Chapter Text
Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe listened to the other lieutenants talk after one of their lieutenant meetings. He had long ago learned that keeping quiet and letting others talk gave far more information than direct questions.
“My captain doesn’t appreciate anything I do,” lamented Rangiku Matsumoto, lieutenant of the Tenth. “Captain Hitsugaya does nothing but complain.”
“At least he doesn’t hit you when you make a mistake, like Captain Suì-Fēng,” retorted Marechiyo Ōmeada, lieutenant of the Second.
“Captain Kuchiki doesn’t say anything. He just gives you a look of disappointment.” Renji Abarai, lieutenant of the Sixth, commented with a grimace.
“At least you know where your captains are! If I need anything, I have to go on a search of the Sereitei just to find Captain Kyōraku!” Nanao Ise, lieutenant of the Eighth, stated, annoyed. “I’m not sure that he even cares what I do.”
“I’ve had to do the same for Captain Hirako,” Momo Hinamori, lieutenant of the Fifth, said quietly. “Sometimes he’ll even follow me around when I go looking for him.”
“I just wish that Captain Ukitake didn’t get sick. He’ll fall ill, and then I’m left to run the entire division. He always feels so guilty about that, though,” Rukia Kuchiki, lieutenant of the Thirteenth, mused.
“I like Kenny! Yun-Yun and Baldy do most of the boring stuff. Then I check it and Kenny checks it,” Yachiru comments cheerfully. “Maybe I could visit one of your captains and help them not be so serious!”
“You should visit Kensei. He’s always such a sourpuss,” Mashiro Kuna, one of the Ninth’s lieutenants, complained.
“Captain Muguruma is fine, Mashiro. Maybe—” Shūhei Hisagi, the other lieutenant of the Ninth, began.
“Always yelling ‘bout stuff. Like ‘Mashiro, did you remember the new training regimen?’ or ‘You have to finish your work now, Mashiro.’ Does he think I’m an idiot or something?” Mashiro continued, cutting off Shūhei. She pouted.
Chōjirō continued to listen quietly as eventually each of the other lieutenants mentioned some flaw in their captains. He had an idea, but he needed to have his Captain agree to the plan. It would be an interesting experiment and might help both captain and lieutenant work together in the future. Or everything would go wrong. He’d have to make sure to include a caveat to end it early if some threat came to the Soul Society during it.
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“Eijisai-dono,” Chōjirō bowed before Yamamoto later. He explained how the lieutenant meeting had gone and the aftermath. “Some of the complaints were not true complaints – such as Lieutenant Kuchiki’s concern over Captain Ukitake’s health. Others were more severe. Perhaps it would be good to shuffle the lieutenants around, so that they gain some experience working under a different captain. Experience they can then bring back with them to improve their own divisions, as well as realizing the value of their original captains.”
Yamamoto considered. “And how long would you have this experiment in place?”
“One week. With an earlier end time if an emergency should arise. That should give enough time for the lieutenants to fully see all the workings of their new divisions.”
“Will you also be changing out?”
“I had not planned on it, sir.”
Yamamoto considered with the trace of a smile. “Are you sure? Don’t you think you might also benefit from this lesson?”
“Perhaps, sir, but I would hesitate to leave your side. I am not certain there is as much for me to learn from others as there would be a detraction from the Gotei’s effectiveness with another under you. Especially as I suspect there will be an overall decline as the different personalities clash and all have to learn new ways of working for a short ime. Besides, many would not be able to stay in your presence very long.”
Yamamoto nodded. “Fine then. Do you know how you will shuffle them?”
“I have some ideas.” Chōjirō laid out his initial thoughts, letting his captain move a few of them around. He had decided to treat the two lieutenants of the Ninth as a single unit; trying to do anything else just served to complicate matters. It was his understanding that Captain Kensei had chosen these two not because he needed two, but because of who these two were. He did notice that Yamamoto had made sure that none of the ones currently serving under the three Visored captains changed to a different one. “Is there a reason for that, Eijisai?”
“I think it would be good for others to work under those three, as they share some common quirks the rest of us do not have. View this exercise not just as a means to help the lieutenants improve their divisions, but also as a means of understanding their allies. It is my hope that the captains will also benefit from this exercise as a means to review how their division operates.”
“Yes sir.” Chōjirō bowed again. An official missive would need to be drafted, reviewed, corrected, and then sent out. They would plan the swap to start in two weeks; more than enough time to ensure that everything was ready.
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The official orders went out and none of the divisions were quite sure what to make of it. Some of the captains were curious, several were annoyed, and the remaining ones either didn’t care or were hopeful. Similar sentiments were to be found among the lieutenants. As they made their way to the First Division Barracks for their meeting, there was a buzz of excitement.
“Where do you hope you’ll go, Renji?” Rukia asked.
“I’m hoping either for your captain or maybe Captain Muguruma. What about you?”
“I’m not sure. I’m worried about leaving Captain Ukitake, but if I have to go anywhere, maybe the Tenth, under Captain Hitsugaya? I don’t think they’d put me with my brother.”
“You’d want to serve under him?” Rangiku entered the conversation. “He’s so strict. The only one I can think of being worse is Captain Kuchiki, no offense Rukia.”
“Hey!” Renji cried.
“It’s fine, Rangiku-san. I know that Brother can be… intense. But he does mean well.”
“Anyways, I figure anywhere other than the Sixth, Eleventh, or Twelveth will be fine.” Rangiku stretched.
Nanao frowned. Like Rukia, she was worried about what would happen to her captain without her. Actually, no, she wasn’t worried about Captain Kyōraku. She was worried about how the Eighth would fare without her there to keep him in line. But perhaps she should view this as a welcome break. Any of the captains had to be more responsible than Kyōraku, so it would be nice to not have to do her captain’s work as well as her own. Or have to track him down, wake him up, and hope he wasn’t too drunk to finish what little was left. (She highly doubted they would place her with the Eleventh, given that she had never obtained a zanpakutō. Not for lack of trying, but she’d never been able to bond with the weapon they’d given her at the Academy.)
Finally, Chōjirō appeared and gave out their new assignments. A few of the lieutenants looked worried. Nanao peered at her own assignment – Tenth Division, Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya. She wasn’t sure how she felt – Rangiku had always described him as a cold, heartless taskmaster, but then, Rangiku also tended to avoid doing her work and enjoyed any chance she got to do other things.
On the other side of things, Rangiku and Yachiru were delighted. Nanao felt a sudden chill pass over her when she heard that Rangiku had been assigned to the Eighth. She hoped her division would be able to survive this week. Yachiru, for her part, was delightedly talking about spending time with Byakki.
None of the captains had come to meet their new lieutenants. Nanao thought that was interesting but may actually be for the best. Better for the lieutenant to meet their new captain in their office. Not that Captain Kyōraku is likely to be there , she thought. If Rangiku is lucky, he’ll be out at the training grounds. Then again, if anyone knows where he’ll be, it would be her. It seems like a very odd choice to put those two together, but then, I suppose if you figure that they both would cause a division to miss deadlines, better to let one fail than two. She put the Eighth and its troubles out of her mind. For the next week, she was Lieutenant Nanao Ise of the Tenth, not the Eighth.
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Nanao arrived at the Tenth’s headquarters. Stepping inside the office, she couldn’t see the captain, but could hear him working behind the large stack of papers.
“Rangiku, get over here and finish the paperwork you assured me you finished yesterday.”
“Ah, excuse me, Captain?” Nanao began. “The lieutenant exchange happened. Just tell me what you need done and I will do it.” She came around to the side of the desk so she could see the young captain.
Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya looked up at her, teal eyes appraising her. He knew of her, but little else. She was remarkable for her skill with Kidō, especially given that she was a lieutenant without a zanpakutō. “Pull up a chair.” He motioned to the stack of papers. Nanao took the top page, scanning it as she went to get a chair.
“That’s the—"
“It’s the budgetary form for training items. There’s the standard list – is there anything your division uses specifically?”
Histugaya gave her a slight approving smile, surprised that she was familiar with the form. “Yes. We keep a store of heating stones for when I’m performing exams or other skill test.”
Nanao nodded, thoughtfully. “That would make sense, given your ice-type zanpakutō. I see that you don’t have written down any sort of arm guards. Do you not use them?”
“We do.” Hitsugaya frowned. “I will go and appraise our training gear once this is done. I suspect it has been some time since anyone has actually gone through what we have.”
“I’ll come with you. I know what we use in the Eighth and would like to see what you have here.” Nanao set the budget sheet to the side. “Ah, the assignments. You’ll have to review this one, as I don’t know the capabilities of your division.” She set that sheet in front of the captain and took the next one. “Oh, I can handle this one.” She began to fill it out, while Hitsugaya worked on the assignment sheet.
The two of them worked in silence, going through the pile of paper. Nanao would break the silence every so often, asking a question about the division. At the end, they both reached for the last page at the same time, hands brushing.
“Oh, sorry, captain,” Nanao murmured, a slight flush creeping into her cheeks. She had never minded the paperwork, but… it was nice to have been able to finish so quickly.
“It’s fine.” He picked up the sheet. “It’s just a memorandum about what areas in the World of the Living each division is responsible for.” He scanned it briefly. “Looks like nothing is changing for us.” He then stared at the now clean desk. “I’ve never finished this early before. Why don’t we go examine the training gear?” He hesitated. He would love to spar with her, to see how she would use different Kidō.
Nanao nodded. “That would allow the completion of the budgetary form.”
She stood, adjusting her glasses. Hitsugaya stood as well. They were about to leave when a knock came at the door. In entered someone Nanao recognized as the seventh seat of the Eighth.
“Did you need something, Ibara Tomokane?” she asked, crisply. She could already feel the dread rising.
“Forgive me, Lieutenant Ise, but we need your help. Begging your pardon, Captain, sir.”
Nanao sighed. “I will see what I can do today, but only today. Is that understood?”
“I will go with you,” Hitsugaya commented, evenly. “I unfortunately believe my former lieutenant may also be to blame. I would not wish you to do everything on your own.” He shifted his attention back to Tomokane. “But it is as Lieutenant Ise said – we will help for today. After today, your division will need to figure out what to do on their own.”
Tomokane bowed. “Of course, sir.” He led the pair back to the Eighth’s headquarters.
There, lounging in the courtyard were Captain Shunsui Kyōraku and Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku. Several bottles of sake were scattered about. Both appeared rather drunk.
“Nanao-chan!” Shunsui cried, happily. “I knew you’d come back to me.”
Nanao resisted the urge to slap him, barely. “You told me you would do your work! Seventh seat Tomokane just came to fetch us because you haven’t been.”
“Was going to get to it,” Shunsui mumbled. Brightly, he continued, “But stay! Both of you. Have a drink with us!”
“Cap-tain Hissugaya doess’t drink,” Rangiku responded with a slur.
“I don’t. I find such displays disrespectful to our positions,” Hitsugaya responded, coolly. He stepped around the drunken pair to go into the office.
“I am fine, Captain. Perhaps I should mention you failing to uphold your promise to Captain Ukitake. I imagine he’ll be very disappointed in your actions.”
Shunsui pouted. He didn’t want to bring his Jūshirō into this. Juu had enough to worry about. “It’s fine. I was just coming up with new training plans!”
“Of course you were.” Nanao deadpanned. She moved to follow her new captain.
“Nanao-chan….” Shunsui whined. “You won’t…?”
“I’ll think about it.” She entered the office.
Hitsugaya had already started reviewing the papers. “It seems you and I have similar problems,” he commented dryly.
“So it seems,” Nanao sighed. “I wonder what it’s like to be in a division where everyone does their work.”
“You have a week to find out,” Histugaya responded, his eyes glimmering. Was it just her imagination or did he seem to be more relaxed? “I won’t have to yell at you to do your work, or question where you’ve been, or have to put up with your excuses for why the work isn’t done or can’t be done now.”
Nanao laughed. “And I won’t have to go searching about the Sereitei to figure out where you’ve run off to hide now.” She was suddenly looking forward to this week.
“Look, if you want, I’ll come help you out next week, once the two idiots out there fail to accomplish anything. How he manages to keep his rank…”
“Captain Kyōraku is… He does mean well. When there were those who questioned my abilities, believing that I didn’t deserve my position…” Nanao shook at the memory. Hitsugaya set down what he was working on and walked over to her. He wasn’t sure what to do, but his instinct had told him to move closer. “He stood up for me. He made sure I knew that he believed in me when no one else did.”
“I… I’m sorry for questioning. Lieutenant Matsumoto – I know I have my frustrations. But she does care. And I’ve seen her go out of her way for those she holds close,” Hitsugaya offered, softly, still feeling awkward. “But anyone who devalues you isn’t worth your time. Maybe you aren’t like the rest of us, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy of your position. I’ve been there. Too many have just seen my age.”
Nanao gave a short laugh. She smiled. “Let’s get through this mess and leave. It seems you and I have more in common than just partners who fail at paperwork.” She perched on the edge of her chair as she set to work.
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Tōshirō took his own seat. He watched the lieutenant work for a moment, feeling something stir inside him. He wanted to spend more time with her. He admired her work ethic and candidness. She also understood the struggle of being judged based on appearances alone.
On the other hand, he didn’t want to be like Captain Kyōraku. He needed to maintain a professional distance. Especially this week, when she was his subordinate. Yes. He would treat her as he would anyone else. He tore his eyes away from her and back to whichever inane sheet was before him.
Finally, they completed all of the forms, as best they could. “You have to go through this every day?” Toshiro asked. Sure, he often had to do something similar, but a number of the forms required a captain’s sign-off. To imagine that Nanao had to do all this work then seek out Captain Kyōraku – it bothered him. She was very efficient at what she did. He made a mental note to make sure that she got some time to herself this week.
Nanao nodded. “Yes. Except he’s usually harder to find. Anytime he thinks that I’m finding his current spots easily, he finds a new place. Or he’s at the Thirteenth.” She smiled. “Which, by the way – you can always threaten to bring Captain Ukitake into anything. That often gets him to behave, for a short time.”
They stacked the papers Kyōraku would need to sign. “Near to the Tenth is a small stand that has good yakisoba. Would you like to stop there for food?” Toshiro asked. He was glad he managed not to stutter and keep his tone even and professional. This was not a date or anything – Nanao deserved food after doing two divisions’ paperwork.
Nanao blinked, surprised. “As you wish, Captain.”
“I wanted to thank you for your work. That’s all.” Wait, had he just said the last part aloud? Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice.
“I appreciate it, sir. I wasn’t expecting it.”
They exited the office. Nanao did stop to inform Captain Kyōraku of the papers on his desk but brushed off his repeated invitation to join him for a drink. She also reminded him that she would return in a week and it was his responsibility to make sure everything was completed. Tōshirō watched her, amazed at how easily she managed the older captain. True, Kyōraku was an unashamed flirt, but even so – she deftly deflected his advances and reminded him of his duties.
Finally, they were clear of the Eighth’s compound. Tōshirō wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or not, but he thought Nanao relaxed once they had fully left the Eighth. Fifteen minutes later, they had found seats and were eating the yakisoba. They ate in silence – neither of them seemed to know what to say.
“So,” Tōshirō began awkwardly, “I know you’ve been a lieutenant for a while – were you always with the Eighth?”
Nanao nodded. “I was expecting to be assigned to the Kidō Corps, so when I found I was to report to the Eighth after my graduation, I was surprised. I didn’t think I was someone who the Gotei would want, especially with the emphasis on the zanpakutō. All I have is my Kidō; I have some understanding of the other disciplines, but nothing I would consider exceptional. But I believe Captain Kyōraku asked for me specifically. For all his faults – which there are many – he took a special interest in me.” She shook her head. “And not just for the obvious. I think there’s something else there. I can’t explain it, but there’s something familiar about him.” She smiled. “What about you?”
“Matsumoto ran into me before I joined the Academy. I was becoming a danger to my grandmother because I couldn’t control my reiatsu. She encouraged me to apply and attend that Academy. So much came naturally to me; once they gave me the Asuachi, Hyorinmaru gave me his name. I even started to learn my bankai by the end of the year. But, yes, I joined the Tenth. Captain Shiba made me his third seat almost immediately.” He laughed. “Like you, I ended up doing all the work, then having to track down Captain Shiba.” Tōshirō’s expression became somber. “And yet, when he disappeared, I was sad. That surprised me, as I had spent most of my time complaining about him. I was more surprised whenRan suggested that I become captain instead of her. She even admitted that I’d be better suited to it. So, I think, like your Captain Kyōraku, there’s a caring side to Matsumoto.” He flushed. “That was more information than you needed – yes, I’ve been with the Tenth since I graduated.”
Nanao laughed, adjusting her glasses. “It’s fine, Captain. I admit, I know so little about most members of the Gotei. Even my own Captain – he doesn’t talk about himself all that often, surprisingly. I’ve asked Captain Ukitake about it, and all he has ever said is that my Captain has his secrets that he will share when it is time.” She paused, picking at her food. “Sometimes it becomes hard to remember that when the battle reports come in – each name was a full person.”
Tōshirō gave her a hopeful smile. “That’s why we do what we do. Those of us of the Gotei know that each battle we go into could be our last, but I always want fewer names to come in on those reports.”
“My Captain doesn’t let me go into battle if he can help it. During the final battle with Aizen, he had me working with the Kidō Corps and the Twelfth to maintain the Karakura swap. Other battles, he’s found ways to keep me out of them. The only one that was deserved was when he faced off against the Captain-Commander – the spiritual pressure was so high, I couldn’t breathe.”
Tōshirō frowned. “With your help, the paperwork should go faster.We can use the extra time to test your skills and help you train. And you are welcome to come to me for training even after this week.” He reached out, putting a hand on hers. “I don’t know why Captain Kyōraku tries so hard to keep you out of combat, but there will come a time when that won’t be an option. To have someone as powerful as you struggling when you are needed most could spell trouble for all of us.”
Nanao looked at him. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am. It may help my skills as well, Lieutenant Ise.”
“Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya.”
“Um. You may call me Tōshirō. I-If you want.” Tōshirō stammered, embarrassed, suddenly.
“Maybe next week, when I am no longer your direct subordinate. But you will have to call me Nanao, then.” She laughed, with a slight color in her cheeks.
The pair finished their dinner and returned to the Tenth’s barracks.
“Are you fine for the evening?” Tōshirō asked. What a stupid question, of course things were probably prepared for this.
“Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern. And thank you for dinner. I’m sorry that we didn’t get to review your training equipment.”
“Don’t worry about it. There will be time tomorrow. With your help, we should be able to finish any new paperwork early.” Tōshirō paused, then laughed. “It’s the first time I won’t spend most of my day wondering where my lieutenant is or dealing with her work.”
“I can understand – most of my days are similar. It’s an odd feeling, isn’t it?” Nanao shared in his laughter, feeling her anxiety fade.
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Too soon, the end of the swap neared. True to her word, Nanao had stayed away from the Eighth. Granted, she thought about it, worried about it, but Captain Hitsugaya did his best to keep her mind off of them. They had investigated all of the Tenth’s training gear. Captain Hitsugaya even had the time to talk to his varied seated officers about their training. Based on their feedback, new training gear was ordered. Nanao also helped him develop a schedule on how often each piece should be checked for wear and how often to replace.
Nanao also made suggestions on other things he could do to help the division run more effectively. He appreciated her suggestions – not all of them were viable, but even being able to discuss them and make plans to implement them was a very nice change of pace. Nanao was glad that he thought her ideas were worth considering, even if he didn’t end up taking them all. She felt useful .
Not that she wasn’t useful at the Eighth. It was just a different sort of usefulness. She also realized that in the Eighth, she always knew exactly what was going on. Here, she didn’t always, as the captain handled certain matters on his own, which initially frustrated her. She felt left out, but came to understand those were minor matters that she didn’t need to be worrying about.
On the other hand, she’d been able to participate in the training. Actual training. Captain Hitsugaya had her even spend some time with Shūtetsu Nagakiso, a zanjutsu trainer for the Tenth. She had tried to deny the offer, but the young captain mentioned that regardless of whether or not she ever got zanpakutō, learning even basic sword forms would be useful while fighting. That had been the most frustrating day of the week, as she constantly felt unprepared and far behind everyone else. But neither Captain Hitsugaya nor Nagakiso seemed to think that. She wasn’t sure, but it was possible that Captain Hitsugaya was allowing her revenge when he had her lead the Kidō training for the division the next day.
With a final look at the Tenth’s office, Nanao shut the door and made her way to the First. There had been a lieutenant’s meeting called to do a final debrief of the week. She had been expecting to be one of the first to arrive but was surprised most of the lieutenants were already around. The last two to arrive were Rukia and Momo. Once they took a seat, Chojiro started the meeting. He asked if anyone had thoughts to share. The room was immediately filled with noise as many voiced their opinions. Chojiro demanded order, forcing the room back into silence. “One at a time, if you would. I’ll start with Lieutenant Omaeda. How was the Seventh?”
One by one, each of the lieutenants gave their report. Some had new ideas to bring back. When it was her turn, Nanao told the others that she had learned a few new ways to better handle the paperwork and training schedules, but that she did miss being with the Eighth, for all the trouble that Captain Kyōraku caused her. She had learned a few things about herself as well as a result of the exchange. Once all of the reports had been given, Chojiro clapped his hands twice. “I believe this was a successful event. I do not believe that it will be repeated, but I hope that this experience has opened your minds to the possibilities that are out there. You are now to return to your original divisions. Dismissed.”
Rangiku had cornered Shūhei, who looked exhausted. He had struggled while he was with the Eleventh. “We should go out to celebrate! All of us!” she said, cheerfully. She caught Nanao’s arm. “You too, Nanao!”
“I can’t, Rangiku, I have an early day tomorrow.” Nanao decided to rescue Shūhei. “I’m supposed to be meeting with Lieutenant Hisagi early tomorrow for a story about the Academy. He knows that Captain Kyōraku has some old books from his time there.” She slipped out of Rangiku’s hold and took Shuhei’s wrist. “Perhaps some other time, Rangiku.” With a smile and a small wave, she headed for her division, her home, Shuhei still in tow.
“Thank you,” he mumbled. “I’m not really meeting you for that story, am I?”
“No. I just wanted to give you a reason why you couldn’t stay – you look tired. You can, but if you want to; we can also set something up for later this week. Besides, I probably wouldn’t be able to get Captain Kyōraku to help before noon. And you’re going to need his help if you’re planning to do anything in that squirrel’s nest he calls his quarters.”
“A squirrel’s nest?”
“Yes. Since he spends more time in the Thirteenth, he uses it more for storage than for anything else. He says he knows where everything is. Whatever system he uses is unique to him.” Nanao stopped as they reached the border between the Eighth and the Ninth. “Are you okay to make it the rest of the way?”
“Yeah. I need to check in with Captain Kensei, but then it’s directly home. Living with the Eleventh was tiring. Always having to be ready in case Kenpachi or another member of the division came looking for a fight. Mashiro seemed to enjoy it, but then, I think there was a lot of responsibility she didn't have to deal with there that we have in the Ninth. Then again, she was done with it and ready to go home after a couple of days. For as much as they argue, I think Captain Kensei and Mashiro do care for each other.”
Nanao laughed lightly. “That seemed to be the realization that most of us came to, I believe. For as much as we might complain about our Captains, we ended up missing them.”
“Does that mean my Nanao-chan missed me? Does she prefer my company to the Ice King?” Shunsui dropped down from a nearby roof.
“Were you stalking us?” Nanao questioned her captain, adjusting her glasses.
“No. I was watching the sunset from the roof when I heard your voices.”
“And how much of the paperwork is done?”
“Some of it,” Shunsui replied, looking hurt. Shūhei laughed, he couldn’t help it. Watching Nanao berate her captain was just amusing. Especially as she hadn’t stepped back into Eighth’s grounds.
“Are you sure it’s good to be back, Nanao?” Shūhei teased.
“Yes, it is.” Nanao joined in his laughter, to Shunsui’s confusion. “Have a good evening, Shūhei.”
“Yeah. And thanks again for getting me out of there. I’ll contact you about that possible story.” Shuhei gave her and Captain Kyōraku a wave as he entered the grounds of the Ninth.
“Story? What’s going on?” Shunsui asked Nanao,
“Ran was trying to get all of the lieutenants together for a celebration. Shūhei looked very tired, so I suggested that he and I needed to leave to prepare for an early interview tomorrow.” She adjusted her glasses to give her captain a glare. “Why didn’t you finish all of the paperwork?! There shouldn’t have been so much you couldn’t handle it.” She resisted the urge to grab her captain by the collar and drag him back to their office.
“It was really boring. And the weather outside has been perfect,” Shunsui explained. He followed behind his lieutenant as she walked directly to their division headquarters.
“That’s no excuse and you know it, Captain!” Nanao sighed, already exasperated. But it was comfortably familiar, unlike having a captain who helped her finish the work. And expressed interest in her abilities and wanted to see them grow. She flushed slightly as she remembered Hitsugaya’s intense stare. The way he read through each paper before starting to fill it out. How he listened intently whenever she spoke, whether it was about her captain, her thoughts about the division, or tactics. Ice King? Hardly. It was true he seemed to have trouble letting anyone in, but perhaps that was simply his desperation to prove that he was worthy of being a captain despite his age.
Maybe she would see about taking him up on his offer of continuing her training. He’d been willing to accept the idea that she’d need to be ready to fight, unlike her own captain. Captain Kyōraku seemed obsessed with keeping her out of combat. Sometimes it made sense. But with Aizen? He’d come up with some excuse on why she needed to be elsewhere, rather than on the battlefield. Was her lack of a zanpakutō that much of a hindrance? If it was, then why promote her all the way to lieutenant (other than she did his paperwork)? Why not let her go into the Kidō Corps, where her skills could be fully utilized? She would never understand her Captain.