The evidence was all there. Enough to assure even Captain Kuchiki, the infamous skeptic, of who was to blame for the incident. It was the perfect crime. The perpetrator, an eccentric man who'd recently refit Squad Twelve into the hub of scientific endeavors in the Soul Society, had been caught in the act of inhumane experimentation. The first sign, they said, was definitely when the empty clothes were found outside the walls of the Seireitei, clothes undoubtedly left behind by his victims. He had been the one to take on the problem of various souls disappearing in the surrounding area, developing 'countermeasures'. In hindsight, people said, it was just the right cover for the man secretly behind the act. One that would have paid off in the long run had he not been stopped. His victims were unable to speak for or against him, being in the state they were, either missing or 'hollowfied'. Captain Tessai Tsukabishi of the Kido Corps had too great a connection to him to be a reliable source. Captain Yorouichi Shihoen of Squad Two was his former captain and old friend, again, too connected to be reliable. She was also the one who had helped him escape, taking all traces of the damnable experimentation with them. Among the victims, the captains of Squads Three, Five, Seven, and Nine, and the Lieutenants of Squads, Eight, Nine and Twelve, as well as the Kido Corp. In one night, the Soul Society's leadership was cut in half by the perfect crime of one individual, the Captain of Squad Twelve. Looking back at the situation, aside from the escape, it seemed to all be neatly packaged and tied with a proverbial bow: the power hungry mad scientist goes too far and barely escapes justice. There was just one major factor that didn't quite fit into the puzzle.
Her friends told her that she was imagining things, when she mentioned that the whole ordeal just didn't sit right with her. That she was too close to the center of it all. That her loyalty to Captain Shihoen was commendable, but unwarranted now that she had betrayed the Soul Society. That her love for the perpetrator and subsequent feelings of betrayal were clouding her perception. She played along, knowing that it was safer to do so than press the matter, wondering if she had already attracted the attention of the wrong individuals. Of whoever was really the cause of this, because it wasn't him. She had known him, and a few of the others, for too many decades to believe for a moment that he was capable of what they accused him of. Oh, brilliant enough to do it, but not nearly heartless enough. That was why it was so hard for her to maintain a confused front when command called her in to question her, concerned by her relationship with the perpetrator. And why, though she'd been declared an innocent bystander, she was still not trusted.
Reisa had never been one to be easily taken in. Decades spent as a stealth specialist, and later, under Captain Shihoen's tutelage, had culminated into a proud climb to Fourth Seat of Squad Two. Training in stealth, combat, spiritual control, and, most importantly, information gathering. Keeping an eye on criminals was, after all, one of Squad Two's jobs, and Reisa had proven herself to be among the best, starting in the patrol unit and rising to a command position. A veritable chameleon, she was more than capable of blending in and keeping watch, a silent wraith and tracker. When someone asked who held the position of Fourth Seat, they were often met with thoughtful frowns and a pause before a negative reply was given. Or, even better, another, incorrect name was supplied. She was careful, habitually covering her tracks day to day, to the point that only those who truly paid attention even knew what rank she held. Most knew her only by her connection to her fiance.
Recently, she'd become a remnant of the more laid back days of Squad Two, one of the few who still liked to kick back and put on a calm smile or laugh loudly at ridiculous jokes. That, too, had become carefully regulated. She showed enough of herself to be comfortable, but, she adapted quickly to the more serious atmosphere created by Captain Shihoen's departure. It was expected, after all. It would be strange if she suddenly blended in, but, a gradual slippage was easily calculated. The people around her assumed that she would be devastated but trying to hide it with her usual easy-going helpful exterior. And she was, just not for the reasons they thought. When people asked after her mental and emotional well-being, she would put on a sad, grateful smile and assure them that she would be fine, that time would make things better. She let them assume that betrayal was eating at her heart. In reality, her loyalty to her captain and love for her fiance had never been stronger. Her sadness stemmed from their absence, and the lies that had driven them from her.
She had to be careful, she knew. Whoever had done this, and someone had, hollowfication didn't occur on its own, had managed to pin the blame on Kisuke Urahara. That was no small feat. For as long as she'd known him, Kisuke had always seemed to be five steps ahead of everyone at once, able to take even the oddest and most unexpected occurrences in stride and factor them into his plans for the future. Whoever had outmaneuvered him, to the point of backing him into a corner, was truly brilliant. They also couldn't afford to have him around.
Reisa was used to watching her back, it was natural for a member of the Onmitsukidou to do so. Now, more than ever, though, she felt the possibility of a threat. She had no delusions that she was safe inside the Seireitei, she had helped incarcerate far too many potential threats, people who hadn't committed any true crime but were dangerous nonetheless. There was not the unity that so many liked to believe was present. In one night, six of the thirteen Captains had been removed from power, and Squad Ten's captaincy was vacant. Even their most powerful were not immune to the dangers from within.
Reisa's first step to protect herself, both to avert attention and to keep from the growing interest of her squadmates, was to transfer. Her lieutenant took pity on her, when she gave that quiet, sad smile and said that, while she enjoyed her duties, the squad held too many memories for her to be effective there. She was a good asset and had a good reputation among those in command, it was enough to buy her an out. Her options, as she saw them, were few. There were those within the Seireitei who were respected enough, or feared enough, that they would not be easily struck down. Narrowing that small number to those who were wise enough to potentially see a similar attack coming made them fewer still. Again, that number was cut by her relationship with Kisuke, who was currently the pariah of the Soul Society.
In the end, she realized, there were only three true options. Only three Captains met the standards she had arranged for herself. Captain Unohana, among the oldest beings in the Seireitei, a wise and caring woman with a sharp eye; Captain Kyoraku, a laid back but observant man with a fair heart; and Captain Ukitake, the gentlest of the Captains, but no less strong and certainly not foolish. All were old, wise, powerful, and well established in their positions. And, if she gave them no reason to worry about her, they would be sympathetic, not condemning. Of the three, she originally chose Kyoraku. She was no healer, and Ukitake's sickly nature worried her, but, it was Ukitake himself who changed her mind. And it was Ukitake who unknowingly laid the groundwork for her attempts to find the true culprit behind her fiance's downfall.
Hey all, and welcome to this little thing that just popped out of the recesses of Jax's brain (scary, right?). I honestly hadn't watched or read Bleach in probably a little over two years and, one day as I was driving in the car, this story idea came out of literally nowhere. No inspiration cues or anything. So...I ran with it. Because damn, Kisuke is still my favorite character ten years after being introduced to Bleach and he deserves an epic romance. It's set to be fairly short and is already plotted. It literally just needs writing. Definitely for people who like fluff, drama, and some angst on the side. I hope you readers enjoy it!