughts.
"Captain?! Captain?!"
It took a couple of vigorous shaking of his head to bring him back to his senses, a s when she finally spotted where his eyes were busily staring it, a punch crashed into his head without hesitation..
"Ow!! What was that for?!"
"Humph! You pervert! Staring at your 1st Seat's boobs. I wonder if reporting you might get you impeached." She coldly harrumphed, while he rubbed his neck in embarrassment. " You caught me, but what can a man do when presented with such a magnificent sight!" He opened his arms wide exaggeratedly and comically, but seeing the annoyance on her face, he cleared his throat and sat down quietly.
"What is it? Where's the report?" He asked and she pointed to a portrait she had drawn on the paper, placing it in front of him.
"What? You're into portrait carving now? Funny, I kinda need my portrait painted as well, and hung in the middle of the offi-..""
"You idiot! It's the portrait of the man I saw at the scene of the Hollow attack!" She facepalmed. He was too non serious at times.
"Oh? That's him? This kid? He's not that bad looking. Although the hair is a bit much.." Isshin's hand rested on his jaw, offering his honest review on Minato's looks.
"But he looks like he's new to the Soul Society. It could've been coincidental, what's the fuss?"
Isshin finally turned serious, turning to Matsumoto. "I sensed the Hollow attacks five minutes before we got to the scene, along with a Reiatsu that caused my heart to shudder. From what I picked up on, there should've been several Hollows, but we got there and found just one...
Most importantly, that mosntrous Reiatsu that I thought belonged to the Hollows was his... Oh and he had a Zanpankutou too, there's that.." She placed her hand on her chin, face serious as she tried to recall exactly what she had seen and felt.
"Hmmm. When you put it like that, it does sound suspicious. I'll have that idiot Kisuke ran a facial or Reiatsu recognition pattern on him.."
Isshin thought for a moment and then took the portrait from Matsumoto.
.
---
Minato walked over and sat atop a small rock, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bracelet, two small beads tied to a red thread, gently clinking against one another like distant bells. He twirled it absentmindedly around his finger as he looked at Genma with a relaxed smile.
"You're improving steadily, Genma," Minato said, voice light but warm. "One day, you might even surpass me."
Genma let out a dry, breathless laugh and flopped backward onto the sun-warmed ground, arms spread wide as he tried to cool himself. "That's impossible... I can't even touch you, Sensei. I doubt I'll be able to take that bell from you even if I train for a hundred years more."
"Heh," Minato chuckled softly, eyes watching the sky for a moment before shifting back to the young man. "Don't be so pessimistic."
He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his knees. "You know why people set goals?" He raised the bracelet slightly and let the bells jingle gently. "It's not because they're easy to reach. It's because they push us. They give us direction. A reason to grow."
Genma turned his head toward him, still panting but listening intently.
"I'm not asking you to make me your goal because I want the praise, Genma," Minato continued. "I want you to dream of surpassing me one day, not because it's likely, but because that's the kind of mindset that sharpens a blade faster than any forge ever could."
The young man blinked. Then, slowly, a tired but genuine smile spread across his face. "You're just being polite, Sensei."
Minato snorted. "Hardly. If I were being polite, I wouldn't have let you take that hit to the ribs earlier."
Genma groaned. "It felt like a rock had smashed into me.."
"Mm, that's one way to explain it.." Minato stood, stretching his back with a soft sigh. The afternoon sun cast a golden sheen across the courtyard, and the light wind stirred the trees lazily.
"But now that you've caught your breath…" He gave Genma a side glance, grin widening as he flicked the bells again. Ching ching. "Come take this from me."
Genma's eyes narrowed as he sat up slowly, every muscle in his body aching, but there was fire in his gaze now. "You're not going easy this time, are you?"
Minato tilted his head. "Not a chance."
With a deep breath, Genma rose to his feet, adjusting his stance. His fingers twitched, readying for movement. The training courtyard stilled once more, tension thick in the air.
Then...
CLANG!
Steel rang out again as the dance resumed. This time, with even fiercer resolve.
---
A/N: Enjoy. Have a nice day everyone.. 10 powerstones for an extra chapter. Who's up for the challenge?