After how "Below the Cherry Blossoms" went I decided to follow through with an actual story. So...think of that as a prelude/prologue/whatever ya want (aka, go read it :D).
Anyways, this story will draw from events within the anime/manga but thankfully it will have plenty of space to work with so you won't fill like your reading the manga or watching the anime all over again.
As such, the Disclaimer: I don't own any characters of Bleach. They are the property of Tite Kubo, ect.
Well enjoy!
"Captain?"
Nothing.
"Captain?"
Still nothing."
"Captain Shunsui Kyöraku!"
Shunsui sat up with a start and immediately regretted having done so, his mind feeling like water swishing around in a cup. He groaned loudly and set a hand to his head, trying to stop the uncomfortable feeling. "Mmm…I'm up…who's calling for me?" He really didn't need to ask who it was as there was only one person that had the bravado to come wake him up. It wasn't that he was a frightening person to deal with when he first woke up; it just seemed only one person cared to do so.
"Captain, you have a meeting to get to."
He felt a smile come to his lips at how that one person who would bother to wake him up also would ignore his question. He took a moment to run his fingers through his hair before tossing the light cover off his body and shift to his feet. "What for, Nanao-chan?"
She sighed softly and shook her head. Why was it that hers was a lazy captain? She seemed to have to do everything around here within the Eighth Division for this man such as waking him up for a captains' meeting. "A group of Ryoka infiltrated into the Rukongai within the western district of Junrinan. They attempted forced entry past the west gate keeper Jidanbö but were stopped by Captain Ichimaru."
Nanao could hear her captain getting ready within his quarters from where she sat just to the side of the shoji sliding door, though it sounded like he was taking his time in doing so, as usual. You better not be having another one of your morning drinks, Captain. She thought with some agitation.
"Captain Ichimaru huh?" He called from inside. "So what's the problem then?"
"I'm not sure Captain. The message only stated all captains are to report to the assembly hall while all vice-captains are to report to meeting room four." She reached up to adjust her glasses, nudging them the slightest up the bridge of her nose.
The door slid open and out it strode her captain in his usual wears. In a hundred years he hadn't changed in draping that gaudy-colored kimono over his captain's haori on his shoulders, or as he was doing right now, putting on his sakkat (straw hat).
Shunsui absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck in a vain attempt to work out the kinks in his neck while trying to suppress a yawn that rolled out past his lips. "Mmm…I see. Strange how some Ryoka were able to get into the Soul Society, stranger still it happened only ten days after Kuchiki-chan was arrested and brought back."
Nanao pushed up to her feet to follow her captain as they began to make their way up toward First Division's headquarters, the very core of the Seireitei, where the elderly Captain-Commander Genryüsai Shigekuni Yamamoto held meetings with the captains.
The sun had barely set over the horizon, dropping the Soul Society into night but it would take a few hours to reach the headquarters of First Division at a walking pace. The size of the Seireitei alone was so massive that at a comfortable pace, it would take an individual a few days to reach from one gate to the opposing gate on the other side; as such the meeting wasn't for a couple of hours, but that did mean having to leave far earlier then some might desire.
"Captain, would it be too much for you to use the quarters you have within First Division's headquarters?" All captains had two private quarters; one within their own division's grounds, and one within First Division's headquarters. The latter existed as a means of allowing captains to stay within the First Division headquarters in times of war as well as to shorten the distance if they were working on projects at the headquarters but did not want to make the long trip back to their own division grounds.
Shunsui only could laugh at this notion and dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Come on Nanao-chan, ya know those quarters are cramped compared to my own, and Yama-jii (Old Man Yama) won't allow me to keep any of my saki in those quarters."
"How tragic…" Nanao replied dryly, as if offering faux sympathy to her captain's tasteless habit.
An emergency meeting of all captains and vice-captains, this really wasn't a comforting thought to the veteran captain as he and his second-in-command walked in silence down the well kept streets of the Seireitei. They would occasionally pass some guards who would vary from being alert to relax to just down-right not paying attention; but the sight of a captain passing by would snap any of the men to attention and they would do the usual in bowing their respect to the captain and vice-captain.
So what could be going on in the Soul Society? Kuchiki-chan is to be executed by way of Sökyoku and has been moved to the repentance cell, and only a few days after that very order comes through these Ryoka stumble into the Rukongai and in the first district of the western districts no less.
Something was certainly out of place and Shunsui really wasn't feeling comfortable with it at all.
/\/\/\/\
The wooden floors of the halls felt so cool on his bare feet and sent shivers up his body. The sun had yet to rise and it would still be a couple of hours before it did so which made the hallways below a pleasant temperature. It was worse as he passed through some of the more open-aired halls and bridges. Why didn't he wear tabis like the rest of the Seireitei did?
With only the pitter-patter of his own feet on the wooden floors to provide him with any sound in the dark of night, Shunsui found himself pondering curiously over the somewhat strange circumstances at hand.
Rukia Kuchiki, adoptive-sister of Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of the noble Kuchiki house was arrested ten days ago on the charges of transferring her powers to a human and for illegally staying within the human world past her assignment period of one month. These were both crimes, yes, but neither of them warranted the punishment she was given.
While a shinigami could certainly be executed for the transference of their powers to a human, depending on what the human did with those powers; it was not enough to warrant the use of the Sökyoku.
The Sökyoku was the most powerful weapon in all of the Seireitei. A giant halberd that remained sealed on Sökyoku Hill, it was a weapon said to possess the power of one million zanpakutö; and, upon the moment of striking the body of the punished, it's power increased by a hundred-fold.
The reason this all seemed strange to Shunsui was the fact the Sökyoku had not been used for over hundreds of years. It was usually reserved only for the use on captain-level shinigami and the very reason being that when killed by the Sökyoku, the soul of the executed becomes completely decimated. A soul cleaved by the Sökyoku will never return to the cycle of soul transferences between the spirit world and the world of the living.
Death by Sökyoku is permanent.
The captain was so engrossed with his thoughts that he failed to notice the quiet woman walking at his side until she stifled a faux cough. Shunsui glanced up and then to the side, his already brimming smile growing at the sight of his long-time comrade and friend, Captain Retsu Unohana of Fourth Division. She was a gentle woman whose warm visage made those around her feel at peace, but she was not a woman to taken likely. She was the second eldest captain amongst the thirteen divisions, being just a bit older then Shunsui Kyöraku himself; and, she was a woman capable of making even the strongest of men quiver in fear with just a single glance.
"Hey-hey! Good morning, or rather, good pre-morning Retsu-san."
She glanced to the side only faintly at her peer and gave a curt nod, her hands clasped in front of her as she walked along side Shunsui. "Morning to you as well Captain Kyöraku. I trust you slept well."
Shunsui chuckled and rubbed at the back of his neck idly, "Mmm…I would have rather actually gotten to sleep but it can't be helped. And you?"
"Well Captain, some of us do make sure to get to bed early rather then drink to try and pass out."
A faint blush settled on the captain's cheeks at being caught like a child with his hand in the cookie jar. "Retsu-san, how cold a thing to say. Why would you assume I was drinking yesterday?"
"A clean uniform doesn't hide the sharp aroma of your saki, Captain."
"Damn…guilty as charged then." He stated with his hands held up in front of him. "Tell me, Retsu-san, you have any idea what this emergency meeting is about? I'd say it's not like Yama-jii to call such a thing, but…"
"I suspect it has something to do with the Ryoka that entered into the Soul Society in the Junrinan district in the west."
"Yeah, but didn't Captain Ichimaru deal with them?" Shunsui asked while arching a brow, his smile waning some.
The two rounded the final corner that lead to the large double doors of the main assembly hall. The doors were marked with the insignia of First Division, but the hall was only used for captains' meetings.
Retsu shook her head as a frown formed over her lips. "Reports state that the Ryoka lived."
"Uh-oh…that won't be good."
"Any idea where Captain Ukitake is?"
Shunsui had slightly wondered that himself. If the white-haired man wasn't here by now then it was likely he wasn't showing up at all. Thirteenth Division was led by Shunsui's long-time friend, Captain Jüshiro Ukitake, who unfortunately had always been a sickly man ever since he was a boy. His hair had long since gone white do to some ailment of his and he often was bedridden because of that ailment.
"Likely the usual reason."
"Shame…I really wish there was something I could do for him."
"Don't worry yourself Retsu-san. Jüshiro is grateful that you've tried, you know that. He may be sick, but he's strong-willed and does all he can for his division."
That brought a smile to both their faces and with it they entered into the assembly hall where a few of the other captains had already gathered. Standing at the head of the left aisle, the aisle of the even numbered divisions, was the stoic captain of second division and commander-in-chief of the stealth force, Soifon. She was a petite woman but her size was a rather deceiving thing about her. Being the head of the Onmitsukidö, Soifon was one of the Seireitei's most capable fighters both with a blade and even more so in Hakuda, hand-to-hand combat. In truth she was probably the foremost skilled Hakuda master in the Soul Society.
Standing with a space between them was the captain of Sixth Division and the current head of the noble Kuchiki house, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. The man's face and voice never seemed to convey emotion, no matter what the situation was. Even now with his sister slated to be executed, the captain seemed to not even care.
Retsu and Shunsui parted, moving to take their places with Retsu standing between Soifon and Byakuya while Shunsui stood on Byakuya's right, not bothering to even take his sakkat off. Across from them and already present was the frighteningly towering Captain Sajin Komamura of Seventh Division, and the dedicated Captain Kaname Tösen of Ninth Division.
Komamura was in many ways an enigma with how he wore that wooden helmet over his face. No one actually knew what the captain looked like beneath it, but occasionally one could see golden eyes peering through the slit near the top of the helmet. Komamura's massive size could be compared to his dedication and loyalty to the Seireitei and more importantly, to the Captain-Commander himself. Sajin Komamura was fiercely loyal to Captain-Commander Yamamoto and did not take kindly to any who thought to oppose the elder shinigami's orders.
Kaname Tösen was a unique individual. From what Shunsui understood, Kaname was blind since birth but that did not stop him from wielding a sword. Truth be told, Kaname's blindness could be ignored entirely with the ease he had in making his way around the Seireitei and his capability in fighting. While he was blind physically, Kaname was not blind in his ideals and how he carried them out. He was certainly a model captain.
Thus the only captains to still need to show up were the friendly Captain Sösuke Aizen of Fifth Division, the young Captain Toshirö Hitsugaya of Tenth Division, the battle-lusting Captain Kenpachi Zaraki of Eleventh Division, the fanatical Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Twelfth Division…
And the man in question, Captain Gin Ichimaru of Third Division.
Hopefully you enjoyed and I'll have the next chapter up rather soon (since it's already finished /gasp).
Leave some love, leave a constructive comment, review, or whatever works for ya.
Next time: Breached! Ryoka in the Seireitei
