Diclaimer: I don't own the characters or the series. Kubo Tite does. I'm just playing with them for a bit.
A/N: The chapter title means "frost in the ground" (in, not on).
Chapter 3
Routa
"I can't believe you would allow this."
Many of the people around them cowered in fear, at least those who didn't immediately flee from the scene. Though the words were technically calm enough, the tone in which they were said spoke volumes about the current state of mind of the captain of the sixth division. His eyes were practically drilling into the poor Ukitake in front of him.
"I'm not sure what you are referring to, Captain Kuchiki," Ukitake said, doing his best to stand up straight. He wouldn't let a younger captain bully him like this... even if said captain was quite used to having his way no matter what. And had previously given him hard time about the same subject. Nevertheless, he knew he was in that right, and that he would have done a disservice to Rukia if he'd backed down. Therefore, he had to simply bear Kuchiki Byakuya's glare.
"You allowed my sister to go out on a potentially dangerous mission," Byakuya spat, stepping even closer. "A mission that was entrusted to a captain! One should think that's enough indication that it's too dangerous for her!"
"As you might note, the mission was entrusted to a captain, and said captain is the one carrying out the mission," Ukitake said, forcing himself to stay calm. "He was also told that he could take along whomever he wanted, and thus he decided to ask the shinigami with the second strongest ice-type zanpakutou. Therefore, he asked me for permission to have your sister accompany himself."
"And you should have denied it."
"Why?" Ukitake shook his head. "She is an accomplished officer, and perfectly capable of handling herself in battle. I never forced her to go, mind you; I merely gave my permission for Captain Hitsugaya to ask her. The decision to go was entirely her own."
"She's too young to know her own best," Byakuya argued. "It is your responsibility as her captain to decide such things for her."
"She's far older than Captain Hitsugaya was when he attained his rank," Ukitake pointed out calmly. "And in any case, I do believe that when it comes to matters of military missions, it is entirely my own business as to how I choose to determine the skills of my officers, or the risks appropriate for them. Rukia-san has specifically asked me not to treat her any differently from any other officer, and I would have treated the matter the same way had Captain Hitsugaya asked for someone else. I'm merely treating her as befitting of her position – which, in my opinion, does not fully reflect her abilities."
"I am not pleased." Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "I thought I have made it very clear that I will not permit anyone to put my sister in any kind of danger."
"And I'm afraid that by mere virtue of having joined the Thirteen Protection Squads, she is in a certain amount of danger every day," Ukitake replied. "I cannot, nor can anyone else, condone any kind of differential treatment towards her just because she is nobility – or, indeed, your sister."
"Is there a problem?" The question interrupted just as Byakuya seemed about to snap something back at him. "You seem to be kind of scaring people..."
"Ah, Captain Kurosaki." Ukitake would have been lying had he claimed he was not somewhat relived at Isshin's arrival. The man seemed to take a certain amusement in annoying Byakuya, which would undoubtedly draw some of the attention away from Ukitake himself. He felt slightly guilty for thinking about this, but then being the sole object of Byakuya's wrath was not exactly his idea of a pleasant way to spend his time. "Nothing is wrong. We've just had some degree of... disagreement."
"About what?" Isshin asked, scratching the back of his neck and blinking at them. If anyone could look less captain-like than Kyouraku, Kurosaki Isshin was definitely that man. Never mind leaving half his chest bare, he still wore his haori simply tied around his shoulder. "Hard to imagine many things that would get the two of you to fight, especially badly enough that it'd send lower seats running out almost in tears." Now, that was surely an exaggeration. ...Ukitake fervently hoped.
"He has allowed my sister to go out on a mission," Byakuya replied, then added, with his eyes narrowing even further, "A mission led by your precious Captain Hitsugaya, as it appears."
"Oh, yeah. Toushirou did head out a bit ago, didn't he?" Isshin chuckled. "That kid can't even decide if he's glad to get out for a bit or mad that he's getting singled out for something so simple... so he decided to take an officer along. So what? I'd understand that's standard procedure, even if mission leaders generally tend to stick to people inside their own squad unless found necessary otherwise."
"The mission at hand apparently involves ice-type reiatsu," Ukitake supplied. "It was the reason Toushirou was asked to go despite the problem not directly involving his squad's duties, and he chose Rukia-san accordingly."
"So he's behaved logically like a good little boy," Isshin concluded. "...Not that he's really a boy anymore, mind, but you get my drift. In any case, I see no reason for you to be sending off such a murderous aura. Kenpachi'll soon think you want to play with him."
"She's only the tenth seat!" Byakuya protested. "She's hardly capable of handling such a dangerous mission!"
"Well, excuse me, but I'd say she should be more than tenth seat, not that I claim to be an expert or anything," Isshin replied. "And sorry, but I'm pretty damn sure Toushirou wouldn't take her along if he wasn't sure he can bring her back in one piece. The boy can be a bit grumpy at times, but he's mainly grown out of the reckless phase, and he's definitely not an idiot."
"Do forgive me if I think your opinion is rather biased," the sixth squad captain declared. "Of course you would defend your adoptive son."
"And of course you would be worried for your adoptive sister," Ukitake cut in. "And if anything, that merely proves that he is, indeed, qualified to speak for Toushirou. For that matter, I happen to be convinced that he would rather let himself get hurt than allow Rukia-san to be harmed while in his company." ...Not that it made for a very comforting thought, mind. He'd much preferred neither of the two getting hurt. But then, he'd just have to trust in Shiro-chan's abilities.
"Look, it's perfectly normal to be concerned for your little sister," Isshin said. "I mean, it's commendable, really! Big brothers should always look out for their little siblings, that's why they're born first, after all! But really, Rukia-chan is an adult, now. And when kids grow up, at some point you'll have to stop holding onto their hand." He smirked a bit. "Then you'll just have to be happy with yelling at them when they do something stupid, and then beating up anything or anyone that dared to even think about harming them." He paused. "But that, in this case, doesn't include Toushirou, and it definitely doesn't include poor Ukitake here. Last I checked, sending someone on a mission did not equal wanting them to get hurt."
"She is my sister," Byakuya said stiffly. "I should think I have every right to be concerned about her safety."
"Except there's no need." Isshin grinned. "Toushirou's pretty protective of the little pretty brunettes, I've come to notice."
"Like your vice-captain, whom he impaled on his sword?" Byakuya asked with an icy tone. "And do forgive me if the implication that Captain Hitsugaya feels attraction to women like my sister does not exactly fill me with assurance and a peace of mind about her safety when she's out on a mission with him as her sole company."
"And you'll have to forgive me if I take offense at you making that kind of implications about a man I regard as my son." Isshin stood up straighter now, the former relaxed, almost careless attitude entirely gone as he looked sternly at Byakuya. "As I remember, he was far from being the only one fooled by Aizen, and if anything, that experience cured him of the worst of his hot-headedness. And disregarding that..." The gaze he gave the other captain was now most definitely a glare. "You'll kindly refrain from even suggesting that Toushirou would be so dishonourable as to harm your sister in any way or manner... or, in his absence, I'll be forced to fight you to uphold his honour."
Ooookay. That definitely merited stepping in. "Do calm down, gentlemen," Ukitake said, a bit alarmed by the hostile auras emanating from the two. "I understand you are concerned about your sister, Captain Kuchiki, and I understand you're inclined to be offended in your adopted son's stead, Captain Kurosaki... but I hardly think this is appropriate behaviour." He shook his head. "Whether we like it or not, the fact remains the two have headed out on a mission that requires their special abilities. All we can reasonably do right now is to wait for them to return, most likely safe and well after a successful mission, given their respective skills and abilities. You can then make your displeasure as clear to Captain Hitsugaya as you'd wish to, unfortunate implications or not." And if that led to a battle, well, then Byakuya had certainly brought it upon himself.
"You can be certain I will," Byakuya snapped, throwing another glare Isshin's way. The other captain replied in kind. Nevertheless, apparently Byakuya was done for now, turning sharply on his heels and marching away, paying no attention to the poor souls who kept ducking out of his way.
"...Well." Isshin sighed heavily, looking after the irate captain, his own annoyance apparently fading away now that Byakuya was no more present. "I pity whatever poor soul brought the news to him."
"His vice-captain, most likely," murmured Ukitake. "At least she apparently sent word to Abarai-kun about leaving on a mission." Which meant the poor thing would have had the dubious honour of informing Byakuya. Pity the man, indeed.
"I don't understand him, anyway," Isshin murmured. "You'd think he'd be proud that his sister was deemed good enough to go out on such a tricky mission, not blowing up on us over it. She is a member of the squads, after all; such things should be rather important to her."
"Yeah, well, you know him," Ukitake sighed. "There are many kinds of honour... and from what I've seen, Kuchiki Byakuya's idea of honour can sometimes be rather different from that of most men."
"Most men would not dare practically accuse someone of being a potential rapist to their father's face," Isshin pointed out wryly. "And you can just about imagine the explosion that would have followed if I'd dared to imply she'll try to seduce poor innocent Toushirou now that they're out of sight of everyone else."
"Well, obviously she wouldn't ever do something like that," Ukitake replied with a similar tone. "Why would a noblewoman like her ever willingly involve herself with someone from Rukongai? You must be joking, my dear Isshin."
"Maybe because she's not as stupidly stuck-up as her brother?" Isshin rolled his eyes. "Don't take me wrong, I won't deny that he's quite an accomplished captain, but... he does have his faults."
"I suppose one could put it that way," Ukitake admitted. One had to admit that sometimes, Byakuya could indeed be said to have a touch too much pride. Or perhaps entirely too much. "One hopes he is not exactly as stern towards his sister." In private, that was. At least in public, Byakuya only appeared to show his concern for his sister if she was in immediate danger.
"From what I've heard from the kids, I wouldn't be too hopeful." Isshin shrugged. "I don't even know how to deal with a man like that. I know Toushirou's often called icy, but at least my boys are just grumpy and not carved out of stone."
"...Indeed." Ukitake nodded slowly. He did remember the first one of Isshin's sons. It would have been quite impossible to forget. For someone who had only been a shinigami for little while, Kurosaki Ichigo had certainly left his mark in Seireitei – and especially in the hearts of the people there. And then, for the sake of defeating Aizen...
Well. It was no use dwelling on that anymore, now was it. Kurosaki Ichigo had long since passed away, his father returning to Soul Society in the wake of his grief to take over one of the still orphaned squads. And then... well. Then Isshin had found another disgruntled young man with spiky hair, a perpetual frown, and no form of parents in sight. It had been quite the natural outcome that he would have taken Hitsugaya under his wing, regardless of the young captain's own opinion on the matter. And, from what Ukitake had seen, Shiro-chan had certainly become quite content with the arrangement as well, not that he would have ever admitted to it.
"Hopefully going out on a mission will cheer him up," Isshin then sighed. "Rangiku told me he was rather unhappy about the whole deal... silly boy. If he was really being suspected, it's not like the Captain-Commander would give him such a chance to clean up the evidence."
"Far as I understood, he took it more as a matter of 'they can't prove anything, so they're giving him a chance to get out of it without a scandal,'" Ukitake replied. "After all, it would cause quite a mess if a captain was indeed wrecking havoc in Rukongai... Though I have to say, I'm rather unhappy that he would take such a cynical view on the politics."
"At least I suppose it could be worse," Isshin pointed out. "As long as he's angry about this, he doesn't entirely condone such tactics."
"One does hope," Ukitake murmured. "But then, if anyone can hang on to his principles despite politics, it would be him."
"Indeed." This gained a smirk from Isshin. "The boy's far too stubborn to simply take the easy way out." He scratched his neck again. "In any case, I suppose I should apologize to you," he said. "My boy's caused you trouble, making the flower girl go off on you like that just because you agreed to Toushirou's request."
"No, don't apologize. He's right, after all," Ukitake murmured. "Byakuya's being too protective of his sister... She is more than capable of participating on missions like this, yet her brother refuses to see it. She's been rather frustrated about it. I should be thanking your son for allowing her the chance to actually use her skills, even if it will probably cause quite some trouble later on. Really, it was probably the best thing anyone has done for her in quite a while."
"Yeah, well, Toushirou always does want to keep his own head." The captain of the fifth squad shook his head with an expression that was a strange mix of annoyance and affection. "I've no idea how a boy can be both exceedingly proper and terribly impolite all at once, but Toushirou's definitely got it down to an art by now."
"One could say that, indeed." Ukitake was rather amused at the observation. "But then, he'll be back soon, won't he? And then we won't have to worry about Byakuya any more... well, not about his being angry at us. We might still want to make sure he doesn't end up causing trouble to poor Shiro-chan."
"If our darling Captain Kuchiki dares call him a rapist to his face, I'm not going to stop Toushirou from battling him," Isshin pointed out with a dry tone. "And while I'm probably just a tad too proud of him, I'm still pretty sure my boy would come out on top from that particular argument."
"...That just might be. Especially if he was insulted in such a manner." Ukitake tsked at the thought. "I do hope Byakuya forgets about such nonsense... It's not like he's usually in a hurry to make friends with anyone, but to suggest such a thing about another captain is still rather extreme even for him."
"Well, if he doesn't forget, I'm sure Toushirou will correct him pretty swiftly." Isshin sighed. "I guess I should let Rangiku know about this, though... she's got someone out there monitoring when Toushirou's coming back; it might not be a bad idea to also get him a prior warning on the way back if Byakuya's still being as unreasonable."
"That... might not be a bad idea," Ukitake agreed. "If nothing else, a proper warning should help Toushirou keep his temper in check when defending himself against Byakuya."
"...Not that he didn't know he was going to have to deal with the sour face even before he first asked Rukia-chan to go with him." Isshin made a face. "Probably knew perfectly well we'd have to deal with the noble wrath while he's away, too."
"Yes, well, considering what I have heard," Ukitake replied wryly, "he just might have done it on purpose to give you trouble."
For all that he rather disliked dealing with Byakuya's cold wrath, the indignant sputters of an annoyed Kurosaki Isshin were rather amusing, instead.
