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"I will get straight to the point." Yamamoto boomed. "It would appear that Aizen is putting plans to create a new king's key into action." He looked around the hall gravely. "Arrancar and hollow numbers in the earth town Karakura have soared in recent days. Espada activity has been non-existent probably in preparation for battle. The captains and lieutenants will immediately begin preparations to meet Aizen and his group in Karakura. Someone please turn out the lights so we may use the simulation pads."
Shunsui glanced at his lieutenant in the semi-darkness. He could tell she was uncomfortable about something. She was fidgeting, it wasn't like her at all. Her thumbs pressed into the material of her sleeves before releasing, smoothing and repeating the sequence. She was paying no attention to the simulation, instead staring right through it.
"Have you something to say?" He murmured into her ear. The darkness obscured them enough to do it unnoticed.
She nodded, looking straight ahead.
"It's obviously important. Just say it Nanao-chan."
She fidgeted a minute more before drawing a breath.
"Permission to speak." She spoke up, voice blessedly even.
Yamamoto set her with a testing gaze. It was well known the man wasn't fond of the eighth division lieutenant.
"Granted, Ise-fukutaichou. Is there something you aren't following?"
"No sir. I just wonder how we came into the knowledge that Aizen would attack Karakura? Is it conclusive?"
"Karakura is the only town in Japan with a spirit density high enough Ise-fukutaichou." Said Ukitake frowning.
"Then how do we know he's attacking earth?"
"You question as to whether he'll attack soul society?" Asked Soifon, frowning.
"It makes far more sense. Even if he did create the kings key on earth I sincerely doubt it could be used on earth in which case he'd need to gain entrance to soul society anyway. A single Rukongai district would give him the spiritual energy to make the key and he'd have instant access. We dismissed Seireitei in the past because it is too well protected but if he's predicted the move to deploy all captains and lieutenants to earth then Seireitei is completely unprotected as far as he's concerned."
"I hadn't even considered that." Hitsugaya admitted.
"That sounds disturbingly plausible." Said Ukitake.
"I don't suggest that Karakura isn't in danger for a second, he'll send the espada to keep everyone busy no doubt, but the safety of soul society needs to be ensured also."
"You think he'll enter soul society alone."
"Alone or with the other two. Probably alone with his ego. Lets be realistic nobody left behind will be any challenge for him. One Rukongai district and it becomes the guard's problem."
"It cannot be allowed to progress that far. We can't allow the royal family be placed in such danger! The line is fragile. The eldest male heir is just a child!"
"What's wrong with a female heir?" Said Soifon testily.
"There has never been a female ruler." Byakuya dismissed. "It is also common knowledge that the eldest daughter has shamed the family. Someone so unstable could not be allowed rule even temporarily."
"Unstable, Nanao-chan?" Shunsui questioned into her ear.
"Completely unhinged sir. Can't you tell?" She whispered back. He snorted in amusement.
"Kyoraku-taichou. Ise-fukutaichou. Would you like to share what you find so amusing in this dire situation?" Asked Yamamoto disapprovingly.
"No thanks Yama-Ji." Said Shunsui amused.
"Ise-fukutaichou?"
"Oh it's not important sir. We were just debating how many years in prison could be handed down for the very suggestion that the king could die. On that point it's safe to say that for Aizen to rule he would need to kill or at least imprison the whole royal family in which case the mental stability of the eldest daughter is of no importance whatsoever. Another discussion that could end in imprisonment. I wonder should we not be focusing on how to defend both here and earth at the same time with limited resources?"
Yamamoto was not impressed it would seem but he couldn't fault her either so he settled with the I am not amused look. As Shunsui liked to call it. It was one he received frequently and he found the fact that Nanao was getting it highly amusing. If Yama-Ji only knew.
"You are correct. Considering this is your theory Ise-san how would you go about it?"
"Well. A soul reaper's job is to protect the earth and the king so naturally we cannot ignore either. What we must remember is that the king and royal family have another line of defence that the earth does not. I believe we should send the majority of the senior officers to earth and hold maybe two or three captains back in soul society."
"That is putting a lot of trust in the royal guard." Said Renji. "They've never even fought Aizen before."
"The royal guard is composed completely of taichou and fukutaichou though. The history books will tell you that they aren't a small group." Shunsui piped up. "Most of us have never fought Aizen face to face so they are no less qualified than the rest of us, ne?"
"True." Said Hisagi.
"I like Ise's idea to be honest but I'd leave at least one lieutenant to do the running." Said Soifon.
"Ise herself is down to stay and run strategics." Said Yamamoto.
"So which captains then?"
"Kyoraku-taichou?" Said Yamamoto.
"I'll stay." Shunsui agreed. "Jyuu-san?"
"I'll stay too."
"That's decided then. Until you are called to your posts everyone is to be on full alert. Ise-san you will have full control over the remaining Shinigami. Use them as you see fit for both soul society and the real world."
"Yes sir."
"Everyone is dismissed. Kyoraku-taichou. Stay."
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"Where are we going taichou?" Asked Nanao, reappearing in a deep purple Yukata with lilac cherry blossoms.
"Let your hair down and take off your glasses. You need to look as little like yourself as possible. We're collecting Jyuu and heading out to a small hole in the wall bar in the thirteenth. Yama-Ji's pulled every string in the book, Dad is coming down to talk shop."
"Taichou do you know how much trouble everyone can get in for this?!"
"I do. Yama-Ji doesn't though. As long as dad doesn't blow it when he sees you we'll be okay and I sincerely doubt he will. Dad doesn't know I know remember. Jyuu is under the impression that my father is dead so there'll be enough left unsaid that we can hide it. Yama-Ji wants you there since obviously this is your strategy."
Nanao looked uncertain.
"Come on Nanao-chan if it all goes pear-shaped we can just blame Yama-Ji. Everyone knows your dad adores him."
"For good reason." Nanao muttered.
"Nanao-chan." He warned. "Tell me."
"My mother was Lilia Yamamoto taichou. Yamamoto-Soutaichou is my uncle."
"Oh no way! Seriously?!"
"Yep. Good isn't it?"
"He can't stand you!"
"I know. He's also under the impression that I'm mentally unhinged. I have a loving extended family."
Shunsui chuckled.
"I suppose he hated my mom when she was alive too. They were meant to found the academy together."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. His primary reason for hating me is that I look just like my mother I think. That's unconscious on his part obviously but it's there. Anyway! Aren't we going to get Ukitake-taichou?"
"Lets go then."
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Nanao took a deep breath as she laid eyes on Kyoraku- Kuku. He hadn't seen them yet and sat staring idly into space. He was older than Nanao remembered, his hair was peppered with grey where it had once been a few shades darker than her captain's. His laugh lines were far deeper ingrained but his eyes still danced with the same laughter that she remembered from her childhood. His slight smile still just as comforting now as it was in the past too. Luckily for Nanao Ukitake had stopped dead giving her a chance to get herself together.
"Shunsui is that..?"
"It is Jyuu." Said Shunsui carefully. "Lets go, Nanao-chan."
They weaved their way through tables to get to the quiet corner booth. The older man looked up as they approached and his smile widened as he set eyes on his son. Those intelligent eyes flicked across Ukitake and paused a second on Nanao before returning to Shunsui.
"Shunsui!"
"Hey dad." He said quietly, accepting a hug from the older man before stepping back. "You remember Jyuushiro?"
"I do. You've done a lot of growing since I last saw you." Said Kuku, shaking the captain's hand happily. Ukitake managed a shaky smile. For all intents and purposes the poor man was talking to a dead guy. Nanao reasoned.
"And who in the world is this lovely lady?"
"Dad meet my beautiful lieutenant Ise Nanao." Nanao smacked him for that one, causing the older man to laugh. "Nanao-chan. My dad Kyoraku-Kuku."
"It's my pleasure to meet you hime-chan." He said sweeping down to kiss the back of her hand. Shunsui had to bite his tongue to hide his laugh but couldn't quite disguise the smile at the sparkle that came to Nanao's eyes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too sir."
"Hands off my lieutenant dad." Shunsui teased.
"Your lieutenant eh?" Said Kuku, eyes dancing with laughter.
"Yes my-" Nanao smacked him.
"Can we get on with this please?"
"Yes Nanao-chan." Said Shunsui dutifully.
"Good to know you're a kept man Shunsui." Said his father amused. "She keeps him in line Jyuushiro-san?"
"Yes sir. Eighth wouldn't run without her."
"Seireitei wouldn't run without her." Shunsui muttered.
"That's probably true." Said Ukitake amused. "Anyway back to business."
"Nanao-chan is going to fill you in dad, this is her strategy."
"I'm listening."
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"That's quite ingenious." Said Kuku, scratching his chin. "You're a smart woman Ise-fukutaichou."
"Thank you." She said with a small smile.
"Dad, Nanao-chan will you be okay if Jyuu and I go and order lunch? I owe him a little chat."
"Go on ahead Shunsui."
Nanao nodded her agreement.
"When did you tell Shunsui?"
"He found out yesterday Yuki came to visit and wasn't very subtle. She confronted me in the office… How'd you know?"
"He was dying to laugh when I addressed you, Hime-chan."
"Don't call me that." She said amused. He laughed before suddenly turning serious. His eyes softened and he reached for her hands.
"You've grown so much Nanao."
"I should hope so." She said with a soft smile. "What happened to you and your never going grey crusade?"
He chuckled.
"Mother nature out ran me unfortunately." He said, good natured.
She giggled.
"So why are you still a fukutaichou? The guys thought you'd gone soft when I told them."
She shrugged.
"Maybe I have… Maybe I just didn't need the hassle. I'm happy where I am. Never a dull moment."
"That son of mine better be looking after you."
"He does when it matters… Otherwise it tends to be the other way around."
He laughed.
"Why doesn't that surprise me in the slightest? You can imagine my shock when Shunsui first mentioned you ten years after you left. Of all the squads to put you on I was certain it wouldn't be his. The Nanao I knew would've throttled him."
"I've come very very close, trust me." Said Nanao, glancing over at the backs of the two men and rolling her eyes. "But we're a good team, regardless of how different we appear." She offered with a soft smile.
"I could tell the minute you walked in."
"So what have I missed up above?"
"Not too much at all… There's been a couple of big hollow invasions. Your sister just had twins."
"So I heard."
"Other than that the usual scandal. We got Soto and Kagura into bed together last century. They've two now."
"That's sweet."
"Oh and you'll like this. Kyoto and Hana."
"I told you!" Said Nanao smugly.
"Oh come on! They hated each other!"
"Please. They were like the little kids on the playground that hurt each other because they couldn't face the truth."
"Love-hate?"
"Exactly."
"So you'd see that in any couple that behave like them?"
"Yes to an-"
She saw the glint too late.
"No!"
"You said it, Hime-chan. Not me."
Nanao scowled at her adoptive father.
"I do not!"
"Of course." Agreed the older man, humming softly to himself.
"You know you've gotten no less annoying in your old age." She shot.
"Ow. That hurt Nanao. That doesn't change the fact of the matter though." He almost sang.
"Can we please not talk about this?" Nanao muttered.
He grinned as he spotted the colour rising high in her cheeks. It took a huge amount to get a rise out of his charge even as a child. He'd hit the nail on the head.
"I don't see why you'd get so worked up over it. There's no way you've worked for Shunsui almost three hundred years without being convinced to go for a roll in the hay. That's just how he is."
"Well you'll be shocked to know that I'm the only woman in the history of Seireitei to ever say no to him then, won't you?" She snapped tartly.
"Never?!"
"Never." She challenged.
"Why the hell not? That's not like the Nanao I know either."
"Apart from the fact that he's my boss and that's a fireable offence under central forty-six law there is the issue of my brand on my shoulder. I've been celibate since I came down here."
"No way. You were no sweet little angel even before you left."
"The royal seal isn't exactly something you can explain away Kuku-kun."
"Most men wouldn't even notice. Shunsui wouldn't have."
Nanao snorted.
"You men are idiots you know. There is a reason I'm the only woman to ever say no to him. I've run enough women's association meetings to have heard the details multiple times. He's probably the most likely man in Seireitei to find it, especially considering the Kyoraku's seal in the same place."
"He knows now. And he talks about you constantly."
"Drop it Kuku-kun. Right now."
"Someone is touchy."
She scowled.
"Fine, dropping it. You didn't lose that scary glare then."
"I should probably be telling you about the actual plan while they're gone." She changed the subject, rolling her eyes. "Should I be right, which I'm almost positive I am, I'll blow my power cover. I'm supposedly the weakest lieutenant in the goeti at the moment. If Aizen is way ahead of us, which again, I suspect he is, he will make it to the guard. You need to ready for anything because to be perfectly honest we don't know what he's capable of. Depending on the situation in soul society I will probably appear up to help. I need it done without the administrative crap though because it's quite probable that taichou will insist on coming too and quite frankly I'm not going to turn away help like that from the strongest captain in soul society. There's a reason Yama-Ji won't let the guard have him."
"I can do that." Said Kuku thoughtfully. "Anything else?"
"Keep your eyes open for an inside informant. It's just a hunch but it could cause problems."
"Will do."
"What?" She asked at his look.
"It's just strange that's all. I let this little girl go and now you're sitting in front of me all grown up. Capable and confident planning a war... It's just a shock to the system that's all."
"I offered to stay." She reminded quietly.
"You did. And it would have been the biggest mistake of your life. I can honestly say now, after meeting you again, that forcing you to leave was the best thing for you, even if it hurt at the time."
She smiled a little sadly.
"I missed you. Desperately, for years."
"It was a cruel condition of your father's and it only alienated you from him further."
She nodded.
"They're on their way back." She inclined her head to the civilian dressed captains.
"You've done good Hime-chan. We can talk more about it another time, but I'm proud as punch, of both of you."
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"Nanao-chan? What's the matter? You look awful." Said Shunsui, concerned.
She jumped badly at being addressed. She hadn't expected anyone to be awake, it was just after three am, and yet there he was, sitting under the cherry blossom trees in the darkness like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Taichou."
"Come here." He beckoned, patting the ground next to him.
She sat, pulling her haori closer to her in the chill of the spring night, and watching the cherry blossoms drift down around them in the darkness. It was quite beautiful, she acknowledged. Something about the silvery light of the moon gave the blooms an almost ethereal effect.
"Nightmare?" He asked worriedly.
"More like a scary sleep revelation." She admitted.
"Is it bad?"
She nodded, shivering a little. Shunsui noticed and pulled her into his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He was so warm and Nanao couldn't bring herself to move, instead snuggling down and breathing in his scent deeply.
Once calmed she spoke.
"Kuku never says anything without reason. I should have caught it sooner. When you and Ukitake-taichou went to order lunch I asked him what had been going on up above. He mentioned three things. Soto and Kagura , Kyoto and Hana, and Yuki's twins. He mentioned Soto because we dated, and Kyoto and Hana because you and I were fighting."
"You've lost me."
"Kyoto and Hana are both on the royal guard. They used to behave like kids on a playground, fighting and teasing and I always maintained that they adored each other. Kuku thought I was crazy. It isn't important. Anyway he mentioned Yuki's twins as well and I thought nothing of it until I woke up a few minutes ago. They were obviously on his mind and it got me thinking. I'm ageing far slower than my sisters. My two nephews and my niece were born before I ever left the royal realm and even before I left my sister and her husband hadn't touched each other in years. They were separated for all intents and purposes and now she just had twins… I said it to Kuku earlier that I suspected an informant in the realm. Aizen isn't stupid enough to try an infiltrate a place he knows nothing about." She laughed a little, hollowly, shaking her head.
"How perfect could it be…?"
"You think the twins are Aizen's." Shunsui breathed.
"Think about it taichou. Who better to ask about the palace than a member of the royal family? Nobody knows the safe areas, the secret passages, hidden rooms like we do. So he befriends her. Then it all just falls into place. Yuki's lonely and everyone knows Aizen is a charmer. With royal children he gains a legitimate right to the throne even if only until his own children are grown if there's nobody more suitable for the job. The laws are so antiquated that the fact that he killed the previous king won't matter. The courts cannot legally keep him from office."
"Nanao-chan… I know it's scary but that's all conjecture. Do you have anything that could possibly suggest this. Anything at all..?"
"Just a feeling. Yuki came into Seireitei yesterday. Royals never enter Seireitei, it's far too dangerous, yet she felt protected enough to waltz right in to my office… That isn't the royal guard's doing taichou. Yuki's always been incredibly nervous…"
"Anything else at all?"
"Yuki is the sister most like me physically… Dark hair dark eyes pale skin… Hinamori fits in that bracket too and he tried it on with me more than once before he left.."
"A type."
She nodded.
"Anything else at all?"
"Damnit taichou I'm not up there! I haven't seen most these people in three hundred years! I'm doing the best I can here. That isn't my damn family! It hasn't been since I was born! I don't have that kind of information!" She said, frustrated.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, a sign Shunsui was now recognising as stress.
"I'm sorry." She whispered finally.
"It's okay Nanao-chan. You're right. I can't expect you to have all the answers. I'm sorry."
"This is just my opinion. It's all just my opinion." Her voice cracked.
"Hey." He soothed. "It's okay." He bundled her up into his arms, rocking her gently while murmuring soothing words into her hair. "It's okay. I'm sorry…"
His heart swelled when she didn't pull away, even when her breathing calmed. They sat together in silence for quite a while. The peace and serenity wasn't lost on them. Nanao could be quite distant but he knew she loved the cherry blossoms just as much as he did and was happy to simply watch them fall. She sighed softly about an hour later, shifting slightly.
"I trust your hunches, Nanao-chan. Those twins are the first port of call when we get there." He felt her stiffen a little. "Don't you think for a moment that I don't know what you're up to. I'm coming with you."
"I've already asked your father to find a way to beat admin."
"Always ten steps ahead, my Nanao-chan."
"Naturally sir." She said amused.
He chuckled and she could feel it rumble deep in his chest under her ear. She smiled unconsciously.
"The day you aren't ahead is the day the sky falls, Nanao-chan."
"I sincerely hope not sir. Come the minute we step foot up there everything is in the moment."
"There's nothing wrong with living in the moment Nanao-chan." Said Shunsui reasonably.
"I haven't anything against living in the moment. But I think, that an idea what's going to happen has merit."
"Do you know what's going to happen, Nanao-chan?"
They weren't talking about the war anymore, Nanao was certain about it.
"I have an idea." She replied softly.
"Ideas have merit." He echoed causing her to laugh softly. "After all this mess?"
"After all this mess." She agreed. "I promise."
He hugged her tighter to him and they went back to watching the cherry blossoms in comfortable silence.
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