Fortunately, he had spent some time working in the 4th Division.
Izuru Kira carefully treated Shūhei Hisagi's wounds. When he first graduated from the Shin'ō Academy, he had entered the 5th Division together with his classmates—the bun-haired girl, Momo Hinamori, and Renji Abarai.
Fresh out of the Academy, Izuru Kira had been full of ambition, determined to make something of himself. Yet no matter how hard he tried, nothing seemed to go quite right.
It wasn't really that exaggerated. After all, he had graduated from Class 1, known as the elite advancement class. Even someone as strong as Muten Natsu had only been in the slightly lower-ranked Class 2 back then.
But everything is relative. Kira was good at paperwork, yet standing next to Momo Hinamori—nicknamed the "Paperwork Tiger"—he didn't seem nearly as dependable.
His Zanjutsu was solid as well, but compared to Renji Abarai, it immediately felt less outstanding.
In the 5th Division's rescue unit, Kira lived every day on edge. His duties were tied directly to the safety of the Shinigami operating in the World of the Living. He didn't dare be careless in the slightest. Every task had to be checked and rechecked. Only after confirming it was flawless—and then confirming it once more—would he move on.
Back at the Academy, Kira had been bright and cheerful. After only a short time in the 5th Division, he had grown visibly more withdrawn.
It wasn't that he disliked the work. He simply despised the version of himself who couldn't do it perfectly.
During his time in the 5th Division, the person he admired most was its former Lieutenant, now Captain of the 3rd Division—Gin Ichimaru.
When Gin Ichimaru had still been Lieutenant of the 5th Division, supposedly assisting Captain Sōsuke Aizen, he often seemed even more idle than Aizen himself. The busiest he ever looked was probably when the persimmons in the 6th Division ripened.
How nice.
Whenever Kira saw Gin Ichimaru strolling leisurely with his hands tucked in his sleeves, lieutenant's badge hanging at his side, he couldn't help but sigh in genuine envy.
He wanted that kind of ease too. But that sort of calm wasn't something you could simply decide to have.
Thinking about the work that was coming, the work already on his desk but unfinished, and the work he had completed but wasn't sure was truly error-free, his heart would sink one moment and leap into his throat the next.
Forget feeling relaxed from the bottom of his heart—Kira couldn't even pretend to be.
The more he compared himself to others, the more miserable he became. Just as he was reaching his limit, Sōsuke Aizen discovered his talent for Kaidō. After discussing it with him, Aizen transferred him to the 4th Division.
That was when he first came into contact with Muten Natsu.
He had heard of him before, of course. A classmate from Class 2 who was always sleeping in. Before enrolling, he had lived in the 4th Division. During his Academy years, he still lived in the 4th Division. After graduation, he continued to live there.
His name was Muten Natsu. But at some point, aside from the 11th Division, people had begun secretly calling him Muten Unohana.
He was genuinely lazy.
Most of the time, Kira barely interacted with him.
Because whenever Kira saw Muten Natsu, he was almost always asleep.
Sleeping along the veranda. Sleeping under a tree. Sleeping on a stone in the courtyard.
Even when the ward was full of the wounded, Muten Natsu would still be sleeping.
It wasn't until Kira started handling the 4th Division's paperwork that he learned the truth—Muten Natsu didn't know Kaidō at all. But when it came to paperwork, he was exceptional. He handled nearly all of the 4th Division's documents and was known as the "Dragon of the 4th Division's Paperwork."
The last person to be called the "Dragon of Paperwork" had been Captain Sōsuke Aizen of the 5th Division.
Kira had once seen Muten Natsu working. It was nothing like his usual lazy demeanor. In work mode, Muten Natsu was like a machine without emotion. The mountain of documents piled high on his desk would disappear by more than half in the blink of an eye.
Being able to process that many documents in such a short time was impressive.
But somehow, being able to let them pile up until the day before the deadline and then clear them all at once seemed even more impressive.
With Muten Natsu in the 4th Division, there was never any need to worry about paperwork. Kira was freed from administrative duties and could focus entirely on improving his Kaidō.
And yet, his gloom didn't ease. If anything, it grew heavier by the day.
Facing severely injured squad members again and again, he inevitably encountered situations where his abilities weren't enough. No matter how hard he trained his Kaidō, there were still people he couldn't save.
That feeling of helplessness made him miss his old days buried in paperwork.
Later, Gin Ichimaru became Captain of the 3rd Division. When it came time to choose a Lieutenant, he sought out Izuru Kira.
Kira agreed without hesitation.
When Gin Ichimaru asked Izuru Kira about his dream, Kira had originally wanted to say that he admired the kind of leisurely life Gin Ichimaru seemed to lead.
But that would have sounded a little too flattering, so he mentioned Muten Natsu instead.
["I want to become someone as carefree as Muten Natsu."]
Gin Ichimaru smiled at his answer.
["He only looks carefree, you know."]
According to Gin Ichimaru, Muten Natsu was nothing like a truly carefree person.
In his view, people who appeared relaxed were often pushing themselves forward in directions no one else could see.
Because they had goals they absolutely had to achieve, they simply paid less attention to everything else around them.
Kira didn't really understand what Gin Ichimaru meant.
But that didn't stop him from listening.
If his captain himself seemed so at ease, and understood why others were the same, then as long as Kira followed his orders and fulfilled his duties as Lieutenant properly, he should eventually be able to relax as well.
After working conscientiously for some time, Kira heard that Muten Natsu had been imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots.
It meant that although Muten Natsu hadn't committed any explicit crime, his abilities were undeniably dangerous.
Only then did Kira truly realize that Muten Natsu really had been moving toward some unknown goal all along.
But what was that direction?
Muten Natsu had killed Takuma Tsunayashiro. He had killed Kaien Shiba. After being thrown into prison, he broke out. After escaping, he slaughtered the Noble Guard. He survived execution, was locked in Muken, and then killed the Central 46...
The more Kira thought about it, the less he could understand where Muten Natsu was headed.
He couldn't even comprehend how that lazy, perpetually drowsy man had become something so terrifying.
The 4th Division's senior medical unit arrived, thanked Kira for the emergency treatment, and carried away the unconscious Shūhei Hisagi.
"Renji Abarai..." Kira looked at the man beside him. "What is Muten Natsu… trying to do?"
"He…" Renji Abarai opened his mouth, Sōsuke Aizen's words echoing in his mind. "He is…"
"It's my fault."
A calm, unhurried voice cut in as Gin Ichimaru appeared without a sound.
"If I had been able to handle Muten Natsu, Hisagi wouldn't have been injured."
"Captain Ichimaru!"
Kira's right eye, the one not hidden by his blond hair, lit up. In moments like this, nothing was more reassuring than seeing his own captain.
"Judging from the wound, Muten Natsu has probably already obtained Bokukō. If he releases both blades, even some captains won't be able to deal with him."
Gin Ichimaru gave a small beckoning gesture.
"Izuru Kira. Come with me."
"Yes."
Without the slightest hesitation, Kira followed Gin Ichimaru.
Though he still didn't understand Muten Natsu's true goal, Kira had already found his own direction.
To become the best Lieutenant he could be, and to carry out every task entrusted to him by his captain with absolute loyalty.
"Captain Ichimaru…"
Watching Gin Ichimaru's back as he walked ahead, Kira recalled their earlier conversation.
If Muten Natsu's composure came from a hidden objective…
Then what about Captain Ichimaru?
"What is it?"
"What's your goal, then?"
Gin Ichimaru paused mid-step and looked back with a smile. "Good question, Izuru. Have you ever lost something? No… has something ever been taken from you?"
Izuru Kira had lost things before, yes, but no one had ever snatched anything from him. He'd started to nod, but at Gin Ichimaru's added question, the motion turned into a shake of his head.
Losing something and having something taken weren't the same at all.
One was your own carelessness. The other was helplessness.
Gin Ichimaru laughed at the way Kira's head bobbed back and forth. "When something that should've been yours gets taken away, it feels awful."
"Has something been taken from you, Captain Ichimaru?" A sense of mission swelled in Kira's chest. As Lieutenant, it was his job to get back whatever his captain had lost.
"Nope."
"Huh?"
Gin Ichimaru kept walking, hands tucked in his sleeves. "I'm talking about someone else."
Someone else…
Muten Natsu?
The captain wasn't answering the question Kira had just asked. He was answering the question Kira had asked Renji Abarai earlier.
Kira shook his head.
No—Captain Ichimaru had answered both.
Muten Natsu was trying to reclaim something that had been taken from him.
And Captain Ichimaru… was trying to protect what was his, so no one could take it away.
Renji Abarai had wanted to say a few more words to Kira, but Gin Ichimaru's sudden appearance made him clamp his mouth shut.
Momo Hinamori looked at him with concern. "Renji, are you worried about something?"
"Huh…? Ah?" Renji Abarai shook his head. "N-no… I'm fine…"
"You're friends with Muten, right? And Rukia too."
It was the second time he'd been asked that. "Yeah."
"I know it hurts," Momo Hinamori said softly, "but I don't think things are beyond saving yet."
"What?"
"I just noticed something," Momo Hinamori whispered. "There are signs Captain Hisagi's wounds were treated. Some of them have already started closing."
Her voice grew even quieter, like she was afraid the air itself might overhear.
"Muten came to save Rukia, not to kill people. Captain Aizen used to tell me all the time that Muten is a good person, and that everything he did before, he was forced into. I don't really understand it either, but… if you run into him, I think you should talk to him properly. Maybe things could get a little better."
"Yeah." Renji Abarai nodded, remembering what Sōsuke Aizen had told him earlier. "By the way, Hinamori… these past few days, Captain Aizen…"
Sōsuke Aizen's voice echoed in his ears.
["Someone is definitely plotting something. I've got a really bad feeling, Abarai. If I…"]
Someone was plotting something. Aizen had a bad feeling.
Knowing too much…
Did someone want him to shut up for good?
"What's wrong with the captain?" Momo Hinamori pressed, alarmed.
"He might have some things on his mind," Renji Abarai said, then shook his head, realizing that still didn't sound serious enough. "He might be in danger."
"Danger?!" Momo Hinamori blurted out. "Why? Is it because of the Ryoka?"
"It's not the Ryoka, it's…" Renji Abarai almost kept going, then caught himself. If she knew too much, she could end up in danger too. "Just… be careful, okay?"
Afraid he'd let something slip if she kept questioning him, Renji Abarai hurried off.
"Why did you stop halfway…" Momo Hinamori puffed her cheeks. "If you know, just tell me."
A voice spoke from behind her.
"If he told you, you'd probably be in danger too."
"Wah!" Momo Hinamori jumped.
She spun around and saw a figure in the 10th Division captain's haori: silver hair, green eyes, and a long Zanpakutō strapped across his back. He was even a little shorter than she was.
The 10th Division Captain—Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
Momo Hinamori was the 5th Division's Lieutenant. Their ranks were worlds apart, yet back in Rukongai, they'd been friends since they were little.
Momo Hinamori had entered the Shin'ō Academy five years before Tōshirō Hitsugaya enrolled.
Before she'd even graduated, Tōshirō Hitsugaya had already achieved Shikai and finished the Academy ahead of her.
She'd once thought that after becoming a Shinigami, she'd be the one looking out for him.
In the blink of an eye, it had become the other way around.
"Sh—Shiro-chan!"
"Hey." Tōshirō Hitsugaya crossed his arms and tilted his head up, staring at her eyes still glistening with tears. "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm a captain now. Calling me that isn't really appropriate anymore."
"Oh, stop it!" Momo Hinamori waved her hands in protest. "Honestly! Why do all captains walk around without making a sound?!"
Then she realized something and looked him over again. With the Ryoka invading, the 10th Division Captain of the patrol and security unit should have been swamped.
"Shiro, what are you doing here?"
She glanced around, not seeing that voluptuous blonde woman anywhere.
"You didn't even bring your Lieutenant…"
"…" Tōshirō Hitsugaya averted his gaze. He had followed Gin Ichimaru here, and he'd deliberately come alone. If his Lieutenant's strength wasn't enough, she might get noticed by Gin instead.
"I came to give you a warning," he said at last. "Be careful of the 3rd Division."
"Huh? The 3rd Division?" Momo Hinamori blinked. "You mean Kira? Why?"
"I mean Ichimaru." Tōshirō Hitsugaya shook his head. "But keep an eye on Kira too. He doesn't really have a mind of his own…"
He didn't want to get dragged into whatever was going on between Sōsuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru.
But Momo Hinamori was Sōsuke Aizen's Lieutenant, and she was also Izuru Kira's classmate.
If things escalated, she was almost certainly going to be pulled into it.