The First Day, a bleach fanfic

Disclaimer: Not mine. Idea is mine, but it's probably wrong.

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The First Day

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Matsumoto Rangiku wasn't happy. She'd been dragged out of bed early that morning, rushed all around Seireitei, gotten lost and didn't have a single bit of sake on her person. Not a good start to a Saturday.

She'd been sent out to meet the new captain that had been assigned to her division since the old one had retired from active duty. Unfortunately she'd managed to get herself lost and couldn't find her way to the main tenth division office. Stopping, she pulled a note out from the pocket of her kimono that had been shoved at her by the 5th seat who had delivered the message. "Matsumoto Rangiku, rank: lieutenant, report to the Tenth Division office at 9 AM Saturday morning to greet the new captain of the Gotei Thirteen Division Ten, Hitsugaya Toushirou." She read aloud to herself, looking around vainly for something that would let her know where she was. It shouldn't have been so hard to get to the office if it weren't for the fact that when she was sleep deprived she became as directionally challenged as the 11th squad captain.

After about ten minutes of walking, turning corners and attempting use the sun to determine which direction she was supposed to be headed, three young shinigami ran past her. By the looks of it, they were just out of the Academy. "Oi," She called out. "What squad are you guys?" The three trembled as they looked at her. "Umm, pardon us, fukutaichou-dono, we didn't mean to be so late, we just-" The first one spoke up.

Matsumoto waived her hand. "What squad are you?"

"Thirteenth squad, fukutaichou." Another one spoke up. Matsumoto placed a hand on her forehead. "So, do any of you by any chance know which way is tenth squad office?"

The three pointed to Matsumoto's left. The opposite direction she had been heading. "Thanks," She said absent-mindedly. The three young ones watched her head off, and then ran off in the direction they had been going before, amazed they had gotten off so easily.

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"Matsumoto Rangiku, correct?"

Matsumoto swung around and came face to face with…. No one. "Umm…"

"Please don't make me say 'down here.'" An irritable voice responded. Matsumoto lowered her gaze and rested her eyes on a boy. He didn't look to be older than ten or eleven by human standards. His hair was bright white, and his turquoise eyes were penetrating. "Oh. Hey, kid." She yawned. "What do you need?"

The boy's eyebrow twitched. "Excuse me?"

Matsumoto blinked. "Are you supposed to be here?" She knelt down on one knee, which seemed to irritate the boy even more. "Don't you need an escort or something if you're coming from the academy? What year are you? I can take you back to an instructor."

"Instructor? I graduated from the academy years ago. You are Matsumoto Rangiku, right?"

"Yeah, Tenth division lieutenant." She beamed. "Come on, I'll take you to the station."

"I can get there myself, thank you, considering I am the captain." The boy retorted. Matsumoto raised an eyebrow. "You're the captain? It's a cute dream, kid, but we should probably get you to the academy so you have a good chance of joining the Gotei thirteen in the first place, ok?" She smiled and offered her hand. "If you come with me, you can even meet my new taichou with me. You'd like that, right?"

"I am your taichou!"

Matsumoto laughed. "Come on, kid, let's go." She grabbed his hand and pulled him along behind her. "Hey! Get off! Matsumoto!"

"Come on! Don't make me use the Way of Binding on you," She teased. She had had a teacher threaten her with that on more than one occasion when she was in the academy.

"Kidou? You think I don't know how to counter kidou? You ignorant-"

Matsumoto dropped his arm. "Don't speak to a vice-captain that way." She scolded.

"I'll speak to you however I choose."

"You'll have trouble getting any good recommendations if you don't have any respect for your elders."

The boy was obviously irritated beyond belief. "My elders? I'm your captain!"

"I'm sure you are. Now let's see… which way is…"

"That way," The kid pointed. "Then take another left. Why don't you know your way to your own station?"

Matsumoto laughed. "Of course I know the way! How would you know, then?"

"I'm the captain of the 10th division!"

"I'm sure you are. What's your name, kid?"

"It's 'taichou'."

"Your name is 'Taichou'?" Matsumoto said disbelievingly with a slight scowl in her voice. The boy groaned. "My name is Hitsugaya Toshirou, but to you it's Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Hold on, that name sounds familiar…" Matsumoto said, stopping.

"It's because this morning you got a little sheet of paper that said to come meet the new captain of the tenth division, 'Hitsugaya Toushirou'." The boy explained, exasperation obvious in his voice.

"Hey, you're right! That's the name of the new captain, too!"

"I am the new captain!"

There was a sudden sound of a breeze and a new figure arrived between the two. "Matsumoto-san, I was supposed to come find you, my captain was wondering-" Kira Izuru began after appearing out of nowhere next to the pair via shunpo. Matsumoto jumped. "Kira! Don't startle me like that!"

"I'm sorry, Matsumoto-san, I-" He stopped suddenly. "Fukutaichou-dono, who's this kid with this sort of reiatsu?" He whispered at the older woman. Matsumoto blinked at the young officer. He'd only joined the Gotei thirteen a few years ago along with his class, but he was already a 4th seat officer along with two others in his level. "Oh, him? It's just a kid from the academy who's lost." She replied happily.

"I'm not lost!"

"I was just taking him back to the station so he could get back to his classes-"

"Matsumoto-dono, I think… I do not believe that this boy—I mean," He corrected himself seeing the white haired boy's eyebrow twitch violently. "He- is from the academy." Kira said uncertainly. Matsumoto blinked in confusion for the umpteenth time that day. "Thank you, Kira." The boy replied coolly. "Matsumoto Rangiku, you were supposed to report to my office at nine o'clock this morning, and it is now 10 past noon."

"So, you really- wait. Kira, this kid is my new taichou?"

Kira nodded nervously. The boy crossed his arms and nodded. Matsumoto grinned. "Why didn't you say so? Come on, taichou!" The boy's expression changed from scowling annoyance to surprise. "Let's go to the station," The woman continued. "I feel like some sake right about now, care to join me?" She grabbed the boy's arms and began to drag him towards the tenth squad office. She looked back over her shoulder. "You can come too, Kira!" She called.

"M-matsumoto!" The boy exclaimed.

"You wouldn't believe the day I've been having, taichou. I had to wake up early, they wouldn't even let me do anything before I had to come find you…"

Hitsugaya Toushirou sighed as he was dragged along by his new vice captain. If he was going to have to put up with her for the rest of the next century, he wasn't sure he could keep his sanity.

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"Matsumoto…" He muttered under his breath as he watched his auburn haired lieutenant crouched on the ground below him, blocking Ichimaru's attack on Hinamori.

"My deepest apologies." She began rather shakily. "I was heading to headquarters as you ordered, but I came back when I sensed Hyourinmaru's reitasu. Please put down your sword, Ichimaru-taichou. If you do not stand down, I will fight you from here on."

Once again, Hitsugaya Toushirou found himself happy that she was his lieutenant.

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A/N- My first attempt at writing Matsumoto. I hope I didn't make her seem too airheaded and oblivious, but this is what I think would happen the first time she found out Hitsugaya was her captain. She treats him with a lot of respect I know, but she's pretty informal with him too, so I think their interactions work here, especially since she has no idea a kid (forgive me) is her captain. And Kira's in here cause he's Matsu's drinking buddy.

-Nilmiel