As the Black Cat Crosses

by Scribbling Shroud

AU. Yoruichi doesn't know how someone as smart as Kisuke can be so foolish. In the wake of scandal caused by illegal magical experiments, Yourichi must try to validate his claims of innocence in order to save his life.

Disclaimer: All characters and settings of Bleach are the property of Kubo Tite.

As the Black Cat Crosses

Paws lightly treaded upon the manor grounds, claws retracted so as to further promote stealth. And such was needed, for in the light of day even a black cat might easily garner notice. Though being noticed would not have been entirely untoward, the black cat would far rather sneak about. Secrecy was far more fun, and in truth, were anyone to know her final destination, they could well try to stop her.

She didn't feel like dealing with that hassle.

Deftly, she crept through the gardens, approaching the outer limits of the estate, where rested a building far more modest than the Shihouin manor house. Oh, it was a fine enough structure on its own, made from quality stone expertly worked into a smooth finish. Nevertheless, the main house dwarfed it and exceeded the craftsmanship in every way.

She liked this place, though; it was more homey, in spite of everything. That, and it housed a very agreeable companion. The one who she was on her way to visit, as a matter of fact. She knew that he would be there.

Disdaining more obvious forms of entrance, she circled around to the back of the building, yellow eyes open for her preferred portal. Ah, there it was – a small ground-level window, open just wide enough for a tiny, flexible body like hers to slip through. So she tucked herself beneath the glass and pushed her way through the opening.

No darkness greeted her eyes as she hopped down to the laboratory floor. On the walls hung lights housing kidou held in absolute stasis. In this manner, the magic would only illuminate, rather than destroy. One of the many useful little advances that had come out of this room, and a trend that was catching on in many noble houses even outside the province. Even those stuck-up Kuchiki had taken an interest, though they had decided to work out the technique themselves rather than trade technology with the Shihouin.

Having reached her destination, the cat arched her back and exerted her will. Slowly, her limbs extended, forming into slim arms and legs. A vaguely unpleasant tingle ran over her body as her fur retreated and left only dusky skin beneath, and as her head altered shape into that of a young human woman. Dark hair hung heavily halfway down her back, and she took a moment to adjust to both its weight and her overall new form. But only a moment; she'd made this transformation many times and the reorientation was not much of a bother any longer.

She nonchalantly strode across the laboratory, casting a curious eye over a few tables where rested various objects of research. What exactly were Kisuke and his father working on these days? No matter how frequently she visited, it always seemed to be something new. It was part of why she found it so fun to come here, aside from visiting her childhood friend.

She reached the far corner, and opened up the modest wardrobe that sat there. Kisuke and his father kept the protective gear they wore for more dangerous experiments in here, though because of her frequent visits, Kisuke tended to store spare clothing for her as well. Not that modesty was one of her great concerns, but she figured that she might as well get dressed.

Hm. Interesting. She rifled through the clothing, but could not find her usual spare set. Or anything that would properly fit her for that matter. Her brow furrowed; this was rather unusual. Kisuke knew to expect her at any time and he always seemed to be ready for just about anything. What was he playing at, here?

But then she heard quiet footsteps approaching her, and she smiled wickedly. Oh, was that all? What a ridiculous man. If he'd just asked, she might have been generous enough to entertain his request. So she turned around, making no attempt to cover herself.

"Kisuke," she began, with a note of playfulness in her voice. "What exactly are you doing with a lady's clothing? Should I come back some time when you're not so preoccupied with more . . . personal activities?"

Kisuke just laughed, tucking the bundle of clothing he carried more securely under his arm. That, and he took a good, unashamed look up and down her body, his usual lopsided smile curving his lips. There was no need to question whether or not he liked what he saw. He made no secret of it.

"Yoruichi-hime, you do me a terrible wrong to think such awful thoughts!" Kisuke responded, his voice predictably overdramatic. He gestured to the clothing he carried. "Here I was just making certain that these garments were clean and in good repair; a princess should always have presentable clothing, after all."

Yoruichi lifted an eyebrow. "Don't call me by that title; you know better than that. And give me those."

She reached for the bundle, but Kisuke jerked it away from her. Had her reflexes been less honed, she would have stumbled against him – much to his delight, of course. But she kept her feet, and made another grab, only to have him step away again. Oh, he was being playful today, wasn't he?

Shooting her hand out with blinding speed, Yoruichi lightly gripped the base of Kisuke's throat and shoved him up against the wall. She stepped very close to him, their foreheads almost touching, and she noticed him squirm in anticipation rather than in fear. He still had that smile on his face.

Yoruichi traced a finger of her free hand across his shoulder, and tilted her head in a bit closer, mischievous smile on her lips. She saw a muscle in Kisuke's jaw jump . . .

And she snatched the bundle of clothing and abruptly withdrew from him. She threw her head back and laughed at the dismay that came over her old friend's features. It was really too easy, sometimes. Kisuke had grown into such a lecher.

Once she had composed herself, Yoruichi pulled on the clothing, smile never leaving her lips. It was so nice to come here, to a place where she would not face any silly reprimands for acting however she pleased. The Shihouin were not as strict about behaviour as most other noble families, but she was still subject to rules that she did not care for. Outside the family's eye, she had more freedom.

"Oh, how un-princesslike that was!" Kisuke gave her an exaggerated pout; it was more than clear that he was happy enough with what he'd just gotten. "What would your father say, were he to know how you tease the commonfolk like me?"

Yoruichi didn't bother with the laces on the front of the blouse; she was covered enough, even if her shoulders were still bare. She lifted one eyebrow at Kisuke's question before chuckling quietly. "I think my father would be more concerned about what I do with you when I'm not teasing."

Nodding, Kisuke pushed himself off the wall and headed toward one of the tables in the centre of the room. "Ah, true, true. So to what do I owe the unequalled pleasure of your company today?"

Yoruichi just shrugged and joined him in front of the table. "I was bored. I do trust that you can entertain me." She picked up a vial of some strange purplish substance and furrowed her brow trying to read the label on it; Kisuke had terrible handwriting. "What have you been up to here in the laboratory in the past few days?"

"Oh my, you're expecting work to entertain you? What a dire situation!" Kisuke said with his typical overdramatics. He snickered at her failed attempts to read the label. "My apologies; we engineers aren't taught how to finely scribe words as the nobles are. It's a complicated scientific name, anyway, and would mean nothing to you, I'm afraid."

She snorted and handed the vial over to him when he reached his hand out for it. What did he think she was here for? While it was true that she was no engineer – and had been known to nod off during particularly convoluted explanations – she did have an interest in making the impossible possible. She and Kisuke had that in common, though it tended to express itself in different ways.

Yoruichi liked to test the physical limitations of things, the boundaries of the body's ability. How hard to kick so that stone might break. How fast one's legs could truly carry her. How to compress a naturally human form into that of something much smaller. Granted, the last one was a tradition for high-ranking women in her family, but she was curious about it all the same.

Whereas Kisuke, like his father, was a scientist through and through. Anything and everything was fair game to him, depending on where his mind decided to travel on any particular day. But he would ruthlessly analyze his chosen subject, and then concoct gadgets or substances to help break the limitations that nature imposed. Even on kidou itself, as evidenced by the lamps on the wall. Yoruichi knew a fair bit of kidou, but did not understand it on nearly the same level that Kisuke did.

With a scoff, Yoruichi plopped herself into the nearest chair, slouching in a very undignified fashion. "Well, you don't have to explain what it is to tell me what it does, do you? If you don't entertain me, I will just be on my way."

Kisuke put the vial back in its proper resting place. "I suppose other forms of entertainment aren't on the schedule, then. How disappointing." He turned back to her, still smiling lazily as was his habit since childhood. "Well, since you asked, I've been trying to work out something that makes it easier for someone to draw out his or her spiritual potential. Not officially sanctioned by your family yet, of course, but I suspect that I can trust you to keep the research under wraps for the time being."

Her eyebrows lifted in interest, and she leaned forward with a feral grin. "Trying to make the people around you more dangerous, are you? Are you sure that's wise? I knock you around enough as it is."

She was, of course, just teasing. For all that she did physically overpower Kisuke for either frivolous or intimate reasons every now and then, she knew that there could be a more serious purpose behind his research. In fact, she did not doubt that the more serious purpose was the one for which its use was intended.

Yoruichi and Kisuke joked, flirted, and teased, but they both knew how to give an important issue its due.

Kisuke shuffled through a stack of scattered papers on the table, eyeing a few of them suspiciously. The smile was gone from his features, replaced by a frown that seemed far too discerning for someone of his usual cheerful demeanour. It was only at times like these where others could see that a dangerous amount of intelligence lurked behind his unkempt appearance.

"You're aware, I'm sure, of the recent increase in sightings of those strange beasts lately?" Kisuke nodded thoughtfully at one of the pages he was reading. "I've heard tell that your people have dubbed them 'Hollows,' owing to the fact that there seems to be a hole going through them as part of their natural anatomy."

Silently, Yoruichi nodded to herself. Over the past four or five years, these Hollows had suddenly appeared within their borders, picking off the common folk. Feeding on them. Even many of the soldiers sent after them had found themselves consumed by these creatures. No, the beasts were not invincible, but they were getting increasingly difficult to kill.

"Yes, we've lost a few people to them recently," she agreed, face grave. "I've half a mind to head onto the field myself and have at them; I'd do a better job of it than some common soldier. Less risk for everyone that way."

She narrowed her eyes in annoyance when she saw Kisuke give her a worried glance. The man should know better than that. Yoruichi was highly trained in combat; all Shihouin were, the women included. Most noble families disdained the idea of allowing women on the battlefield, but hers considered it wasteful to exclude anyone who showed the talent for it. Why halve one's forces unnecessarily?

"I can take care of myself, Kisuke."

He didn't flinch at her harsh tone, but his eyes softened a little. "I know that. But I wouldn't be a good friend if I wasn't concerned for your safety, would I?"

She leaned backward in the chair again, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. His words had dulled her temper, but the fire remained in her gaze. "Or you could show a little more faith in my ability. Good friends do that too, you know."

"I will take that under advisement," Kisuke replied, his tone only half serious. He set the papers aside and picked up another vial, scrutinizing carefully the liquid within. "Incidentally, if you do head out, I don't suppose you could get me a sample of one of these Hollows? It would have to be a live specimen, of course, seeing as they dissolve when they die, but it would be most helpful to me."

"Helpful to your research on unlocking spiritual potential? How so?" Yoruichi could not help the note of intrigue in her voice, and one brow lifted in interest.

Kisuke put a finger to his chin as he continued to regard the liquid in the vial. "Not specifically for that, no. Though I suppose the possibility shouldn't be ruled out. More to the point, they would be fascinating research subjects. I might perhaps be able to discover their origin."

"And thereby develop a more efficient means of combating them." Yoruichi laughed, and there was something ferocious in that laugh. What a perfect excuse to get out into the field. Maybe she could find a smaller Hollow to bring back. Presuming small ones existed; all sightings had indicated large bodies. "You're deciding to be useful, I see, instead of just satisfying your own curiosity. All right. I will see what I can get you. Far be it for me to hamper scientific endeavours."

Adopting a put-upon expression, Kisuke sighed. "You wound me with such words, to say that I am so selfish."

"Yes, yes. I'm a cruel woman; I know." She leaned forward again, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin onto her palms. Her usually narrow, sly eyes were wide with curiosity. "So, enough with the whole useful bit. What of the more fun variety have you and your dear old father been working on?"

With something of a plan formed, the time for seriousness had passed. Yoruichi spent the rest of her visit listening to Kisuke's wild experimental ideas and soundly mocking them. It was quite the enjoyable way to pass the time.

---

The princess still had not returned.

Worrying over it was probably silly, Soifon acknowledged, but she could hardly help how she felt. Being Yoruichi-hime's protector was not quite officially stated in her duties – in all truth, she found the very idea ridiculous, given how amazingly talented Yoruichi-hime was. She was just a maidservant. A maidservant without her mistress to serve.

Soifon wound her way through the scuttling manor staff, the bundle she was carrying held close against her tiny frame. Everyone was busily preparing for the evening's formal dinner, whether it be scrubbing the floors, cooking the food, or decorating the dining hall to impress the guests. Just a year ago, Soifon might have been among their number, but she was spared from such awful tasks once she had been chosen to be Yoruichi-hime's personal servant.

It had been beyond flattering to be singled out for such an honour.

She weaved around the people with practiced ease, not even the hem of her dress brushing up against anyone's side. For all that she was interacting with anyone in any fashion, she might not have even existed. That was how she was supposed to be. Unobtrusive, silent, not even the buzz of an insect to any but her mistress and her mistress' family. She liked things better that way.

And yet when she darted around a corner, she found her preferred state of order overturned. Unable to stop in time, she ran full-force into someone coming the other direction. She stumbled back a step or two before catching herself neatly, and narrowing her eyes at the person who dared disturb the way of things.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that. Guess I wasn't watchin' where I was going." The voice sounded entirely too pleasant, too friendly. It simply could not be genuine. "Not hurt, are ya, little girl?"

Soifon's glare did not abate at the apology. Instead, it only sharpened as she took in this unpleasant soul's features. He was a boy about her own age, certainly no more than thirteen. And given that, and how scrawny he was, he had no right to call her a little girl. As for not seeing her? Well, maybe if he pushed the hair out of his eyes, and opened those eyes a little more, maybe this encounter could have been avoided. Fool.

"No." That was all she said before she moved to sweep past him, but he sidestepped to remain in front of her. Unacceptable. Who did this boy think he was? "Let me pass."

The boy tilted his head, a grin nearly splitting his face in half. "Well, that's good that ya ain't hurt, but that's an awfully rude way to talk. They don't teach girls to be polite around here?"

Soifon was not a social person. Around those of high status, this tended to manifest in blushing silence, but around unknown, scruffy boys, it was the knowledge that she was the better. She regarded him levelly, wondering if she might hurry past him and not have to deal with him any longer. The idea was tempting, but it smacked too much of running away, and that was something that she would not do.

She would not allow this bastard to think that he had won.

"Who are you?" she demanded. His face was unfamiliar, so he could not have been one of the regular servants, and the colours he wore – a stark white with black trim – marked him as being from a foreign land. "If you do not answer, I will alert the manor guard to your presence."

Pouting for just a second before smiling again, the boy folded his hands into his sleeves. "See? There's that rudeness again. Ya didn't even give me a chance t'answer and now you're makin' threats at me if I don't say anything." Despite his mocking words, he took a step back and bowed deeply at the waist. "Ichimaru Gin, my lady. Aizen-sama thought it'd be nice if I helped out with all the preparations for tonight. I'm quite allowed to be here. Callin' the guards on me would just make ya look silly."

Soifon sighed in exasperation. This boy was a servant of their guest, given special permission to assist. It was a nice gesture on the guest's part, in a way; it showed that he was not here to make things more difficult for his hosts. But at the same time, she did not like the idea that this Ichimaru was wandering about without an escort.

If those were the orders, though, she had no right to object. And there were eyes everywhere in the Shihouin household. Ichimaru would be caught readily if he tried anything suspicious.

"Get on with it, then, instead of keeping me here," she spat. He wasted time like this when his lord told him to do something? Such laziness was not to be tolerated. "I have my own work to attend."

Lightly, she shoved him aside with one hand and stormed down the corridor, rolling her eyes when she heard him call her mean. And she wasn't mean, of course. She was just dedicated to her work and her mistress, and such dedication was something that Ichimaru was sorely lacking. The fool would not have made it as a servant in the Shihouin household. His master was obviously far more tolerant than any he would have found here.

But thoughts of the unpleasant encounter retreated from her mind as her small feet took her to the private wing of the manor on her way to her mistress' bedchamber. Thinking of anything vile was close to impossible when the prospect of being near Yoruichi-hime was so high. And hopefully, Yoruichi-hime was back from whatever important excursion had drawn her away from the manor today.

Soifon padded softly into the bedchamber, reluctant to disturb the almost sacred atmosphere the room projected. Even though she had been the personal servant to the princess for nearly a year, she could not quite shake the belief that she did not belong in such a place, did not deserve to be in the presence of such a magnificent woman. And yet the princess seemed to approve of her company.

Carefully, she laid out her bundle on the violet sheets of the bed. It was a red silk kimono, intricately embroidered with daffodils along the hem of the sleeves and the skirt. And at various points on the main body of the garment, the Shihouin family crest was stitched into the fabric with bright golden thread. Only the most formal would do for entertaining foreign guests. Soifon ran her fingers over the fabric, smoothing out the wrinkles before setting the obi down next to it.

The sound of shuffling feet behind her drew her attention. Soifon stiffened, eyes narrowing as she listened. Only one set of footsteps. That was favourable; a single intruder was something she should be able to handle. She whirled about, hands tensing, but stopped cold when she saw who was there.

"Yoruichi-hime!" Lowering her hands, Soifon flushed and looked away. She'd nearly attacked her mistress. "I . . . I am sorry. I hadn't realized that you had returned from the last time I was here. Please forgive my impulsiveness."

The room was silent for a moment, before Yoruichi-hime suddenly broke out into laughter. Mortified, Soifon ducked her head; she had almost made a grave mistake, and the laughing functioned well as a punishment. How could she have been so foolish as to not recognize the footfalls of her own mistress?

"Don't be silly," came Yoruichi-hime's voice. She still sounded amused. "I'm not angry with you, Little Bee. It's quite good that you noticed me at all, really. Nice reflexes; an intruder would have been in trouble, I'm sure."

Cautiously, Soifon lifted her eyes, though she could feel her face heat further. The use of that nickname was reassuring, even though she had never been entirely sure whether or not she even liked it. The princess herself had bestowed it upon her, saying that she buzzed around her constantly and that her eyes were so sharp toward perceived threats that they were like bees' stingers. That, and the fact that Soifon was so small. A well-conceived title, she had to admit, and regardless of her personal feelings, the princess had the right to call her whatever she wished.

"No more silly apologies, okay? You did well."

A tentative smile broke out on Soifon's face, and she hurriedly bowed at the waist. "As you wish, my lady." Truly, the praise was more than she deserved, but she would treasure it all the same. She gestured toward the clothing on the bed. "I've retrieved the formal wear your lord father wished you to don for tonight's dinner. Shall I help you prepare?"

Offering such aid was her job, of course, but every now and then Yoruichi-hime would surprise her by deciding to do things for herself. Though it compromised her duties, Soifon could not help but admire such independence, such confidence. And Yoruichi-hime made it all seem so effortless; it was only part of what made her so amazing.

"Right, right. Need to impress the guests, I suppose; can't show up looking disgusting." Yoruichi-hime ran a hand through her hair, fingers temporarily catching on a tangle, and smoothed down the collar of her kosode with her other hand. "Well, at least visiting Kisuke this time didn't result in me getting too disheveled." She smiled fondly down at her. "And yes, you might as well help me look presentable."

Privately, Soifon thought that it was impossible for Yoruichi-hime to look disgusting. She was of the noblest bearing, and a natural beauty who had garnered more than a few admiring stares from servants and nobles alike. Even after a harsh sparring session when her hair was rumpled and her skin shining with sweat, Yoruichi-hime was the very image of perfection.

"As you wish." Soifon reached down to grab the kimono, but stopped briefly when the rest of the princess' words registered in her mind. Kisuke? She'd gone to see the engineer's son again. It was hardly Soifon's place to question, but she could not help it on this subject. Or as close as she ever got to questioning, at least. "You had business in the laboratories today, my lady?"

Yoruichi-hime lifted her arms a little to allow her to slip the kimono over her shoulders. "Business? Hardly. I just thought it would be fun to spend a little time with my old friend, is all." She cast a glance down to Soifon. "You don't like Kisuke, do you?"

Soifon circled to Yoruichi-hime's front, pulling the kimono closed in the proper fashion. She did not look up as she did this, for she did not want her mistress to see the disapproval upon her face. It was not her right to disapprove of anything her betters did. But even though that much proved impossible, she could at least stamp it down a bit so that she did not step overly far over the line.

"He is . . . unworthy of your attentions, Yoruichi-hime."

That was all she would say on the matter. She hardly knew what drew her mistress to Urahara Kisuke, could not begin to understand it. She'd met the man herself. He was unkempt, disrespectful, and lewd. Though she was not educated in such matters, she understood the underlying hints in Yoruichi-hime's words, and she would rather not speculate as to why the princess would let that filth touch her casually, much less intimately.

"He and I are more alike than you realize, Little Bee." Yoruichi-hime chuckled. "Though I do agree that he can be annoying sometimes. Don't worry; I give him a good smack when he is."

As appealing as the idea of striking the man was, Soifon did not smile at the attempt at levity. A noble lady deserved better than such lowborn trash. And one day, Yoruichi-hime would have it. Hopefully, when the time came for her to marry and leave the household, she would take Soifon with her.

She picked up the obi, and wrapped it around Yoruichi-hime's waist. Tying it securely at her back, Soifon spoke again. "I appreciate that you do."

This earned her another laugh. "So nice to have your approval. I'll be sure to dedicate the next smack to you. And I'll tell you about it afterward, too."

And at these words, Soifon's lips twitched upward against her will. She certainly approved of an honour such as that.

---

Formal dinners were usually dreadfully boring affairs, though Yoruichi found tonight to be one of the rare exceptions. That was not to say that she could not have more fun elsewhere, but she found that her mind was staying attuned to the conversation rather than pursuing more fanciful avenues.

She nodded along with the conversation as she ate with practiced grace. Were it only family present, she would have just shoveled the food into her mouth, but in the presence of company, she had enough sense to eat with a little more refinement. It saved her the hassle of a scolding from her parents afterward.

"I do appreciate your indulging me for this visit," came the smooth, polite voice of their guest. The tone well befit the appearance of Aizen Sousuke, humbly kept as far as nobility went, unassuming in the way most scholarly people looked. "Being so new in my position, I have sadly become accustomed to more dismissive treatment. I am pleased to see that the Shihouin are more accepting of new blood."

Yoruichi shrugged, and spoke before either of her parents had a chance. "We don't believe in unnecessary limitations. If you show that you know what you're doing, then you'll be given the chance to do it."

A smile came over Sousuke's mild features. "And that is what I find most refreshing. You understand that ability, and not age or tenure, is the most important factor. It is sadly rare among the nobility of other provinces."

She couldn't help the unladylike snort. "Like the Kuchiki."

"Now, now, let us leave such unpleasant people out of the conversation," her father said with a small chuckle. "They're not the issue, so it's unnecessary to drag down everyone's mood with talk of them."

"Unpleasant, and boring besides," her mother chimed in, voice light as silk. "Yes, they hardly have a place in proper discussion."

Sousuke chuckled warmly at this, and Yoruichi nodded in approval of his action. The man seemed congenial enough, though she had thought his well-practiced manners would prevent him from having a sense of humour. Making jokes about other noble families was hardly considered to be in good taste, but he seemed to find it amusing nonetheless. Which was good; the last kind of person Yoruichi wanted to spend time with was a stuffy noble.

"They rather are too rigid in their ways, are they not?" His smile widened as though he had said something funny, but he took a graceful bite of his dinner before speaking again. "Ah, forgive me. We were supposed to cease speaking of them."

Yoruichi took a sip of her wine, then grinned. "I think we might be able to let such an offence slide. So instead of boring neighbours, maybe we can discuss what brought you here."

Perhaps that had not been the most polite way to introduce the subject. Perhaps it was not even the right time, but Yoruichi had a different sense of propriety than most. And for the most part, her family indulged her in this, as evidenced by her father shaking his head ruefully at her statement.

"This is what happens when you have a daughter who likes to run off on her own most of the day," he said with a nod toward Sousuke. His smile grew broader, though, when he turned to Yoruichi. "And you didn't even send your young spy? Then again, you don't actively seek information on matters of state as often as you do other things."

She gave a nonchalant shrug, and it was to their guest that she spoke. "Matters of state tend to be horrendously boring. Would you care to see if your business is more interesting to hear?"

Sousuke's brows lifted minutely, though there was no surprise in his eyes, and his smile did not fade in the least. "If only everything the nobility must handle could be interesting, but that is one luxury that cannot be obtained by any means. And far be it for me to refuse to indulge a young lady's curiosity." Now, his smile faltered, replaced by a pained expression. Whatever his business was, it must have been serious. "As I understand it, our two provinces have a mutual problem. You have dubbed them 'Hollows', I believe? The term has carried over into my lands. Their violence has been escalating, and I though it best to collaborate with neighbours on finding a solution to this bloodshed."

Yoruichi paused, and blinked. Well, that was interesting all right. They'd gotten the odd report, of course, of the Hollow menace having spread to other territories, but that was only information for information's sake. Each territory tended to take care of such problems on its own. Few actually thought to form alliances, her own family included.

"And so you've taken the initiative to ally with another province," she said thoughtfully. "Your people wouldn't see you as weak for asking for outside help?"

Sousuke bowed his head solemnly. "Perhaps they may. But their lives are far more important than my reputation; I feel no shame in requesting aid from a neighbour on such a serious issue."

Yoruichi's father snorted. "You realize that you'd run the risk of being deposed if they saw this as weakness? People want strong leaders, and need stability; if they don't like this, chances are that they'll have neither. I'm not necessarily saying we won't help, but I hope you understand what you might be getting yourself into. Because once this is over, you'll be back on your own."

"I am aware of the risk I take, but your concern is flattering." Here, Sousuke smiled again, though it looked a bit forced. "I shall deal with the consequences of my actions, should the worst be realized."

Nodding to herself, Yoruichi took another sip of her wine. It was an admirable position, really. A leader willing to put himself on the line to protect his people. Maybe the plan itself was a little reckless, but she could hardly decry someone for being that way. Always taking the safe route made for a boring life, and sometimes danger was the only option to bring about positive change.

Her mother shrugged. "I wouldn't call it concern, necessarily. What happens to the political landscape in your own territory is of little consequence to us. It is a mere logistical point that has been made." She popped a rice ball into her mouth, and chewed it thoughtfully before continuing. "Anyhow, military details are not something to be discussed in somewhere as public as the dining hall. We shall get into those later this evening. Will you be joining us for that, Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi decided to be conscious of her manners and finished the bite she was eating before she answered. "I might have, but I've already made important plans of my own. If I want to know any more . . . well, I have my ways of finding out."

Plans were all well and good. But they were just talk. And right now, Yoruichi was far more in the mood for a little action. Everyone seemed to be working on the same problem, just different sides of it. In the end, they should all benefit from each other's efforts.

---

Darkness had fallen by the time Yoruichi left the manor grounds. Moonlight reflecting off the white stone streets gave her enough light by which to see, but only barely. Had she taken on her feline form, she would not have even needed that much. Tonight was not purely about stealth, though.

She could hardly fight properly when she was a cat, now could she?

She had come out alone, as this was not an officially sanctioned hunt. Soifon had requested that she, at least, be allowed to accompany her, but Yoruichi had sternly declined. Somebody needed to stay back at the manor and pick up possibly useful information. Unobtrusive little Soifon was good at that. She was able to flit around largely unseen, and if anyone did catch her, saying that she was on an errand for the princess always put an end to any attempts to impede her. Yoruichi could not have asked for a more competent and loyal maidservant.

Yoruichi's quick steps were all but soundless on the street; were anyone to hear them, they would have dismissed them as coming from some small nocturnal animal making its regular rounds. This area was mostly silent at such a late hour, but once she got into the city proper, the atmosphere would be much more lively – a detail learned in her early teenage years, when she had sneaked out to see the city at night for the first time.

The brisk autumn wind did not bother her; the pace at which she was jogging kept her warm enough through it all, and even the way that it blew her hair into her face failed to annoy her. Perhaps the thrill of the hunt overrode all minor irritations. Nothing like the prospect of a little action to get the blood pumping.

Her eyes narrowed a little as she approached the more active area of the town, and she tried to attune her senses to the bizarre aura given off by Hollows. The creatures fed on human flesh, so finding a crowd of people would maximize the chances of finding one. Or more than one. If the Hollows were any more discerning than that, she did not know. Figuring those things out tended to be more of Kisuke's department, anyway. Maybe if she caught one, she could bully him into researching this.

Owing to the experience of previous trips, Yoruichi blended in well with the crowds. This was, she had discovered, a bit of a rough area of the town, but she still rather enjoyed it when she visited. The atmosphere was invigorating, and it was fun to knock out idiots who assumed – or wished – that she was one of the whores working the street. Well, knocking them out or kicking them in a particularly sensitive area, depending on her mood at the time.

But the aura of invigoration was not what she was after tonight, and she frowned when she still couldn't find what she was looking for. A Hollow hunt was such an inexact practice, at least at this point. Perhaps when they knew more about them, tracking the beasts would be much easier.

Yoruichi glared when a man approached her, alcohol on his breath. She did not feel like being accosted tonight. And amazingly enough, the man still possessed enough sobriety to back away from her and wander down a side street to look for more agreeable company. Good riddance.

A sudden, nauseating aura swept over her, and her eyes widened. Though she had only felt it a few times, she recognized this reiatsu as belonging to a Hollow. Her efforts tonight would not be for naught, it seemed. The only trick was making certain that nobody got hurt in the process of her taking the thing down.

As soon as she spun on her heel, though, that trick failed. A scream tore through the air, coming from the side street where the drunken idiot had taken his detour, followed by a triumphant roar. Damn it. Too late already.

Keeping to the shadows, Yoruichi raced around the corner to the source of the noise. The man she'd rebuffed lay several yards ahead of her, limbs barely attached, blood sprayed out so far that it had splattered onto the walls of buildings on both sides of the street. From Yoruichi's estimation, there had been only one strike; that was an awful lot of damage to come from a single blow.

She kept her eyes on the Hollow, watching as its glowing red gaze swept through the area in search of more prey. Blood dripped steadily from sword-length claws, no doubt what had inflicted such wounds. She would need to be careful of those. This Hollow was far too big for her to bring back for Kisuke, but she was not about to let it run free and destroy more people.

The man on the street was dead, probably before he'd even hit the ground, but there were plenty of others nearby that she could still save.

Yoruichi tensed and called a few spells to mind that might aid her in this battle. Though she preferred to fight without kidou most of the time, it was always best to have some at the ready in case the situation got desperate. Hollows could be unpredictable combatants.

The beast's eyes paused in her direction for a second, and she blinked. Could it see her despite her effort to conceal herself? But just as quickly, the Hollow returned to its survey of the street. Interesting.

Quiet footsteps drew Yoruichi's attention to the corner, and she cursed mentally. Another person here was the last thing that she needed; there was no guarantee that this woman would not get caught in the middle of the fight.

Sure enough, the Hollow's gaze lighted upon the new arrival, and one clawed hand lifted. Damn. There was no more time to waste.

"Wha—"

Yoruichi danced to the side when the Hollow struck out at her, claws digging into the wall behind her back. The other woman's scream echoed through the night air, and Yoruichi could only hope that she had sense enough to run after seeing the attack.

What the hell was that? The common girl was the easier, more visible target. Why wouldn't the Hollow have gone for her instead?

But such questions would have to wait for later. Yoruichi swung one leg out when the Hollow extricated its hand from the wall and took a downward swipe at her. Her foot struck the palm dead centre and pushed it back. Then, wasting no time, she surged forward, launching herself into the air and aiming a punch directly for the white mask on her foe's face.

The Hollow jerked its head to the side, just barely evading her attack. Out of the corner of her eye, Yoruichi saw it open its maw for a bite. She twisted in the air in a neat dodge, and used the momentum to ram her elbow into the mask with more force. Bone cracked under her assault and she landed lightly, knowing that the threat was gone.

A roar of frustration pierced the air, and the Hollow made another enraged lunge for her. One last, desperate attempt to destroy her.

Yoruichi maintained her ground and smirked at this feeble effort. "Sorry. Looks like you lose."

As the mask cracked even further, the Hollow faded out of existence, the last thing to disappear being those inhuman glowing eyes. The only indications that it had ever been here were the hole in the wall and the corpse on the street. And maybe if she had been faster, there would not even have been that. Well. She supposed that could not have been helped this time, and there was no reason to berate herself for that.

Sighing, Yoruichi brushed a little dust off her sleeve, thankful that the sickening aura of Hollow was finally gone. She had to wonder if she would ever get used to that kind of feeling; some of the soldiers were known to vomit when they first felt it, which was hardly helpful in a combat situation unless one was trying to disgust the enemy.

A tiny bit of nausea remained, though. Yoruichi paused and scanned the surrounding area in search of the source. This was unmistakably the feeling of another Hollow, if a weak one. She'd never heard of them traveling in packs, though; they seemed to be solitary creatures. Maybe they were changing to suit the resistance that her people had been putting up.

She caught movement in the shadows, and braced herself as the figure stepped into the relative light of the street. But then she relaxed her posture, blinking, and a smile twitched onto her lips.

Unhesitantly, she stepped forward, arms lazily hanging at her sides. "Well, what have we here? Hiding out with your bigger friend, were you?"

Before her crawled what would have looked at first glance to be a normal lizard. However, the little cowl of bone, the hole through its chest, and the red eyes shining with an unholy glow gave it away as the other Hollow she'd sensed. It could not have been much longer than her forearm, nor did it have the same fearsome claws as its predecessor.

Yoruichi bent down and snagged the little Hollow by the back with one hand. The creature shrieked and thrashed in response, trying to snap at her face with bloody teeth, and she could not help but laugh. It was actually rather cute, like an angry kitten.

"Oh, how fearsome you are!" she teased. Shrugging one shoulder, she slid her pack down to her free wrist. "Relax; I'm not going to kill you like I did your companion. Since you're so small and feisty, I figure I can take you to see a friend of mine. I'm sure he'll be pleased to meet you."

The Hollow continued to flail about even as she shoved it into her pack. Once she had the flap closed, she secured it onto her back. She spared a glance at the corpse and shrugged. Whatever happened with the man now was out of her hands; the local authorities would handle everything.

Yoruichi turned to head back to the manor, blending easily into the shadows along the way. The only sound came from the struggling Hollow in her pack.

---

The wind was blowing in his face. Kisuke hated that; it annoyed him to no end. How was he supposed to sleep with an open window?

He had been the one to leave it open, of course. If anyone asked, he would simply say that he had forgotten to close it before taking to bed, and that it was far too much effort now to get up and rectify the situation. Walking thirteen steps to the window was so troublesome, after all. He would endure.

Kisuke did not bother to open his eyes when he heard the lightest of footsteps and shuffles coming from the direction of the open window. Not one twitch of his body betrayed that he had even heard a thing, and he still lay in a perfectly undignified sprawl.

Seven, eight, nine . . . He counted the steps out of mere habit, unable to notice any tension or hurry within the footfalls. His guest was calm. Good. It was such a terrible thing for a guest to be agitated. What a poor host he would have been if he allowed such a travesty.

A weight settled just above his hips, and a finger poked him in the chest. Goodness, how presumptuous.

"Open your damned lazy eyes, Kisuke. I know you're not sleeping."

Slowly, he obliged, making a big show of blinking to clear his vision even though it was not the slightest bit blurry. He felt a lopsided grin curve his lips at the sight that greeted him. "Ah, Yoruichi. My, don't you look lovely this evening? This humble young engineer is flattered that you would come visit in such personal fashion."

Yoruichi sat astride his chest, clothed from head to toe, unfortunately. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail – an indication that she had been out scouting, especially since it was a mess – and her eyes practically glowed in the half-light of the kidou lamp on his wall. She did make for a rather tempting sight, in all truth.

She rolled her eyes. "Flattered. I'm sure. Just keep your hands where I can see them, lech. I'm not here for that tonight."

Kisuke sighed dramatically. "Oh how you dash the hopes of a young man who has just had a beautiful woman steal into his bedchamber in the middle of the night!" He chuckled. "So what does bring you here at this hour, great princess?"

Granted, she had not moved from where she was sitting on him, but in all likelihood that was just meant as a tease and not an invitation. Yoruichi was never coy when she decided she wanted to be physical with him. If she said she wasn't hear for a tryst, then it was the truth. Perhaps another night.

"As if you weren't expecting me. I know you can't sleep with the wind in your face; you never leave the window open unless you think I'm coming." She shifted a little on him, and he drew in a sharp breath. He wasn't even sure she was actually trying to tease him with that action or not; she seemed pretty intent on just getting the backpack off her shoulders. "I brought you a gift. Think it might have actually fallen asleep on the way back home. Be careful with it. Had a hell of a time not breaking the thing in half on the trip."

Eyes alight with cheerful mischief, Kisuke opened the flap and carefully slipped one hand inside. His fingers grazed against scales, and he lifted his eyebrows, giving Yoruichi an almost disbelieving look. He firmly gripped the small body – well, that was what he presumed it was – and pulled it out of the pack.

He barely noticed when Yoruichi climbed off of him; it only registered because he sat up to examine the wonderful scientific treasure he now held in one hand. Oh, it was everything he had heard about. Well, aside from the fact that it was far smaller than how the creatures were typically described. The head seemed to be made entirely of a bone mask, and a distinctive pulse of reiatsu had him feeling slightly queasy. And there was a hole through its chest about two fingers wide. Had the eyes been open, Kisuke knew he would have been greeted by a menacing red glow.

It was just delightful. Completely, utterly delightful. He finally had a Hollow in his hands.

"You are a most gracious and generous lady to have gone out of your way to acquire this for me. If there is anything you wish of me, you've only to ask." The second statement was half teasing, half serious. Whatever way she wished to take it worked out just fine for him.

The Hollow stirred in his hands, and he instinctively patted it on the head to soothe it back to sleep. No need for it to wake up until he got it into the laboratory and could confine it properly. Such a fascinating little specimen. He could hardly wait to begin his research.

In fact, why wait at all? Kisuke swung his legs off the bed, wincing as his bare feet touched the cold stone floor. Terrible thing, a cold floor was. Perhaps he should devise a heating system for that one day, when he felt like working on something more practical. Tonight, though, he simply pulled on the sandals he kept at his bedside just for occasions such as these.

He stood with great care, so as not to disturb his new research subject. He smiled sincerely in Yoruichi's direction. "Would you care to accompany me, or do you not share my level of curiosity?"

Yoruichi stretched in very feline fashion despite the fact that she was in her natural shape, and let out a loud yawn that ill befit a noble lady. "Easy for you to have all that energy; you didn't go out fighting tonight. Enjoy your new little pet, Kisuke. In the meantime, I'll make sure that your bed sees proper use tonight."

Grinning, Kisuke watched as Yoruichi got back onto his bed and wriggled herself under the covers. She truly was tired if she decided not to make the short trip to the manor proper. But he knew from past encounters that she would be up with the sun and thus be long gone by the time it occurred to him to return.

"We simply could not have something not put to proper use, now could we? Pleasant dreams, old friend."

He waved a hand to dispel the light from the kidou lamp, and the room flickered into darkness. Turning to leave, he stubbed his toe on the doorframe that he could barely make out, and hissed in pain. Well, at least he hadn't awakened the Hollow.

"You do realize that if you break that thing, I'm not getting you another one, right?"

Kisuke blinked at Yoruichi's sleepy question, then shook his head ruefully. Then, quite a bit more cautiously, he stepped through the doorway and journeyed down to his laboratory. He had a long and interesting night ahead of him.

---

The Shihouin family grounds were quite lovely, Sousuke had to admit. He watched them through the window of his guest quarters, appreciating the wild display of colour on the trees that marked the autumn season. Instead of being garish, they complemented the landscape very well. The gardeners here were doubtless very talented. It was such a chore for the ones back home to beautify his grounds in such a manner.

"Such a pretty day out, ain't it, Aizen-sama? 'Cept it's a little cold."

He chuckled warmly at Gin's assertion, turning to find the boy with his feet resting on the table and idly tossing a knife into the air and catching it easily. Well, wasn't he relaxed today? Then again, Gin was rarely tense, and Sousuke had long since found this to be a very valuable trait. It was one of the reasons that he had taken him in.

"Oh yes, quite lovely," he replied. He lifted one eyebrow a little. "I do hope you have been careful not to let on to anyone that you are armed, Gin. It would be most inconvenient for that fact to be discovered."

Gin tilted his head back, regarding him upside-down as he continued to skillfully flip the knife. "Nah, I've been careful with that. Nobody suspects nothin'. Hope it gets to see some use, though."

It had been a week since their arrival in the Shihouin territory, and Sousuke had been playing the role of the humble foreign leader to the hilt. He had endured all of the tedious meetings and petty niceties that came with being a guest, all the while having Gin familiarize himself with the grounds and the staff. Whether this matter turned to bloodshed was yet to be seen, but it was best to be prepared for such possibilities.

He was hardly surprised to hear Gin voice a hope for bloodshed to happen; Sousuke had never before or since met a child with the same giddy delight at the prospect of violence. Even as a ragged boy of eight, Gin had enjoyed a good kill.

"Let us not hope too fervently. It would be better for my purposes should we not have the need to kill anyone on this excursion." His voice grew slightly sterner at his next words. "Do not draw your weapon in public without due cause."

"Ain't gonna let me have any fun, are ya?" Gin asked with an exaggerated pout. "How mean. But I got the message. Not until an order, or somebody comes after me first."

A knock at the door ended the conversation, and before Sousuke could even give Gin a commanding look, the boy had tucked the knife back into his sleeve and was standing up as straight as he ever did. Such a helpful find, the boy was. Violent tendencies, intelligence, and a complete lack of remorse. And all had been part of him even before Sousuke had found him.

Sousuke bid the visitor to enter, finding it to be his escort to the front of the manor where the head of the Shihouin awaited him. Finally, his trip here was going to yield some relevant information in the form of a tour of the family's scientific laboratories. It was only prudent that he see what they had discovered about his little creations, after all.

In truth, it was the main reason for his trip. The engineers in the Shihouin employ had a reputation of being the best in their field; if anyone were able to figure out his Hollows, it would likely be them. Such an inconvenience it would be if they learned too much.

And if they already had, Sousuke would find a way to remedy the situation.

He looked over his shoulder at Gin. "I shall return within a few hours' time. Do make the effort to stay out of trouble."

"Oh, you know what a good boy I am, Aizen-sama," Gin replied with a half serious bow. "No trouble here."

Sousuke did not bother to hide his smile as he allowed his escort to lead him out. He had no reason to order Gin to stay at the guest quarters; the boy could do what he wished so long as he did not raise undue suspicion. And it would not do to keep such a valuable asset on a tight leash. He needed the people under him capable of thinking for themselves.

The trip to the laboratories was a pleasantly uneventful one, Sousuke making polite small talk with his escort. He didn't care one whit about the man's life, of course, but it was amusing to see the confused and flattered look on his face as he tried to fathom that a nobleman would take the time to speak to him in such friendly fashion. Let it not be said that Sousuke did not know how to make a good impression even on the most insignificant of souls.

But once they reached the laboratory entrance, he focused his attention on the more important figure of Shihouin Hiroto. After all, it would not be proper to fail to give this province's lord his due. The escort unobtrusively made his exit, and Sousuke offered his host a cordial bow.

"Good morning, Shihouin-sama," he said smoothly. "The day finds you well, I hope? I must thank you for affording me this opportunity to find if there is a way to help my people."

Hiroto snorted. "You can stop it with that, Aizen. We're equal in standing; using the title makes it sound like you're just trying to flatter me with pretty words. I don't take kindly to being shown false reverence." He shrugged, a most undignified gesture for a man of such noble bearing. But then, the Shihouin nobility seemed to be rife with such gestures. "The day finds me well enough. And the thanks are patently unnecessary; the Hollows are starting to become a problem, and people should be learning how to solve it."

Sousuke chuckled in a show of self-consciousness. "Ah, my apologies. I suppose I am still new enough in my position that I sometimes forget I hold it. But I shall not retract my thanks."

He nearly laughed again when Hiroto rolled his eyes, perhaps marveling at the awkwardness of the new young lord before him, and motioning for him to follow inside. Of course Sousuke never forgot his position; he had worked quite diligently to get there so early in his life. That his parents had to die for it was not a matter that bothered him in the slightest.

And all official records stated that they had wasted away from illness.

Sousuke had to lift an eyebrow as they descended into the laboratories. They were little like his personal ones at home, looking like a whirlwind had passed through and the engineers had not yet gotten around to reorganizing. Parchment and scrolls lay scattered about on the tables, even on the floor, and brushes rested in the most unusual places, spots of dried ink puddled beside them.

Brilliance hidden within chaos, perhaps? Sousuke could only assume.

"Don't let the mess fool you," came Hiroto's amused voice. "Osamu and Kisuke aren't the tidiest of people, but they manage to do good work."

The assurance counted for something. For all that some of their habits were less than couth, the Shihouin did seem to have high standards when it came to their work, or the work of those in their employ. That Hiroto would say something to validate the reputation of the Urahara only further spoke to the truth of that reputation.

Sousuke kept his expression calm and passive even though a slight noxious feeling passed through him. Had he not known better, he would have thought this sensation to be the result of chemical fumes. The laboratory did have a rather pungent scent to it thanks to various unknown substances. But he knew this feeling. He knew it very well as he was the one to create and refine its source.

The Urahara were keeping a Hollow in this laboratory.

Interesting. Had they captured one, or had they discovered a creation method of their own? Either way, he would have to do something about the situation, most especially if the latter was the case. For if the Urahara knew how to create Hollows, they might well find irritatingly effective means to destroy them as well. He simply could not have that.

Perhaps he could call the engineers on their little research subject, presuming that Hiroto knew nothing of its existence. The man had never said anything about having a Hollow in custody during the week, but that did not necessarily mean that he knew every experiment that crossed the tables of his engineers. Even if keeping a Hollow was something that an engineer should have apprised his lord of.

So he held his tongue for now, smiling benevolently as he and Hiroto approached a man leaning over one of the tables, hard at work at one thing or another. The man was alone, so the other engineer must have been away conducting his own experiments. Had Sousuke been so inclined at the moment, he might have cast out his senses for the other's reiatsu, but he would save that for when it might be needed.

"Lost yourself in your work, Osamu? You knew we were coming." Hiroto's casual tone indicated a long familiarity with the engineer.

Osamu looked up at that, mirth evident in the blue-grey eyes on his pale face. A face that probably did not see much sunlight, only the harsh brightness of indoor lamps as he worked tirelessly on some project. The unkempt blond hair was a further sign that he devoted himself utterly to his science, uncaring of whether or not he looked presentable.

It was a foolish thing, that. Appearances were important, if only as a tool.

"Now what makes you think I was unaware of your being here?" Osamu asked, voice far more congenial than what Sousuke had expected from someone who probably had limited social interaction. "But I saw no reason to interrupt my own work when I knew you'd do it for me. How could I deny the lord his privilege?" His eyes shifted over to Sousuke, and he performed a facetious bow. "And this must be our guest. You honour me with your presence, Aizen-dono."

Well. What a pleasant fellow he was. Yet even so, there was a dangerous sort of intelligence behind those eyes. Where most would have only seen a friendly man, Sousuke saw the potential threat, unintentional though it might have been.

"My presence is no more an honour than that of any other man, but I appreciate the welcome. I only hope that your work can provide the needed aid."

He could play the courtesy game, and play it well. There was, after all, no better way to glean information than to cultivate trust. Presenting himself as humble and unassuming rarely grew old for that very reason. And when it did, he still had those to whom he would show his true face.

Or rather, he had those who could see his true face. So few paid enough attention.

"Well, a discovery is of little good unless it can be put to use," Osamu replied. "There hasn't been much to study, unfortunately, since one can hardly bring back a live sample, and there's no such thing as a sample of a dead Hollow. But without the venture, how can we hope to gain?"

"Ever the optimist, aren't you?" Hiroto's rejoinder was delivered with an air of playfulness, further hinting at a bond of friendship with the engineer. "You have nearly nothing, and it still doesn't bother you."

Interesting. Hardly a way to bring back a live sample? Was that a play of ignorance to hide the Hollow that was here, or was he truly unaware of its presence? The captive Hollow was not a powerful one, and could be easily missed by the senses. But unless properly confined, the creature would run amok in its search for sustenance. There was no way that it could be within these walls without the attention of either engineer.

So. The other one, was it? Kisuke, he believed the man's name was. Someone of great resources to have found or created a Hollow of his own. And so secretive about the research, too, if he was the only one who knew about it. That was suspicious in and of itself. Perhaps it was time for the project to come to light.

Sousuke let a bit of his reiatsu slip. Not enough to catch suspicion, but it should certainly gain the Hollow's attention. "We must all start somewhere, and there are worse default states than optimism."

---

Technically, Kisuke should have been out in the main laboratory with his father to meet with the visiting lord. He knew that. But he just couldn't find it in himself to take time away from his newest research subject to see a man that he had never met. An old friend, he might have made time for, perhaps with much insistence on the friend's part. But a stranger? He just wasn't so inclined.

So he had begged off the meeting, telling his father that he was working on a personal project that couldn't wait. Though his father had lifted a questioning eyebrow, he'd let it go as Kisuke knew he would. Who were either of them to stand in the way of science?

Kisuke watched with interest as the tiny Hollow once more gnawed at the walls of the kidou barrier he was using to confine it. That had been a most fascinating discovery; at first, he'd assumed that the Hollow was merely trying to escape, but then it became clear that it was actually using the reiatsu for sustenance.

And that fact would indicate that a Hollow preferred to choose its targets by how much reiatsu any particular person generated. While that would generally point them in the direction of those who could defend themselves, there were many untrained people in the world, ones that gave off enough reiatsu to make themselves a meal. Perhaps if he could develop some more reliable way to assess someone's spiritual potential, and make it widely available, he could plot the likeliest locations for a Hollow attack. Or at the very least, make it easier for those with ability to be identified and trained.

He blinked when the little Hollow's eyes flashed. Odd. There was an unfamiliar reiatsu in the main laboratory, but until now, the Hollow had not seemed to take notice of its presence. Certainly, the reiatsu had slipped a little bit, but was the Hollow really so sensitive to such a minute change?

Evidently it was, if its next actions were any indication. The Hollow's reiatsu flared, causing a wave of nausea to ripple through Kisuke so quickly that he was almost unable to suppress his gag reflex. But he could not do the same for his reaction to the next thing that happened.

Kisuke yelped and jumped backward as the little Hollow opened its maw and fired out a concentrated beam of red light. Some primitive form of kidou, maybe? Considering that it blew wide holes in both the kidou barrier and the wall, he would have to say that such was a safe assessment. For a few seconds, curiosity took over. Could they all do that? Was it made from the reiatsu they consumed? Could they regulate the power of the beam, or was it fixed based upon the strength of the individual?

But then reason reasserted itself. The Hollow had broken its confines and it was . . . headed for the main laboratory. Damn. Having secretly kept a Hollow was something he doubted was going to go over very well, even though Shihouin Hiroto did have a certain tolerance for Kisuke and his father to have their own personal projects, separate from anything commissioned. And there could not have been a worse time for this mishap to occur.

Kisuke raced through the door, as the hole was far to small for him to simply have run through himself. Maybe there wasn't any point in rushing like this, all things considered, but he couldn't exactly help his instinct.

He brought himself up short at the sight of Hiroto, who regarded him with flinty eyes. But even worse than the harsh gaze was the fact that the man now held the Hollow in his grip, its legs tied together in the grasp of a binding kidou. The Hollow hissed and struggled, but Hiroto paid it no mind; all of his attention was focused upon him.

Kisuke laughed nervously. "Ah, my lord, please accept my humblest apologies," he said with affected cheer. In these kinds of situations, it was always best to present as normal a front as possible. "It seems that charming little fellow got overexcited and slipped his bounds. No one was hurt, I trust?"

Truthfully, beyond spraying the room's occupants with the dust from the exploding wall, there seemed to be little harm done. His father regarded him with resigned frustration, used to the occasional mishap. Their guest seemed more bewildered than anything else, brown eyes blinking about the room in sheer disbelief.

"You are unharmed, Aizen?" Hiroto asked, voice as hard as the eyes that did not move from Kisuke. After he received acknowledgement, he continued. "What is the meaning of this, Kisuke? How is it that you've come to have a Hollow in your possession?" Here, his gaze finally flicked away, but only to glare at another. "Osamu. Did you know anything about what your son was researching? Do not lie to me, old friend."

Kisuke shook his head minutely at his father. No, he'd known nothing about this, and Kisuke didn't want him to take any of the blame for the fallout. "This was all –"

"We've discussed the possibility in the past," his father broke in, shooting him the briefest of stern looks. "Purely for defensive purposes, you understand . . ."

Hiroto's eyes narrowed further, as though trying to bore the truth out of his mind. What Kisuke's father said was not a lie, for they indeed had discussed Hollow research several times, but this particular experiment was his alone. Some selfish part of him wanted it to be his own special project, and so he had hoarded it away.

"He didn't know anything about this specimen." Kisuke would not have his father act as his shield. "The work was mine alone."

Had Kisuke been paying more attention to Sousuke, he might have seen the man's brows lift minutely and a calculating look flash through his eyes. As it was, he kept his attention on his own lord in the hopes of diffusing this situation in as quick and clean a fashion as possible.

Hiroto switched his attention back to him. "And what exactly is the nature of this work? Did you acquire this specimen, Kisuke, or did you create it?"

"I didn't acquire it," Kisuke said softly. Technically, that was the truth; he hadn't left the grounds in search of Hollows. That had been Yoruichi's doing, and he was not about to implicate her in something this serious. "But nor did I create it."

"You make no sense. One or the other, Kisuke."

"My apologies for interjecting," Sousuke's smooth voice slid into the conversation, his eyes trained on Osamu. "But did you not say that it would not be feasible to capture a live specimen? If that is the case, the creation theory is all that makes sense."

This brought Kisuke up short. His father had said that? Thus in allowing the Hollow to get free, he had placed the both of them in a very dangerous corner. He should have strengthened the barrier, at least. But that was the past, and therefore useless. He could only hope that there was something to salvage from the present.

"I did say that, yes," his father admitted, face paler than usual. "But saying that something isn't feasible is not quite the same as saying that it is impossible. It could be that –"

"Enough," Hiroto snapped. "Any more attempts to speak here will only damn you further, old friend. Either you or Kisuke is lying, hiding something, or both. You cannot be considered reliable sources. Consider yourselves under investigation, effective immediately. As for this . . ." He held the little Hollow higher for a moment, before muttering a quick chant that caused it to burst into flames and eventually dissolve to nothing. "There is no reason for its continued existence, no matter its origin."

Kisuke's mind raced, trying to find some mitigating circumstance without bringing up Yoruichi's name. "My lord, if I could have just a moment . . ."

"The same goes for you as for your father, Kisuke. Your words cannot be trusted, so do not waste your breath. The two of you will be detained until further notice." Hiroto's eyes, generally hard even under normal circumstances, narrowed almost to slits, sharper than a newly-forged knife. "Come without protest; I do not wish to use force with either of you, so do us all a favour and not make it necessary."

In spite of this order, Kisuke opened his mouth to protest, but then caught his father's sharp look. He knew what that meant – that he should fall silent before he made the situation even worse for the both of them. Hair falling into his eyes, he nodded in agreement.

This whole thing should pass, anyway. There was no solid evidence either way, which meant that he and his father would be released following the investigation.

Even so, Kisuke's hands clenched as he fell into step beside his father, and ahead of Hiroto and Sousuke. How could he have been so foolish as to allow this to happen? He would admit to being somewhat absent-minded at times, but most certainly not lax. If it had not been for that sudden flare of reiatsu, then the Hollow would have remained safely hidden away from disapproving eyes.

"I do apologize for my insinuation, Hiroto-dono. I did not mean to cause such a scandal over those in your employ."

Hiroto growled irritably. "Save your apologies, Aizen. You are not the one who has done wrong here today, and this excessive politeness does nothing to assuage my mood."

It wasn't until he and his father were locked away in separate cells that Kisuke realized that the reiatsu flare that had driven his Hollow specimen mad had come from Sousuke.

---

Yoruichi let down her hair for the night, and flopped onto her bed in a most undignified fashion. Today, it hadn't been her wandering impulses that caused her such weariness. Instead it had been a solid day of training in both her kidou and hand-to-hand abilities. She kept pace with her instructors more than well enough, but several hours of constant motion was rather tiring.

She rubbed absently at her sore muscles, wondering if she should call in Soifon to prepare a bath for her. Then again, calling her would not have been necessary; the girl always came to her chamber on her own during this hour, to help prepare her for bed and report any interesting happenings that had taken place in her absence.

And sure enough, the soft footsteps greeted Yoruichi's ears, and she glanced to the side to see Soifon's tiny frame approaching her. As usual, the girl's head was bowed in obeisance, her hands folded demurely in front of her. Yoruichi had tried to get her to stop such subservient displays, but Soifon balked so much at the mere suggestion that she had decided to allow some of the petty formalities to remain in place.

But there seemed to be something heavier about her tonight. Never one to allow her curiosity to fester, Yoruichi called her on it. "What's got you so sombre, Little Bee? Even for you, this is excessive."

Soifon managed to raise her eyes, expression tentative yet determined. "I have some news that you might find quite distressing, Yoruichi-hime. I would ask that you do not order me to tell you; I've no wish to upset you."

"Silly girl. You can't say you have distressing news and then not deliver it. That doesn't help." Yoruichi's brows lifted in inquiry. Whatever the news was, she could handle it. "Now talk. That's an order."

Blushing, Soifon looked away for a moment, as though gathering her courage. Her voice was surprisingly steady and strong when she next spoke. "This afternoon, Urahara Osamu and Urahara Kisuke were placed under arrest on suspicion of Hollow creation. They are being detained in the south quarter of the grounds until the investigation concludes and they are brought to trial."

What? Yoruichi shot upright, staring down at Soifon in disbelief. "Suspicion of Hollow creation? How in the hell did that happen?"

"I . . ." Soifon's voice faltered in response to this show of emotion. "I am unaware of all the details, Yoruichi-hime. But from what I was able to glean, there was a Hollow secreted in the laboratories that broke loose and attacked Aizen-dono while he was touring the facility. The arrest was made by your lord father himself."

Yoruichi growled under his breath. Damn it, but Kisuke could be an idiot sometimes. For all the supposed genius that he possessed, the man was irritatingly stupid at times. He'd let the Hollow she'd given him get free? Or had he actually made one himself using the data that he would have collected from his research? That last one she would not have put past him. And even though the intention behind it would not have been for ill – Kisuke was mischievous, but not cruel – that would not help the charges laid against him and his father.

Her lips tightened. "I see. I think that I need to know a few more things about the situation as it stands, though."

"Shall I tell Hiroto-sama that you wish to see him?"

"No. He is not the source I need." Yoruichi rose from her bed, and went to lift open her window. She fixed Soifon with a commanding look over her shoulder. "I will return as soon as I'm satisfied with the information I get. Tell no one that I've left this room tonight."

She did not wait for any confirmation; Soifon would do as she was told without question, out of fear of disappointing her should she do otherwise. Yoruichi closed her eyes, concentrating on altering her form. Clothing fell away from her as she shrank, dark fur grew from her skin as a sinuous tail and erect ears formed from seemingly nothing.

Yoruichi pulled herself free of the cloth now pooled on the floor, tail lashing as she had a bit of trouble extricating one back paw. She hissed in disgust at the delay before she leaped onto the window frame and then into the night.

Stealth was so much easier this way; she was small, she blended in with the darkness, and not everyone on the grounds knew of her shapeshifting capability. As an added bonus, her feline eyes easily pierced the black sky and she had no need of any additional lighting to find her way.

The only down side to the cat form was that she would not be able to throttle Kisuke for his stupidity. He tended to need that, or at least deserve it, and she was the only one who would do it on a regular basis.

She deftly wound her way through the standard patrols, angling herself toward the detention area where she could sense Kisuke's reiatsu. Idiot man. Just . . . Idiot. Perhaps she would still throttle him after his release, once she had proven his innocence. Or at least his lack of evil intent.

At last, she approached the detention building and hopped onto the window ledge. The tiny window was open enough that she could squeeze through if she so desired, but she remained on the outside. She could pick out Kisuke's form within the cell, hunched up against the wall in another sad attempt to convince the world that he was asleep.

"I never fall for that, you know," she said in a low tone, her voice in this form taking on a deeper and distinctly more masculine sound. "So how about you stop with the silly pretenses and tell me just how the hell you wound up in here?"

Kisuke actually jumped a little. Had she really caught him off guard? She knew for an indisputable fact that he had not been sleeping. The only other explanation would be that he had not been paying attention. And that was a very bad sign. Kisuke always paid attention to his surroundings, regardless of how oblivious he acted.

"Yoruichi?" His voice was quiet to match hers, and his grey eyes fixed on her yellow ones. It was probably about all he could see of her. "Always to the point, of course. Though if you knew to come here, surely you're aware of what happened today. Or did you just come to hear it again from a more entertaining source?"

Yoruichi hissed at his flippancy. "I'm not here to be entertained, Kisuke. I need details on how you were so stupid as to be arrested on suspicion of Hollow creation." Her eyes narrowed viciously. "You didn't figure out how to make one and actually put it into practice, did you?"

Rising to his feet at that, Kisuke stepped forward to the window so that he could look her straight in the eye. His normally soft, congenial expression was bitter and irritated. "I am hardly that unintelligent. You know that. The specimen that you acquired for me escaped, is all, and I didn't think it was wise to bring your name into the situation when your father asked how I came to be in possession of it."

Stupid man. He'd had a way to be charged with a lesser crime, and he hadn't taken it. Yoruichi would have crossed her arms defensively had her current shape allowed for the posture. Perhaps clawing at his face would assuage her mood instead. Her paw would slide neatly through the half-open window, and he was standing in range . . .

"I told you already that I don't need you to worry over me," she replied, managing to suppress the impulse for violence. "Maybe I would have gotten in trouble. But not dreadfully much, and you would not have a possible death sentence hanging over your head." She regarded him pointedly. "And your father's."

The anger faded from Kisuke's features, settling instead into a blank expression, and his shoulders dropped a little. Perhaps it had not been kind of her to point out how serious the repercussions of his actions could be, but he'd needed to hear it. It was not just himself that he had endangered this time.

Still, her eyes softened, just a bit. "I'll have a few words with my father, and get this straightened out. And then you need to promise to never be this stupid again. And you have to mean it."

She turned to leave, but Kisuke's voice stopped her.

"Yoruichi, wait!" He regarded her seriously, clearly waiting to make sure that he had her attention before he continued. "A talk with your father will not resolve anything. I didn't figure out the creation process for Hollows, but I had started to, and it's all there in my research notes. You know how the judges will interpret such evidence, and how even your father will. If you want to help us, then more aggressive countermeasures are in order."

At this, she gave him her full attention once again. That was quite a turn of phrase he had chosen to use. "Oh? And what exactly do you suggest? Make the explanation quick, though; a guard patrol should be passing by any minute, and you're not supposed to be talking to anybody."

"I admit I've little basis to think this intentional, but it struck me as strange nonetheless." Kisuke's voice was even more quiet than before, and Yoruichi had to rotate her ears forward to ensure that she could hear him. "You know that the Hollow escaped during lord Aizen Sousuke's visit to the laboratory, correct? It reacted to a slip of reiatsu, and that reiatsu belonged to him."

Yoruichi blinked. That was quite an accusation that Kisuke was making, and on rather flimsy evidence, if she did say so herself. Kisuke's brain tended to jump in all sorts of directions where hers just could not follow. She did not doubt that he believed what he said, but she needed more to go on than that.

"You said yourself that it could have been an accident. What makes you think this was anything more than that?"

Kisuke sighed. "It's not just that. But combined with the fact that he turned some of my father's own words against us on how we could have possessed a Hollow . . . In hindsight, it seems a little too smooth. A little too clean."

"He does have that way about him." Yoruichi tilted her head at this new piece of information, tail swaying in the darkness as she thought. Come to think of it, Sousuke was a man of such composure that it was difficult to believe that he would accidentally lose control of his reiatsu. Hm. "So. He's the target, is he? Too bad I can only collect evidence and not just outright kill him; it would make this more expedient."

It was nice to hear Kisuke chuckle, even if the sound was much less wicked than the one she would have let out had she been in his position. Though she supposed that some people would find the fact that he'd laughed at all to be rather disturbing.

"Always with those assassin's instincts. Perhaps you should at least save them until after he's tried."

She gave him a friendly flick of her tail, even though she doubted he could see it, and darted off in the direction of her chamber. If she were going to sneak around for incriminating evidence, then she needed to be well-rested to keep her thoughts clear. Tomorrow, her search would begin in earnest.

---

Damn man. It was as though he knew.

Yoruichi made another secret trip to the guest house, hoping that she would find it empty this time. In the past three days, Sousuke had scarcely left it, and even when he had, that child he'd brought remained behind. Ichimaru Gin, according to Soifon's information, and were the situation less dire, Yoruichi might have smiled at the level of hatred she felt for the boy after only a single meeting.

Taking him out of the equation would only draw suspicion on herself, so she needed to wait until they were both gone in order to sneak her way inside. Though she might have broken in anyway, in this case. Kisuke's trial was set to start within an hour's time. She was out of options.

The trees in the yard cast long shadows over her in the afternoon's sun as she attuned her senses to find any familiar reiatsu patterns; both Sousuke and Gin were powerful enough spiritually to give off a signature aura, and she knew each of them well enough by now. When she did not sense them, her tension lightened somewhat. Not completely. It was possible, after all, that they were able to force their presence down to nearly nothing.

But she would never get a better chance than this.

A quick glance about her surroundings to ensure that she remained unseen, then Yoruichi was off to the guest house in a blaze of speed that may well have rendered her check for observers redundant. But caution was always best in these matters.

The locked door was no obstacle. Yoruichi removed one of her hairpins and inserted it into the lock. After a few experimental prods and twists, she head the satisfying thunk of the locking mechanism being disarmed. She hurriedly placed the hairpin back into its proper spot and slipped inside the guest house, silently closing the door behind her.

She ignored the luxurious appointment of the room, easily done having grown up in such finery. And she was not here to admire the furnishings, at any rate. Yoruichi disdained the sitting room as a possible hiding place for the information she required; it would be too vulnerable in such a commonly accessed area. Similarly, she paid no mind to the small kitchen. Easy access, too much risk.

The sleeping quarters were her best bet, and she headed toward them straight away. Guests were afforded a certain amount of privacy, and she surmised that Sousuke would have taken every advantage that he could. If he had truly calculated his reiatsu slip in order to reveal the Hollow and set today's trials in motion, then he was a meticulous person who would hide any incriminating information very well.

Reiatsu buzzed against her senses when she entered the bedchamber, and she frowned. Kidou barriers around the baggage and drawers. All of them. Yoruichi honestly doubted that everything shielded held something incriminating; it was more likely that it was either a standard safety precaution for the man when he traveled, or a chance to slow down anyone who might have been inclined to snoop around for the kind of information that she wished to obtain.

Damn over-prepared bastard.

With a muttered curse, she decided to start with the baggage. Perhaps he thought it best to keep something of this nature in a vessel that he actually owned. She winced when the kidou barrier around the bag snapped and pressed down on her fingers with surprising force, but she would not be deterred. This was far too important for her to give up on so easily.

She pooled reiatsu into her hand, hoping to simply overpower the barrier. But the shield did not budge under her assault, and she hissed in frustration. Clearly, Sousuke was a powerful kidou wielder to have created such a strong defense; Yoruichi's reiatsu was far from weak and would have easily broken through any average security measure.

Taking a deep breath, Yoruichi reined in her temper. Anger here would do her no favours. If force didn't work, she would simply have to apply a more deft touch, akin to the way that she picked the lock on the door. Kidou was far more difficult to unravel than anything corporeal, in her experience, though Kisuke possessed rather a talent for it. Hopefully, this would not eat away at too much of her time.

Carefully, Yoruichi threaded her reiatsu through the areas of the shield that offered the least resistance. It was rough going to find these places, for no part of the barrier could have been considered weak, but with heavy concentration she was able to find them. Another moment of focus to put pressure on the stronger areas from the inside . . .

The barrier shattered to nothing under this assault, and Yoruichi made quick mental map of where the weak points were. Knowing that would save her a considerable amount of time should she need to search through several places before finding what she desired.

She rifled through the pack, but found nothing in it but clothing. No time to get annoyed. She needed to move on to the next thing. When she did, however, a scowl creased her features in spite of her determination to remain unaffected by a lack of success.

This kidou shield had a different pattern than the first, and from that, she was willing to wager that each shield was held together in a unique fashion. Her mental map was useless. Damn. And the worst part about it all was that she didn't have any other choice but to proceed, or Kisuke's life would be forfeit.

She forced herself to relax, to get her thoughts in order. Another few moments, and this barrier fell under her careful touch. And so on down the line as she found nothing at all of interest. She'd only half an hour now. Perhaps less.

Yoruichi broke open the fifth drawer with some effort, ready to be frustrated yet again. This time, however, her eyes lighted on a neatly stacked pile of parchment, small letters carefully inked and worn as though written some time ago. She picked up the stack gingerly, so as to avoid crackling the parchment, and she scanned the writing in the hope that her search had at last paid dividends.

A wicked grin formed on her lips. This was what she needed; it was perfect. Or it would have been perfect if not for the kind, silky voice that suddenly spoke up behind her.

"You've found what you were searching for, Yoruichi-hime?"

---

Had he not been the one about to go on trial, Kisuke might have found the whole process very dramatic and quite exciting. The fact that the reiatsu-binding restraints that the guards secured on his arms were an invention of his father's would have made it doubly so. Couldn't have the accused using kidou to make escape attempts, after all. It was simply common sense.

The fact that he was the bound one didn't make it any less sensible. It did, however, make it quite a bit less convenient. His mind was already working on ways to slip out of the restraints, an instinctive reaction whenever he was faced with a problem. He had no intention of falling victim to a death sentence today, whether or not Yoruichi found anything to exonerate both him and his father.

He ducked his head against the chilly breeze that blasted over his face and mussed his hair even more than usual. If he managed to get out of this, he would have to remember to find himself a good, all-purpose hat for the days that he ventured outside. Wind could be such a bother.

Nonetheless, he lifted his head when the breeze passed, and offered one of his escorts a brilliant smile. "Ah, such a lovely day for justice, is it not? A pity that protocol demands trials to be indoors. Should I be sentenced to die, I would have enjoyed a little more fresh air before the punishment comes about. The air inside can be awfully stale sometimes, and especially so in a courtroom, I imagine. What a shame."

One guard gave him a dubious look, and the other scowled at him. Well, that was rather rude. A doomed man deserved a little pleasant conversation, did he not? Kisuke was certain he would have none of that once the trial began.

At least it was as bright within the courthouse as it was outside. Part of him had wondered if the place would be kept dimly lit for atmospheric purposes, to make the criminals nervous, and all that. In fact, Kisuke was almost disappointed that it wasn't; there would have been a certain extra dramatic flair that he would have appreciated in spite of his situation.

The long hallway was nice and showy, at least, guards lined along the walls to further discourage any escape attempts. Or perhaps rescue attempts. Or perhaps both, really. And the extra distance gave him more time to work out in his mind how he could get around the reiatsu-blockage and get out of these restraints.

Unfortunately, he still hadn't figured that one out by the time they reached the end of the hall, and the door opened to reveal the tribunal that would be judging him. If he couldn't work his way out of this, then Yoruichi had better hurry up with that evidence.

"The accused is now present. The trial of Urahara Kisuke shall proceed presently."

---

Yoruichi leveled a glare at Sousuke, her grip tightening on the parchment. How had she not sensed his approach? She had periodically checked for incoming reiatsu during her search, and not once had she caught on to him. And yet here he was, standing in the doorway and looking as mild and unassuming as ever in the face of her anger; she wanted to rip his damned face off for that expression.

"That is hardly the face to wear in front of someone you'd taken to spying upon," he said after she gave him no indication that she would speak. "Would it not be more appropriate for me to be the angry one?"

She eyed him critically. There was no visible tension in his body like there was in hers; the man was not on his guard despite the fact that he had caught her breaking into his guest quarters. He did not consider her a threat.

"You hardly seem angry to me," she retorted. "So you can hardly speak of propriety in this case. And I have every right to feel anger over what you have done."

She did not have the time to be arguing with him. She knew that. But he was standing right in front of her, blocking the quickest escape route and deliberately preying upon her temper. The bastard. She should just snap his neck and bring the evidence to Kisuke's trial.

Sousuke chuckled warmly, folding his arms into his sleeves, his reiatsu plain and strong, yet completely calm. "Such presumption. If I may ask, dear lady . . . What is it that I have done than enrages you so?"

She nearly hit him for that question. How dare he play at ignorance? He knew very well what she was speaking of, the bit of laughter proving it. But the mere presence of his power gave her pause. That was right; he was a powerful kidou wielder. Someone it would have been very ill-advised to have attacked blindly. He probably had defences woven around him.

Her voice was low, and almost a hiss; that much of her emotion, she could not keep at bay. "Do not play innocent. You know what's happening, and you set both Kisuke and his father up. That's plenty."

Sousuke didn't even blink at her accusation. Of course not. Yoruichi wanted to see him react with something beyond that bland face, and he refused to give that to her. She tensed further when he took a step forward, but she could still read no threat in his aura. Surely he intended to stop her. Surely he did.

"I know what currently transpires, yes. I doubt there is a single person on this property that does not." He regarded her with an almost fatherly look that sickened her. "But I think you are mistaken over who is at fault. I merely voiced a concern. Someone else was the source of the Hollow in the laboratories. Either your friend, his father . . ." A slight cast of amusement flashed in his eyes. "Or some unnamed third party, perhaps?"

Her empty hand twitched, wanting to go for his throat. Oh, he was good at this little game, wasn't he? So very subtly implicating her in an effort to make her feel responsible for the situation. To make her either wither in guilt or explode in rage. She would not give him the satisfaction of either. And so she remained still, contemplating how she might get around him.

"Regardless, it is most rude to be reading through another's personal documents." He calmly held out one palm. "I do not suppose you would be willing to return them to me, Yoruichi-hime?"

She scoffed, both hands curling into fists and the parchment crackling at the extra pressure. Damned bastard was still playing at politeness. Some part of Yoruichi wanted to rip his tongue out of his mouth, just so he would stop talking in such insulting fashion.

"Knowing what they contain? I don't have time for your jokes." She allowed a vicious grin to slide onto her face. Making her move now was a gamble, but one that she was prepared to take. "And once the truth is out, you'll rot in hell like you deserve."

Yoruichi darted forward, pulling her free hand back and calling upon a quick kidou in the process. She then pushed the hand toward his face only to have a protective shield vibrate in the air on the spell's impact. Since the attack was only meant to blind Sousuke, she let that much go. However, the way the shield reacted came with an extremely unfortunate side-effect.

"Ugh!"

The vibrations went right through her, disrupting her equilibrium and causing her to stumble to the floor. Worse still, her palms had relaxed, and the sheaf that she had been holding slipped free of her grasp. No time. Damn it, she had no time.

Snatching what few pages she could, Yoruichi managed to squeeze her way through the small space between Sousuke and the door. And once clear of that, she hurried through the rest of the guest house, kicking the front door open when it blocked her path. She needed to get out of here quickly. And then stop for a few minutes to see whether she had managed to hold on to anything that would point to Sousuke's guilt.

For one reason or another, she would be forcing her way into that courtroom in short order.

---

Sousuke blinked several times to dispel the floating blotches of colour in front of his eyes. That was certainly a flashy move that Yoruichi-hime had decided to use, and it had even proven successful in allowing her to escape. Even so, he smiled down at the floor, where his notes and records of Hollow creation lay scattered.

The girl may have fled, but she no longer had the evidence that she had worked so hard to acquire.

Still, Sousuke sighed as he knelt to pick up the pages, scanning each one lightly so that he could put them back in proper order. Such a mess the girl had made. It was most unsightly.

Hm. He paused for a moment, brow lifting in curiosity. A few pages were missing from his notes. So she had managed to palm a few before she ran, had she? That could be inconvenient, though he would credit her determination to get anything at all. That was an admirable trait. Should he ever have occasion to meet her again, it would be useful information to have.

He scrutinized the pages to determine which had gone missing. So often had he poured over this file that he knew easily which subject was on which page. Just what information had the girl managed to procure?

Sousuke smiled as he finished his assessment. Nothing that could have directly incriminated him had been lost. Even so, what she did have might prove useful to her engineer friend – who was possessed of similar dangerous intellect to his father – should she be able to hand it over to him. Avoiding that was preferable.

Rising to his feet, he made certain that the file was neatly organized in his hands. And without bothering to look over his shoulder, he absently issued a command. "She will be on her way to the courthouse. You have my permission, Gin."

The response was predictably cheerful; the grin itself was almost audible. "On my way, Aizen-sama. Thanks for lettin' me have some playtime."

---

Kisuke halted his fidgeting as one of his guards gave him a dark look. When the glare abated, he sagged in relief. Phew. The fidgeting had not been out of nervousness, though the nerves certainly didn't help. Rather, he had been striving yet again to free himself from the reiatsu-blocking restraints.

No luck on that one yet. He certainly had to give his father credit for his exceptional design. In fact, he would make it a point to do so if he got out of this. His father's trial had come and gone, and though he did not yet know the result, Kisuke knew that there remained a bit of hope.

Yoruichi still had time – though precious little of it by now – to show up with evidence against Aizen Sousuke. The guards outside would not be able to stop her even if they tried.

". . . detailed accounts on Hollow physiology, far too complex to have realized without observing a growth process . . ."

Kisuke clenched his jaw at these words. How could someone who was not the least bit scientifically inclined determine how he had obtained his results? It was ridiculous. These judges might know the law, but they did not know engineering. This was little more than a farce. And perhaps a formality.

"Urahara Kisuke," one judge's voice rumbled, and Kisuke instinctively lifted his head. "When did you take these notations on Hollow sustenance?"

He spoke firmly and clearly, unaffected by the attempts at intimidation he had been subjected to during the trial "Approximately five days ago. The day before Aizen Sousuke visited the laboratories and decided to set this in motion."

"Enough!" another judge snapped. "You've no basis for such an accusation, and in case it has escaped your notice, lord Aizen Sousuke is not the one on trial here. Simply answer the questions that you are asked and leave lies and speculations aside. Your attempts to deflect the subject do not help your case."

"He isn't, but maybe he's the one who should be!"

Kisuke shot to his feet, his reiatsu attempting to flare in his anger. But the restraints held firm, even now; clearly, they were designed in such a way that brute force was an unlikely option for escape. No, his temper wasn't helping anything, but he'd be damned if he would sit here quietly and have his words be ignored or trivialized.

A rough hand grabbed hold of his shoulder and forced him back into his seat. Kisuke did not resist this gesture, though he did grind his teeth together in frustration. He would not be heard; that much had been made clear. Without written evidence to clear him, he was not leaving this courtroom without a death sentence.

The judges were deliberating with one another, but he had a feeling that there was little they believed they needed to discuss. A quick poll just to ensure that they were all in agreement.

He worked harder at finding a weak spot in his restraints.

"Urahara Kisuke," the lead judge said. "This tribunal has reached a decision as to your fate. In the absence of any proof that the Hollow discovered in the laboratories had an outside source, in addition to the detailed knowledge written in your research notes, you are hereby declared guilty of the offence of Hollow creation." The judge's voice, impossibly, became even harder. "As such, you are sentenced to death tomorrow at dawn, immediately following the execution of Urahara Osamu."

Kisuke's eyes widened. His father, too? The evidence there would have been even more flimsy than that against him. Unless his father had incriminated himself on Kisuke's behalf, hoping to take some of the pressure off. Which was unfortunately something that the man would do.

He opened his mouth to protest the verdict, but a loud boom echoing in the near distance interrupted him. A bit of a relieved smile made its way onto his lips. Kisuke knew a kidou explosion when he heard one, and in this case, it meant that help was on the way at last.

It was a little more blatant than Yoruichi's usual entrances, but he wasn't about to complain.

---

There were times to be subtle, but this was not one of them. Yoruichi fired off a kidou at the doors of the courthouse as soon as she saw them, and she managed to glean some small bit of satisfaction as they exploded, shaking the ground and spewing out a large cloud of dust. The two guards stationed at the front now lay coughing on the ground, but she paid them no mind.

She burst through the dust cloud and into the hallway full of confused and panicky guards. Though recognition lit in all of their eyes, many still moved forward in an effort to oppose her. Such dedication to their work. Such complete and utter foolishness to stand in the way of their princess as she strove to do something important.

"Yoruichi-hime, what is – Ugh!"

She wasn't here to chat. A simple fist to the gut downed the man, and she jabbed her elbow into another's face when he tried to attack her from her left. Were they truly enemies, she would have crushed their throats by now, but they were her family's men, and she would rather not kill them.

And so she fought carefully as time would allow through all resistance, making precise strikes to the bases of skulls, or kicking one man into others, leaving them in a crumpled heap. Not a single strike touched her; very few men even had the time to draw their blades in defence, and in the space of a moment or two, she reached the courtroom.

No sense in subtlety here, either. Yoruichi pulled back one fist, reiatsu gathering about it, and slammed it forward into the door.

---

An explosive cloud billowed into the sky, and Soifon blinked at it, bewildered. If her senses were correct, that explosion had been the result of a powerful kidou, and she knew very few people who could fire at that level. What was more, she knew that reiatsu far more intimately than almost anyone.

Yoruichi-hime was fighting?

Soifon's feet began to move before another thought entered her head. All that mattered was that the princess had entered combat and may wish to have her support. Not need it. Never need it; Yoruichi-hime was far too accomplished to actually require help from the likes of her.

Swiftly, she tore across the grounds, weaving around people without even sparing them a glance. Her eyes were fixed firmly ahead as she followed Yoruichi-hime's reiatsu. Nothing else was important.

At least until a sight several yards ahead caught her attention. One of the manor guard suddenly lurched heavily, then dropped to the ground. And over the guard's unmoving body stood a small, scrawny, and unpleasantly familiar form.

That boy. Ichimaru Gin. What did that little bastard think he was doing?

Soifon's temper flared when she saw him turn toward the courthouse. Toward where Yoruichi-hime was fighting. Was that it? This would absolutely not be tolerated. No one threatened the life of the princess.

"Stop!" she barked as Ichimaru took a step toward his intended destination, and she continued to race forward. "You go no further than this."

Ichimaru turned to face her, with that same annoying grin he'd worn the day she had met him, and tilted his head. "Oh, it's you again, little girl. Missed ya these past few days. I'd stay here and play with ya . . ." He casually waved the bloody knife in his hand. "But I kinda got somethin' else I need ta do right now."

Soifon snarled as he turned away from her and made a move to continue on his trek. Hurriedly, she swept in front of him, blocking his path and forcing him to give her proper attention. She held her stance tightly, keeping in mind that he had just murdered a guard, and narrowed her eyes.

"I said that you will go no further."

"Aw, now you're bein' mean again," Ichimaru pouted, though his brows lifted in amusement, and the grin never left his pale face. "That's really no way ta ask someone to play with ya. But if ya insist, maybe I will anyway."

He lunged forward with the knife, aimed directly for her heart. Unfazed, Soifon flicked her wrist, and a dagger slipped into her hand. She brought it about in a wide swing, intending to catch Ichimaru before his strike could land; a deep belly wound would doubtless keep him from driving his knife home.

Ichimaru's grin faltered for a split second, and he clumsily pulled back. But not quickly enough. Soifon felt her dagger bite into flesh, tearing a long red line across his stomach. She held the dagger, now drenched in blood, in a defensive position once the stroke was finished, clinically eyeing the injury she had inflicted. Inwardly, she scowled. Little more that a flesh wound.

Ichimaru giggled. He actually giggled. Was he mad? He had just been cut open, and he acted like it was the most amusing thing that had ever happened to him. Surely no sane person would behave in such a manner.

"Well, what do ya know? You're actually kinda dangerous." His voice was far too happy for the words he was saying. "I didn't know that ya knew how ta play like this."

She aimed a stab directly between his eyes, grimacing as he parried neatly and with more force than she would have credited to him. "You think that the Shihouin wish their personal servants to be helpless? All of us who work closely with the family are trained thus."

Twisting out of the stalemate, she brought the dagger to bear for a slice at the throat. Instead, her weapon caught empty air and a few strands of silver hair. Damn it. He'd ducked.

She cried out as she felt steel dig into the flesh of her left shoulder. Instinctively, she shot her foot out and managed to catch Ichimaru square in the chest, knocking him back several steps. Soifon staggered back a few herself to put some distance between her and her opponent and give herself time to regain her bearings.

Breathing heavily, she rotated her shoulder to assess the degree of damage. She winced at the sudden flash of pain, but ultimately, it was not a crippling injury. It hurt intensely, but she still had feeling in it, and almost a full range of motion. She was still well enough for battle, especially considering the cut would not affect her weapon arm.

When Ichimaru came for her again, she whipped out her free hand and wrapped her fingers securely around his wrist. She spun on one foot as he tried to struggle out of the hold, and smashed the other into the side of his head.

The impact was satisfying to say the least. Ichimaru grunted in pain, and wobbled on his feet; the only thing that kept him upright was her grip on his wrist. She released this after a vicious twist that wrenched the knife from his hand. Downed and disarmed. This was the way things should be.

"Fool. You think yourself capable of harming the princess when you can't even get past her maidservant?" she scoffed.

Soifon lifted her foot with the intention of kicking Ichimaru onto his back so that she could slit his throat properly. But his thin fingers wrapped around her foot in mid swing, and before she could do any more than widen her eyes at the fact that he was still defending himself, he swept her remaining leg out from under her, sending her sprawling onto her back.

And then those same thin fingers snaked around her wrist and slammed it into the ground. She gritted her teeth against the impact and struggled to keep hold of her dagger. However, after two more blows, her palm relaxed and the dagger slid onto the grass beside her.

In the next instant, the weapon was in Ichimaru's hand, and held against her throat. The blood she'd drawn dripped onto her, and she glared up into Ichimaru's still grinning face, expression made even brighter by the obvious intent to kill.

"This better?" he chirped.

---

As soon as he heard the bodies outside hitting the floor, Kisuke dove under the table in front of him. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the door imploded, wood splinters slicing through the air and probably striking a few unfortunate folks who hadn't had the presence of mind to take safety measures. Really, it was common sense; if Yoruichi was agitated enough to fight, then she was agitated enough to plow through anything in her way.

Tentatively, he poked his head out from under the table to see what was happening. Yoruichi stood just inside the room, hair disheveled and expression grim. The fact that she'd yet to say anything did not bode well for her having found the necessary evidence. Her eyes scanned the room, clearly in search of him, and he gave her the best wave he could with his hands bound together.

"Yoruichi-hime! What is the meaning of this? Do you realize what you are doing?" one of the judges thundered and to his credit did not falter at the glare Yoruichi sent in his direction. "Even you cannot overrule the sentence handed down by this tribunal; there is nothing that you can accomplish here!"

"You've no idea what I can accomplish when I wish it." The words flowed out of her in a deadly chill, one that Kisuke was almost sure actually lowered the temperature in the room. "And I've nothing else to say to any of you. Kisuke!"

Before he could answer, the footfalls of his guards rushing for her caught his attention. Kisuke shot his hands out, managing to grasp the ankle of one of them and bring him to the ground. That would give Yoruichi a few more seconds between attacks. Certainly, she could handle herself well, but as long as he was here, he might as well offer a little aid.

The guard he'd tripped up snarled at him and pulled one fist back for an attack. Kisuke flinched in anticipation of the blow, but a strangled cry from up ahead made it unnecessary. His opponent cursed virulently, forgetting about him in favour of trying to avenge his partner.

Sighing in relief, Kisuke closed his eyes and concentrated once more on slipping his restraints. He'd made some progress earlier, and given another few moments, he might find a way to break free. He blocked out the chaos as best he could, dedicating his attention to finding a path that his reiatsu could follow. One way failed, and then another, and another . . .

Ah. There it was.

The restraints sparked, then fizzled, becoming nothing more than ordinary rope. A small flare of reiatsu subsequently reduced the rope to ash. Kisuke wrung out his wrists, relieved to finally have them unbound. His reiatsu flickered uncertainly for a second, readjusting to being free again, but he quickly regained control.

He crawled out from under the table just in time for a hand to snag his arm. But he did not start at this sudden contact. The hand was a familiar feminine one; he had never been able to mistake Yoruichi's touch for another's. He looked up to see her face far more serious than he ever liked, and that could have meant only one thing.

"No luck," he said. It was not a question.

Yoruichi shook her head. "Not enough of it, no."

Kisuke scrambled to his feet with her help. No evidence. Or at least, not enough. So if he didn't want to die, then he would have to flee. And since she was so blatantly aiding in his escape, Yoruichi had little choice but to do the same. He wondered if she had even considered that before breaking in here with no way to exonerate him.

But deep down, he knew that she had. The two of them had been nearly inseparable since they were both five years old, and though they had both changed over the past fourteen years, that bond had not. Under the circumstances, this thought was both warming and saddening.

He blinked at the sudden mass of reinforcements pouring through the ruined doorway, and he raised his hand, pointing two fingers in their direction. "Byakurai!"

Electricity blasted forth from his fingertips and struck one man directly in the chest. The man went down with a shriek, limbs twitching from the jolt. A few more people tripped over him, unable to bring themselves up short in time, and Kisuke leveled his palm out, ready to fire off a spell with a wider radius.

"Soukatsui!"

He barely got the kidou off, sending out a blast of blue flame, before he felt a sharp tug on his arm and he found himself helplessly dragged behind Yoruichi as she ran. He heard the crackle of reiatsu around her fist and instinctively ducked his head. The ensuing impact of that fist against the wall nearly deafened him, and they both sped through the dust cloud, free of the courthouse's confines.

And given how fast Yoruichi could run, they would be off of the family's grounds before much longer.

---

Soifon tried to smother the rage at her current situation, at least until she could rectify it. But the fact remained that she had been unforgivably arrogant and as a result had her own dagger pointed at her throat. She should have been more observant. How could she expect to serve Yoruichi-hime properly if she made such simple mistakes as this?

However, a mistake, no matter how irritating, was something to be learned from. All she had to do was make certain that she lived long enough to do so.

She whipped one hand over as she noticed Ichimaru beginning a motion to cut, her fingers snagging his forearm and holding it back with as much strength as she could muster. It was fortunate that he was not physically powerful himself; Soifon was quite petite and relied upon momentum for much of the force she exercised in combat. Had her opponent possessed much more of a strength advantage, she would not have been able to hold him back.

Still, the dagger's edge broke through a layer of skin, the blade quivering against the opposing forces of her and Ichimaru's hands. She couldn't count on either overpowering or outlasting him. If she wanted to live, she had to try something else.

A distant explosion echoed through the air, and Ichimaru briefly raised his slitted gaze in curiosity. Any chance such as this would do.

Soifon jammed the heel of her other hand into Ichimaru's stomach, grinding it against the gash she'd torn there at the beginning of the fight. She was rewarded with a hiss of pain, but he did not ease the pressure on the dagger. And even more disturbingly, his grin widened. He was insane. He had to be.

"Oh, good. You're gonna keep this fun." His voice was tight with pain, but still utterly amused. "Never liked it much when people just gave up. Kinda boring that way."

She bared her teeth in response, and dug her fingernails into the cut. Sticky warmth trailed down her fingers, and Ichimaru suddenly stopped pushing toward her throat. Instead, his arm locked, and she watched his teeth grit against the force she was applying. Perhaps a little more pressure . . .

A strangled sound escaped Ichimaru's lips as she tore at his flesh and the tension in his arm finally relaxed, just a bit. Once more, she twisted the weapon out of his grasp. She drew one knee up, and with a single shove powered through that leg and both arms, threw him off.

Hurriedly retrieving her dagger, Soifon kicked herself to her feet. She noted with a great deal of disapproval that Ichimaru had already risen to his as well, though he did seem worse for the wear. Ragged bits of cloth and skin hung from his blood-soaked stomach, and he panted heavily. He had to be tiring; she could win this.

She started forward, intending to finish this battle with one more strike. Surely, in the state he was in, Ichimaru would not be able to mount a defence in a timely fashion.

"Agh!"

The cry ripped forth from Soifon's mouth in spite of her efforts to suppress it. Pain exploded through her thigh and she roughly tumbled to the ground. She lay still for a moment, gasping, striving to concentrate on anything but the agony. Like anger. She could concentrate on anger. The bastard had caught her unprepared. Again.

She glared down at her thigh, where Ichimaru's knife protruded. He must have landed right beside it when he'd fallen to have been able to get ahold of it for a throw. With a snarl, Soifon yanked the blade out of her leg, heedless of the damage that it had caused and took a quick glance in Ichimaru's direction.

And launched the knife directly at his heart.

Ichimaru snatched the knife out of the air in a reverse grip, just before it struck home. Still grinning that same insane grin he'd worn the whole battle save for her initial strike, he flipped the knife to a proper position, and tilted his head curiously.

"Now what did ya do that for?" he asked. "Ya just gave it back t'me, and it was awfully mean to aim to kill when I didn't, don't ya think?"

Soifon struggled to her feet, but winced and went down on one knee when her injured leg gave out on her. "Maybe you just didn't have the time to aim properly. You've amply demonstrated that you want to kill me."

Ichimaru's grin widened. "Have I? Here I thought this was just a game." He paused here, jerking his head to look in the direction of the courthouse, and when he spoke again, his voice was marginally less cheerful. "Aw, she's gone. Well, now I don't got the excuse ta keep playin' with ya."

When he'd looked away, Soifon had lifted her dagger, intending to hurl it into the side of his skull, but she stopped abruptly at his statement. What did he mean by that? Who was gone? The questions gnawed at her for a few seconds before she focused her senses and felt a chill sweep through her.

Yoruichi-hime.

Ichimaru sighed and turned back to her, tucking his knife into his sleeve without bothering to wipe off the blood. "Looks like I gotta go. But maybe we can play this game again sometime. You're not bad at it. Don't die in the meantime, okay?" He leveled a palm at her. "Shakkahou!"

Soifon barely had time to widen her eyes at the revelation that Ichimaru could use kidou before the shot of red flame came hurtling toward her. On pure instinct, she ducked her head, then flattened her palm to cast one of the few spells Yoruichi-hime had taught her. "Enkosen!"

A reiatsu barrier sprung up in front of her in a flash just in time to take the brunt of the offence. She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth against the force, holding the shield in front of her for a few more seconds just to ensure her safety.

With a heavy breath, she let the spell drop, smoke finding its way into her lungs. She coughed lightly and frantically scanned the area for Ichimaru's presence. But as the smoke dissipated into thin wisps and then to nothing, she saw no sign of him. Coward. He really had retreated. Even so, his absence was not the one that concerned her.

Soifon allowed herself to drop into a sitting position, her shoulder and thigh still burning from her injuries. Her senses held the truth of her concern, and yet she did not want to believe it.

Yoruichi-hime was gone. She had left, more than probably with Urahara Kisuke in tow. With her friend, lover, a felon of the highest order. And yet she had left Soifon behind. It . . . wasn't right. Surely Yoruichi-hime would at least come back to retrieve her. She wouldn't just leave her behind. She wouldn't.

Soifon would not be abandoned, and she did not cry. She simply did not. And so she convinced herself that the stinging and watering of her eyes was the result of the smoke and not of emotion.

She was not so weak as to truly cry.

---

"Oh, this had to happen during the autumn, didn't it? The nights are so cold."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes at Kisuke's words as she warmed her fingers over the fire. They both sat in a small cave, having covered the entrance as best they could with the surrounding shrubbery. It had been well into the darker hours by the time that Yoruichi had felt secure enough to stop for a breather, and this cave provided enough shelter for them to rest.

"Would you have preferred winter?" she teased. "Next time you pull something like this, maybe you should wait for warmer weather."

Kisuke chuckled at that, but the mirth did not reach his eyes. His thoughts were clearly still back at the manor grounds, and she could not in good conscience blame him. Even so, there was no way for them to get back in time.

"I'm sorry that there isn't time," she said in a milder tone, eyes dropping for a moment to gaze at the flames. But then she watched him steadily. "If there was, I'd try to help your father, too."

He smiled at her, but it was only half genuine. "I know. But I think he'd understand why you can't, anyway. If he got convicted, he must have taken some of the blame even though he'd nothing to do with it. Protecting his child, and all that."

Yoruichi wondered briefly if the news of their escape would reach Osamu before his execution. The man would be happy at least to know that his son's life would continue. Her own father would be furious with her. Being adventurous was one thing. Breaking away with a convicted criminal was quite another.

She had no home to return to.

"What about Soifon?" Kisuke asked abruptly. "You know how that little girl worships you. I don't think she'll take kindly to the fact that you've left."

Yoruichi shrugged one shoulder. "Well, it can't be helped now. She's a strong girl, Kisuke. And stubborn enough to make it without me. She'll be fine, given a little time."

She would miss her Little Bee, though. It was going to take some time on her part to get used to not having the girl constantly buzzing around her, eager to please and eyes wide in adoration. Soifon was as faithful as they came, and until now she had never had that faith betrayed. It had the potential to destroy her, but Yoruichi meant it when she said that Soifon would recover. She had confidence in that much.

"Oh. By the way, I've got something for you," she said after a moment of silent contemplation. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a few sheets of neatly-folded parchment, handing them off to Kisuke over the fire. "I didn't get ahold of enough to prove your innocence, but it's still information on Hollows. I'm sure you can find a use for it."

Kisuke stared at the parchment in his hand for several minutes, his expression going from saddened, to angry, to unreadable. On any other day, he would have gleefully unfolded the pages and ignored the world until he was done reading. Even so, when he looked up at her, it was with a true smile on his face.

"A thoughtful gift as always, my friend." His voice was considerably lighter now, though she could tell that some of it was still forced. "I am equally certain that I shall."

The smallest of wicked grins played across Yoruichi's lips. A way to gain retribution on Aizen Sousuke for the chaos he'd wrought? She would take that very gladly indeed.

She yawned, and stretched elaborately, her muscles still a little sore from all the running that she had done today. "Best get some rest, now. We'll have to cross the provincial borders tomorrow, and you'll need your wits about you for that."

"Just me?" Kisuke lifted an eyebrow.

Yoruichi concentrated her reiatsu, once more shifting into the form of a small black cat. She neatly stepped out of the pile of her clothing and padded around the fire to crawl into Kisuke's lap. She snuggled in tightly against his stomach and let out a contented sigh.

"Yes, Kisuke," she said drowsily, giving him a friendly flick of her tail. "Just you."