Disclaimer: All characters appearing in Bleach belong to Kubo Tite. No infringement of copyright is intended and is not authorised by the respective copyright holders.
Character(s): Hikifune Kirio, Yamada Seinosuke
Warnings: None.
Timeline: Spoilers up till latest arc, The Thousand-Year Blood War.
Debt
"Watching over your subordinates again, Kirio?"
Dry amusement colours the man's hoarse voice. Hikifune Kirio, Zero Division's intelligence analyst and genius extraordinaire, flicks her fingers to dispel the kidou. Blue haze shimmered, fading away along with the moving images: a slipper sending a blonde flying straight into the wall, three figures in Soutaicho's room while the old man lectured them, and relieved, smiling faces elsewhere – "Seireitei is home. This division and everyone in it too, Hiyori." – while an underground cavern becomes encased in ice.
The images stilled with a silent command that Kirio didn't give.
"They are not my subordinates," she says coolly, pointedly not looking at the bespectacled man who is peering over her shoulder. His presence disgusts her. "What brings you here? Have you read the latest report?"
The man beams proudly. "What a workaholic you are, Kirio! I still remember my first day here, observing how you work. Can't believe it's almost a century." He adjusts his glasses, taking a seat next to the silent woman. His fingers touches the image's surface, sending ripples across the faces, blurring them into anonymity.
"Don't worry. I won't report this to our Taichou-sama," he says mockingly, letting his fringe obscure his eyes, "For old time's sake."
Kirio hates him. How he ever got recruited into the Royal Guard was something she'd always been suspicious about. It was agonising to face this man and be reminded of what she had left behind.
"What do you want, Yamada?" All pretence of niceties is dropped. Things are never simple with Yamada Seinosuke. A man of humble origins, he excelled in kidou and was eventually recruited by Unohana Taichou into the Fourth Division. He rose up the ranks fairly quickly, earning the Lieutenant's seat with his talent and capability when facing medical emergencies.
One thing's for sure – Unohana didn't recruit him based on his stunning personality, Kirio thought. His temper was legendary; rumour had it that he reverses healing kidou on unruly patients, a feat that was rare and unheard of for kidou specialists. She had witnessed his ability too many times to count and sometimes too close for comfort. Under Yamada's command, old wounds could be reopened, skin unraveling to reveal muscle and bones that cracked and split once again.
"Why'd you think I want something from you, Kirio?" Yamada asks innocently, taking off his glasses to rub his left eye.
She frowns. When had he started wearing glasses? As far as she remembers, the man had perfect eyesight.
Yamada must have noticed her looking as he slips his glasses into the folds of his sleeves. "Alright, alright. I give," he laughs, the sound sharp and shrill against her ears.
Kirio's frown deepens.
"Let's just say that I want a... favour. In exchange for keeping this a secret," he touches the kidou mirror again.
Kirio purses her lips. It was an unspoken rule that the Zero Division members were not to interfere with their previous lives. Be it an unranked Gotei officer or not, once loyalty has been sworn to serve the Spirit King, one has to start all over again.
"What sort of favour?" Kirio bares her teeth as a passable smile and dispels the kidou quickly, not trusting that Yamada would stay silent about the matter any longer. It was too late to erase what she had been watching, but there was a chance that the brazen fool had not made the connection.
Placing a finger over his lips, he smiles thinly. Follow me, he mouths. He leads them away from the Zero Division's grounds, sometimes stopping as if listening for something. It takes Kirio several moments before she recognises the place where Yamada has led them to: the Royal Senkaimon, used only by the Spirit King and his council.
He smiles at her. "Listen well, Kirio." She ignores how he says her name so casually. "No matter what happens, stay here. Do not go through this door. Do not leave our Division."
It is tempting to draw her sword against the shrewd smile.
"You know something," she says instead.
"I may know a thing or two," he says casually, surprising Kirio with his straightforward admission. "But I won't tell you anything."
"I don't trust you, Yamada."
"It's a good thing that I don't need your trust then." Yamada smiles again. If she squints hard, his genuine smile bears some resemblance to his younger brother, the young healer whose bravery had unwittingly changed the course of several individuals' lives.
"Soul Society will be facing a huge hurdle soon, Kirio," he turns to face the Royal Senkaimon. "Few will survive, and those who do might wish themselves dead. Things will be –no. Things have already begun. The wheel of Fate will crush them."
"What are you talking about!?" Kirio hisses. "Do you even know what you're saying?"
"The truth, my dear Intelligence Analyst. Why? Surprised to know that I know of the Gotei's sins and how it's going to cost them dearly?"
Kirio inhales sharply, stepping back in shock. "How did you–"
"I may be a lowly ranking Zero Division member but I'm neither blind nor deaf to the things that people say. Or what they avoid saying."
She bristles. "You are suggesting treachery."
"Treachery?" Yamada laughs. "Treachery is only for those who have sworn loyalty. I have no such feelings towards that thing."
"That is not a 'thing', Yamada. It is the –"
"The Soul King? Oh, I know all about the Soul King and what it represents," he turns his head and Kirio flinches at the sharpness of his gaze, "Can't dethrone the throne, can we? Besides, I'm not asking you to do anything. Just stay put here. Watch what happens and, hopefully, stay alive when the Gotei's sins arrive."
"What do you know?" She asks again. It is a futile attempt and they know it.
"How many of them can we save, Kirio? How many before the Zero Division caves in on itself?"
"Saving one life can change the course of events," she argues.
"Only if that life is worth saving," Yamada sneers, "And out of all of those in the Gotei, there are none whom I'd consider risking my life for."
"Even Unohana-taichou?" Kirio presses on, unwilling to give up on her point.
"That woman does not need my protection," Yamada retorts.
"What about your brother?"
"He has the Devil's luck," Yamada shrugs carelessly, "It wouldn't matter either way."
She doesn't know what to say to that.
"I will consider it," she whispers, "But I shall not promise anything. Our duties come before ourselves."
Yamada smiles. It looks strangely sad.
"If you say so," he bows politely, holding out his zanpakuto in a stance that suggested he was about to summon a Senkaimon. Except that there is a glaring difference – he appeared to be tearing the dimension fabric with his zanpakuto.
She nods slowly, not trusting him to drive his zanpakuto into her back,"Where are you going?"
This time, it is Yamada who takes his time to answer. She can tell that he is choosing his words carefully.
"The empty lands," he admits just as the Senkaimon distorts into a gaping darkness, "To repay a... favour."
"Urahara Kisuke?" Kirio blurts out, reaching for her own zanpakuto. There's still time, she thinks, to fire a warning kidou to alert others of Yamada's apparent change of loyalty.
A whisper, then silence.
The gash mends itself, leaving no sign of Yamada ever being there.
Kirio stares at the empty spot with a sinking feeling. Yamada's whisper lingers in her mind, throwing ripples across her steadfast beliefs.
"Do you think the Soul King exists just for Soul Society? Kingdoms rise and fall all the time."
A/N: Just a hint of a crack theory regarding the unveiling of the Soul King in Bleach, along with the Zero Division's future battle(s) against the Vandenreich. The Soul King is, imo, existing for the sake of balance. It's been referred to as a 'thing' as per Urahara & Aizen's conversation (somewhere in the Deicide arc, I think). There's a backstory about how Yamada Seinosuke (yes, he is Hanataro's older brother and ex-lieutant of the Fourth Division) became part of the Zero Division, which will be featured in the future. So, what's happening is that Yamada is going to Hueco Mundo to make preparations for Urahara Kisuke. And he wants Hikifune Kirio to stay put no matter what happens because the Vandenreich are not able to enter the Royal Dimension. So, they will have a chance to survive if they stay there instead of being all gung-ho and fighting in Soul Society or the Vandenreich's home ground. As for the reason why he wants her to stay, I'm going to leave it as her role as an Intelligence Analyst, which is gonna be super helpful when coming up with a strategy against the baddies. On hindsight, it does seems like a crack pairing borne from my lack of sleep.