The gates of Squad 5 barracks stood open, yet the air within felt strangely dead to Harry. It was as if he was walking into a graveyard where even the trees, shrubs, and blades of grass were in perpetual mourning, with a dark cloud hanging over their heads. He had heard his share of rumours from Rangiku about Lieutenant Momo, about how she was the most affected by Aizen's betrayal.
Harry paused just beyond the entrance of the gate, his newly issued captain's haori settling against his shoulders. The white cloth fluttered lightly in the morning breeze, its sleeves embroidered with the fifth division's insignia. To most shinigami, the haori was a symbol of authority and the highest rank in the military arm of Soul Society. To Harry, in that moment, it felt like a robe of responsibility he was not yet ready for. After all, he had the difficult task of preparing Squad 5 for war.
'Yet, I must take this head-on and clean up the mess made by Aizen.' Harry mused, resolving himself to confront the difficult path that lay ahead.
Inside the courtyard, dozens of shinigami stood in ordered ranks as Harry walked in.
Seated officers formed the front lines. Behind them, unseated members waited in disciplined silence. Their uniforms were immaculate, their posture formal—but the confidence that should've been there as a cohesive unit was lacking. A casual screening of the spiritual pressure from the assembled soul reapers revealed to Harry how doubt, fear, and despair were weakening the seated officers. Then his senses fell on Lieutenant Hinamori, who stood at the front, and all his concerns became valid immediately.
He could feel how weak Lieutenant Hinamori was by observing the feeble cohesion of her spiritual pressure. In fact, he could hear the faint screams of her Zanpakuto as her own power remained in conflict with itself.
Harry couldn't understand how a spiritually sensitive being like a soul reaper could ignore the conflict in one's soul.
'Not everyone is so attached to their Zanpakuto like you are.' Amaterasu said with an amused overtone from his inner world.
'I'm not attached.' Harry immediately denied it.
'Tell yourself that. I know the truth.' Amaterasu said with a chuckle.
Harry became slightly sombre. The truth was that he had very little social life outside his Zanpakuto and, recently, Rangiku. The fact that his Zanpakuto reminded him so much of his mother also helped.
'You know, I'm not your mother.' Amaterasu said gently. 'I'm an indivisible part of your own soul.'
'I know.' Harry whispered back. 'But as you well know, what the mind thinks and the heart feels are different.'
Amaterasu fell silent at that.
Knowing and feeling were two different things. His Zanpakuto reminded him a lot of Lily Potter and what he imagined his mother would've been like.
Shaking those thoughts away, Harry confronted the Squad 5 assembled beyond the gate.
As he walked in past the gate, he could feel the confidence level of the squad plummet to new lows. He could feel it in the subdued reiatsu, in the cautious glances exchanged between the seated officers, in the way many of them avoided looking directly at him.
'And to think I once considered Squad 5 one of the best squads right after Squad 1.' Harry mused.
He had nearly joined Squad 5 at Aizen's insistence after he graduated from the Shin'o Academy. It was only luck that his application to join Squad 1 was accepted, paving the way for what was likely a very different future. Looking back, he felt lucky to have escaped whatever scheme Aizen was cooking with him.
At the centre of the formation stood Lieutenant Hinamori, her back straight and her hands folded neatly before her. Her expression was composed, but Harry could see the strain beneath it. There was a subtle tension in her shoulders, a guardedness in her eyes and her spiritual pressure was in shambles.
Harry walked forward slowly, his footsteps making no sound. He stopped at the front of the gathered squad members.
For a few seconds, he said nothing as he observed them. The longer the silence dragged he could see some of them were sweating bullets.
"I'm Captain Harry. Many of you know me as the Lieutenant of Squad 13." Harry said. "As of today, I'm in command of Squad 5 and the Kido Corps."
He straightened as he stared at the faces of his subordinates. Though he understood their plight, he believed it was time to let the past go and look to the future.
"I know what this division has endured."
A faint ripple moved through the crowd as many downtrodden faces lifted ever so lightly.
"I know that your former captain, Aizen Sosuke, betrayed not only the Gotei 13 but also deceived this squad more deeply than any other. He abused your loyalty. He exploited your trust. And he left behind doubt where there should have been confidence and duty."
Hinamori's fingers tightened almost faintly against her own hand.
Harry noticed the subtle shift.
"I will not pretend that wounds like that vanish with time," he continued. "They do not. They linger. They shape how you see yourselves. They make you hesitant to trust."
His gaze swept across the assembled soul reapers.
"None of you were weak for believing in him. None of you was foolish for trusting your captain." Harry said clearly. "Because guess what, no one saw through his deception. None of us knew exactly who Aizen Sosuke was. He played his role perfectly and let me emphasise it was a role."
"You were loyal to your captain. You were devoted to serving your captain to the best of your abilities. You were doing exactly what soldiers of the Gotei 13 were meant to do." Harry continued. "The fault was his alone, for he never valued your dedication, loyalty and perseverance. He abused his position for his personal needs and has challenged the Gotei 13 to war."
A ripple of unease spread through the ranks.
"When the war comes," Harry continued, "the Fifth Division cannot afford to be hesitant. It cannot afford to doubt itself. And it certainly cannot afford to be remembered as 'Aizen's squad.'"
His eyes sharpened as he surveyed the crowd, committing many faces to memory as he noticed spikes in their spirit energy.
"You are not his legacy. You are the soul reapers of the Gotei 13, the force that keeps the balance in the spirit realm."
Harry felt a noticeable shift in the spiritual power of the assembled soul reapers. Though he still felt they were hardly ready to function as a cohesive unit, he felt there was some hope.
"From this day forward, my first priority is the restoration of this division to handle its prescribed duties in the World of the Living. I shall also be working closely with each of you to increase the combat readiness of the squad in preparation for the war to come."
"We will become a proper fighting force again. One worthy of standing beside the strongest divisions in the Gotei 13. One worthy of the trust of Head Captain Yamamoto, who shall lead us in battle against the traitors who have so callously challenged us."
The mention of Yamamoto's name seemed to straighten several spines.
"To that end," Harry said, "I am instituting a full reevaluation of all seated positions."
A ripple of surprise passed through the ranks.
"This is not a punishment," he clarified. "It is a necessity, as I do not know you and you do not know me."
He folded his hands behind his back.
"Over the next three days, every officer will be assessed in combat capability, leadership potential, tactical knowledge, and teamwork. Promotions and reassignments will be made where necessary."
Most of them looked anxious. But a few faces showed determination, and that gave Harry hope.
"That process begins immediately," Harry added. "Rebuilding the squad into a proper fighting force will take time. But I will stand with you in that process. I will train with you and fight beside you as one of you. All I ask is your cooperation, your honesty and your resolve."
The seated officers fell to their knees with their heads bowed while Lieutenant Hinamori stepped forward and fell to a knee, mimicking the rest of the squad.
"Captain Harry. Squad 5 will follow your lead." Lieutenant Hinamori said with her head bowed.
Harry watched them for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. His work was just starting.
"Rise and be at ease." Harry said.
The introductions were over, and now Harry had the task of whipping up the squad into a war footing.
"Walk with me, Lieutenant." Harry ordered, his eyes straying to the woman briefly before falling on the squad barracks as he walked into the building.
"Yes, Captain."
As Hinamori trailed after him, the rest of the seated officers rose to their feet and dispersed. Once they were in the official residence of the Captain of Squad 5, he went straight to the office after a brief look around his quarters.
The room was spacious, just as he remembered, furnished with many of the finest wooden tables, shelves holding records, and wide windows overlooking the inner gardens. The silverware and tea kettles neatly set up on the shelves left the traces of Aizen and his mannerisms.
"I'm sorry, Captain Harry. We were only notified of your promotion just a few minutes ago. We didn't have much time to transfer your belongings to the office." Lieutenant Hinamori said, looking apologetic.
Harry waved off that concern while noticing how uncomfortable his lieutenant was upon entering her former captain's office.
"I'm also coming to terms with the reality of Aizen's betrayal. Standing in this office, I feel a sense of ill as I struggle with what I know about the man now and what I thought I knew then." Harry said, lying through his teeth.
If anything, he only felt a sense of betrayal and hatred for Aizen Sosuke for playing him the fool. He had held the man in high regard during his academy days. Knowing now that Aizen had used his trust to put one of his subordinates in mortal danger was something he'd never forgive. It was reason enough for Harry to harbour murderous intent toward that traitorous cur.
But he masked all of that while addressing Lieutenant Hinamori. He didn't know all the details about their relationship, but he did remember Rangiku gossiping about how Hinamori used to worship Aizen because the man had saved her life once. It was one of those things Harry hoped to get clarity on from Rangiku when he had time.
An hour back, he wouldn't have bothered to learn more about Lieutenant Hinamori. But now, he was pretty much saddled with the woman for the time being unless he found a capable Shinigami to replace her. But the chances of that happening were slim.
So, he wanted as little friction between them as possible. Therefore, Harry decided to approach the woman as a relatable soul wounded by the betrayal of someone he respected. He disliked such emotional manipulation, but he was testing the waters and wanted the squad to function smoothly. The last thing he wanted was to be bogged down by being out of sync with his immediate subordinates.
Hinamori stood in his office, her head bowed low. But that didn't mean he was immune to her state of mind. He could feel the rapid, self-destructive fluctuations in her spiritual pressure.
"Squad 5's recovery is dependent on you as much as it is on me," Harry said, startling his Lieutenant.
Hinamori looked up with a surprise written on her face.
"I…?"
"You have been in Squad 5 since graduation, yes?" Harry asked, not out of curiosity but to build a meaningful conversation.
"Yes, Captain." Hinamori nodded.
"So, you know this squad better than anyone. Its strengths and weaknesses."
Hinamori blinked as if she were hearing this for the first time. She then nodded hesitantly.
"What is the status of our squad?" Harry asked.
"Our Kido proficiency is still high and we have often lent members to the Kido Corps. Our field deployment in the World of the Living has suffered considerably after… after…" Hinamori stuttered.
"Aizen's betrayal." Harry provided, while internally sighing at his Lieutenant's mental state.
"Y…yes, Captain. We have eight seated officers with access to their shikai. Four seated officers are good hakuda specialists…"
As Hinamori described Squad 5's strengths and weaknesses, Harry listened keenly. He quickly concluded that Hinamori was a skilled organiser at the very least, as she methodically and passionately spoke about her fellow soul reapers in the squad.
"Morale is fragile among the squad members. Many are still in shock at the depth of his betrayal."
Hinamori looked down with closed eyes.
"Myself included."
"You were manipulated," Harry said patiently, staring at his subordinate with a pointed look, "by someone exceptionally skilled at deception. And need I remind you that the entire Gotei 13 was duped, so I think it's time you stopped blaming yourself. We cannot change the past, but we can do something about the future."
Harry took a deep breath as he took on an authoritative posture.
"Defeating Aizen… protecting Soul Society from him—that is our duty more than anyone else's. As Squad 5, our primary enemy should be Aizen Sosuke and his two traitorous accomplices. When the war comes, we must be ready to redeem ourselves by bringing the fight to him and his allies."
Hinamori straightened and nodded emphatically.
"I'll need a detailed assessment of each seated officer. I'll need their academy records, deployment reports, and their own personal remarks."
"I can have all that you ask presented in three days, Captain." Hinamori said.
"Good." Harry nodded sharply. "For now, I want you to arrange a meeting with all the available seated officers. I also need a report on the Squad's current disposition in our day-to-day commitments."
He watched Hinamori exit his office, and only then did he relax a bit.
'So, that leaves me with the Kido Corps.' Harry thought with a dull look at the pile of unchecked files on his table.
At least, on the matter of the Kido Corps, he was somewhat familiar, as he had some acquaintances with many of its members. From what he had seen so far, they were a well-polished fighting force comprised of barrier teams and sealing experts. Even without Aizen, the Kido Corps could function at optimum capacity. For some reason, the man hadn't turned it into a group of emotionally vulnerable rabble like Squad 5.
Harry moved away from the window and sat behind his desk. He took the first file on the table.
'Okay, let's see whether I can trim some workload and move the wheel of bureaucracy.' Harry mused as he took on the first file on the table.
*******
The upside of being a Captain was that you could delegate some day-to-day work to subordinates, as long as it required no direct supervision. For example, it was not strictly necessary for Harry to oversee his squad members' training. This could be something he could delegate, and yet he did show up to watch some of them training in zanjutsu. The total number of soul reapers under his command was 285, to be exact, a number that topped every other division in the Gotei 13 except for Squad 2.
The clash of steel and the grunts of his subordinates echoed through Squad 5's training yard. He discreetly went through the process of assessing the current zanjutsu capabilities of various soul reapers under his command. Occasionally, he made a note in his personal notebook, observing the skill level of his subordinates. While he had reserved a detailed assessment of his squad's capabilities for another day, he was looking at the unseated members at random for those who stood out.
With a larger pool of soul reapers in his squad, all thanks to Aizen's popularity among recruits from the Shino Academy, Harry was betting on finding those with better skills and a better knowledge base in the squad. He had already identified a couple of soul reapers with better zanjutsu skills, and with a tailored training regimen, he hoped to advance their technique.
'A strong zanjutsu base always helps in understanding oneself.' Harry mused.
The asauchi gifted to soul reapers upon becoming a student in the Academy was not a simple weapon. It begins to sync with the spiritual energy of the soul reaper, becoming another limb. It helps in channelling spirit energy in battle, which in turn leads to unlocking the shikai of a Zanpakuto.
He also kept a close eye on Hinamori as she trained in the yard with his other subordinates. It has been a few days since he took charge, and so far, his lieutenant has held strong. He kept her engaged in work and training, preventing her from wallowing in self-pity.
So far, his strategy was working and ever so slowly, Squad 5 was coming together. Among the many crimes Aizen had committed in Soul Society, the two most heinous crimes were messing with the heads of his subordinates and stealing a year's worth of tea from Squad 5. Harry was cut off from some good old tea, and he was supposed to go through a mountain of paperwork in parallel to preparing the squad for the coming war.
If anything, this ludicrous thievery only reinforced Harry's belief that Aizen needed to have a Zanpakuto shoved through his black heart.
The nerve of that madman for stealing tea of all things!
If everything went as smoothly as he hoped, he planned to complete the rejigging of the seated positions within the week. The information he had as a Captain also made him accelerate the process as quickly as possible.
To make matters worse, he had received a hell butterfly early in the morning, informing him of a situation developing in the World of the Living. He was not surprised to learn this ongoing event, whatever it was supposed to be, was happening in Karakura Town. He got the feeling fate had a new bitch, and that bitch's name was Ichigo Kurosaki. The kid seemed to have worse luck than him, which was saying something. Trouble seemed to be gunning towards the kid with a vengeance and relentlessness that made Harry cringe.
The information he received gave him a vague picture of what was going on. Somehow, a spatial anomaly was developing near Karakura Town, and an unknown enemy was utilising it to wage a shadow war against Soul Society. The whole thing started with a failed joint mission between Squad 2 and Squad 12, resulting in the decimation of an entire Onmitsukido team. They had no idea who the enemy was or how they bypassed the natural defences of the Dangai.
Once those questions were answered, Harry knew the Gotei 13 would move in full force. For now, he wasn't expected to do anything other than keep Squad 5 in reserve and the Kido Corps on high alert.
"Not bad for a few days' work, Captain Harry."
A familiar voice spoke from behind him in a playful tone.
He turned around to see Rangiku standing behind, her golden hair catching the afternoon sunlight. Her hands were on her hips, and her honey-blonde hair fanned down the side of her shoulder as she wore a beaming smile.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack." Harry said with a twitch of his lips.
"That's a terrible way to greet someone who came all the way here just to congratulate you." Rangiku pouted.
"You came to congratulate me?" Harry asked with a slight twitch of his lips.
"Well," she said, scratching her cheek with a thoughtful look, "that… and to complain."
"Complain about what?" Harry asked with a raised brow.
Her expression immediately sharpened with theatrical outrage.
"You got promoted to captain and didn't treat me!" Rangiku yelled, pointing a finger at his face.
"Treat you?" Harry blinked in surprise.
"Yes!" Rangiku declared, placing her hands firmly on her hips once again. "Promotion means celebration. Celebration means food and sake. And yet I have received nothing."
"I've been busy," Harry said quickly. "with restructuring the positions, assigning duties, reports for the Head Captain…"
"Excuses," Rangiku huffed with narrowed eyes. "Totally weak excuses."
"It's been only a few days since I took charge." Harry said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Exactly," Rangiku said. "Which means you still have time to fix your mistake."
"And how do I do that?" Harry asked suspiciously, already getting an idea where she was going with this.
"Take me out on a date," she said bluntly, throwing him a challenging look.
For a moment, he simply stared at her in wonder. He couldn't understand why a woman like Rangiku was really coming after him. He was shy and moody half the time, and the rest of the time, he threw himself into his work to keep busy. As his self-worth issues flared up, Harry tried to purge his mind of those thoughts and focus on what was in front of him.
He felt a faint approval rising from the depths of his soul, where Amaterasu rested.
Rangiku watched him carefully, the teasing glint in her eyes softening into something warmer.
"Well?" she asked.
Harry exhaled slowly as he tentatively decided not to be unkind to the woman who treated him kindly.
"Fine." he muttered.
"Really?" Rangiku's eyebrows lifted in surprise
"You did help me during the Bount incident… and technically I do owe you for distracting Ichigo and the others." Harry said awkwardly, feeling a tad embarrassed.
"That's the spirit!" Rangiku laughed brightly and took his hand before leading him out of Squad 5's barracks. "I know the perfect place. You'll love it!"
"Right now?" Harry asked in shock.
"Good things come to those who don't wait." Rangiku said with a saucy wink.
AN:
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