Bleach | The Hungering, the Thirst [HIATUS]

4 | Butterflies and Snakes

"Hey, Ōmatsu."

Ryoichi jolted, only halfway out the door when the 3rd seat stopped her. She'd been hoping to sneak out before Ikkaku lumped her in with the other men and their tedious chores. "Hn, yeah?" She asked, pivoting around to face the bald man.

"You can join Nakagawa and Hoji in sweeping the side paths along the southern storage units. They're a man down. First morning patrol hasn't come back yet."

From somewhere in the crowd of men putting on their sandals came a strangled gasp.

"Sure," Ryoichi said with a reluctant nod. She'd do as he asked but she was going to get herself a fan first, paths could wait. Of course, she wasn't going to tell anyone that. They'd only make a fuss about it.

"Good," hummed Ikkaku. "Nakagawa, Ryoichi will tag along with you for the day."

'Wait, the whole day?! But I'll melt out in this heat!'

"Yes, Ikkaku," groaned the walking tree, still salty about loosing his fight with the woman. He trudged up to Ryoichi with whom she presumed was Hoji, a stout man with a scruffy goatee. "Come on then, Ōmatsu. We'll pick up some brooms and— eh?"

She'd seen it too. The flutter of black wings, a jigokuchō (hell butterfly).

"Oi, Ikkaku-san," called Nakagawa. "I think there's a message for you."

"Ah, never mind, it's for me," interrupted Ryoichi who'd held out her hand when it attempted to land on her. "Hm? Looks like you'll have to go without me. Head Captain wants to see me." Well wasn't that a relief. Talk about divine intervention.

Ikkaku came over to see for himself. "Then you're off the hook. What would the Head Captain want with you?" He was genuinely curious. Not just anyone got called to meet Captain Yamamoto Genryusai.

There weren't a whole lot of reasons Ryoichi could think of so it most likely had to do with wanting to see how she'd progressed with her training at the old kido observatory. She'd only met him a few times in the past and the last had been before she was sent away. "I dunno, probably wants to have tea or something," Ryoichi jested, pulling a face. The jigokūcho's message had been vague.

"You're having tea with the Captain Commander!?" Screeched Nakagawa.

"Hah?" Ryoichi frowned. "Of course not idiot, I was joking."

"Then why would he want to see you in person!?" Nakagawa thundered up to her face and leaned down so close their noses were almost touching. "Are you sure that message wasn't meant for Captain Zaraki!?"

"Of course I'm sure, I'm not a moron," she retorted, becoming annoyed with his loud screaming and lack of personal space. "What's it matter 'why' anyway? If I'm being summoned then I'm being summoned— now get outta my way you weakling before I turn you into dog shit!" Ryoichi didn't wait for Nakagawa to move at all and just swatted him with the back of her arm, practically blasting the poor guy into one of the open doors which nearly came off it's hinges.

Ikkaku could only look on in stunned bewilderment at the bizarre exchange. Ryoichi had gone from zero to one hundred so fast that he forgot how to speak.

"OH MAI GAD!" Suddenly cried Hori in profound shock. "That crazy woman broke his ribs! Oi, Nakagawa-san! Can you hear me?! Say something! Oi!"

"P-p-p-p-pain!"

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She sat awkwardly before Captain Yamamoto on the other side of the table, listening to the sounds of an old grandfather clock ticking away and the soft percussion of the tea ceremony.