A/N
I apologise for the delay in both getting this chapter out and replying to the wonderful reviews that I received. (Speaking of reviews, we've reached the 100 mark, people. And gone over it too. Wow. I'm still surprised, simply because, as I mentioned sometime before, I never thought that this story would be any good, simply because of the main characters/pairing of Byakuya and Orihime. A simple 'thank you' to everyone who's taken the time to review, and put up with my...er, temporary disappearance sometime after May, is really not enough, so I'm just going to hope that the continuation, and eventual completion of the story will serve as a 'thank you' to you all.)
Anyways, review responses, right. I hope no one minds if I get to them sometime on Friday, after I've handed in the assignment due then. I've got three weeks of uni left for the year, and three assignments and an exam to complete. Buuuut, once that's all done... I'll be on holiday for a long while, which means more time for me to freely do nothing but write, if I want to. I guess what I'm trying to say is to please bear with me, at least for the next three weeks! (Who knows, I might even be able to update sometime during that time...but still, you never know)
Disclaimer: Two words; Kubo Tite
Chapter Ten: Scrolls, Information and Temporary Solutions
The gradually easing sobs were the only sound amongst them as the three Captains remained silent, although for varying reasons.
Not quite sure as to what he was meant to do, the dark haired Captain stood almost unnaturally still.
Oh, he knew what he would like to do –that was a given, but even he knew that there were times where an individual had to refrain from doing what he or she would 'like to do' in order to do what best fitted the situation.
And given that this 'situation' was a quietly sobbing human girl clinging to his shihakushou...he doubted if he would get away with pushing her away from him with a sharply worded request to never do that again.
Given the girl's present, somewhat...fragile condition, he did not think that doing so would be wise.
And this understanding led to a rather accurate realisation, as it dawned on him that he did not know how to handle a situation such as this.
To do what best fitted this particular situation would be to give some form of comfort, or to do something similar. But he was quite ill-suited to doing such things, and, if he was to be honest, the overly emotional girl should have discerned that already.
If she had wanted comfort, she should most definitely have turned to one of the two Captains behind her.
But, what did that mean?
Surely he was not inclined to stand as he was, arms firmly by his sides, as he allowed someone who, for all intents and purposes, was a stranger to him, to use him as a breathing, Shinigami equivalent of a handkerchief?
That was ridiculous.
Besides that, there was the matter of his currently...unconscious Vice-captain to take care of. For, despite the fact that he was drunk, the man had seen the human girl who was now crying for him.
The red haired loudmouth had seen the girl he was never meant to see; not yet, in any case. In fact, the man had not even known that the girl had awakened from her comatose state –such had been the somewhat agreed upon decision by the Goteijusantai, for there were still many blanks that they hoped the girl would be able to fill in, and it would be troublesome to get her to do so if her friends heard of her recovery.
This was getting rather troublesome, he noticed with a small inward frown.
Raising his eyes from its contemplative gaze on the top of her head, he was quick to realise that he would not receive any assistance from the brunet menace seated at his friend's bedside. Or rather, he would not receive any assistance that he would be able to appreciate.
Closing his eyes for the briefest of moments, he allowed a semblance of detachedness to fill his mind, before he once more rested his gaze on the top of the bright head.
"You are making a-"
He felt the hands, with fingers splayed out wide, on his chest half a moment before the vibrant haired girl used them to push herself away from him, almost as though she had not the energy to move by herself.
The quick glimpse that he caught of her face before she quickly lowered it was enough for him to notice the horrified expression that stood out amongst her tears.
"I...I'm sorry..." the faint whisper was not faint enough for him to miss it. "I –I..."
Despite himself, the noble found himself frowning.
He did not quite know how to explain it, but it... it irked him, to hear her apologise. It seemed to him that that was all that she did; apologise, apologise, and apologise some more, as if what she had done thus far had not been enough.
But that is irrelevant, he told himself, a touch more firmly than he should have had to.
"You are not meant to be away from the Relief Station," he said instead, his voice clipped, as his eyes took a moment to send a hard glance at the brunet Captain behind her. "Even if Kyouraku-taichou was the one who brought you here, you should not have allowed it."
His eyes went back to her bowed head. "You know that you should not leave your room, not unless you are with Unohana-taichou, Isane-fukutaichou or Yamada Hanatarou."
Tension seeped into the atmosphere, almost seeming to follow the terseness with which he had spoken.
"Now, now, Byakuya-kun," started Kyouraku, snapping himself out of his reverie, "there is no need to react in such a manner. The poor thing was not getting any better, being all cooped up inside that room." He shook his head. "Four plain coloured walls can only occupy your mind for so long, you know..."
The noble frowned.
"With all due respect, Kyouraku-taichou, that is not for you to decide," he said, curtly. "You know of the...risks that you took when you brought her here. What if you had been seen?"
"I'd like to think I'm not so terrible with my shunpou, Byakuya-kun," said the brunet Captain easily, smiling just as easily at the troubled expression that flitted across his white haired friend's face.
But the noble did not seem to be deterred.
"The fact is that you took a patient from within the Relief Station without the permission of the one in charge of her—"
"You seem awfully concerned about my actions, Byakuya-kun," cut in Kyouraku, pleasantly, "yet I would be more worried about the fact that my Vice-captain is currently passed out, drunk, right before my colleague's room..."
Something shifted in the atmosphere then. Something that caused the white haired man to gingerly pull himself back into a seated position, his face pale and haggard despite the rapid movement of his eyes as he gazed from one colleague to the other.
"Are you implying that I am an inadequate squad leader, Kyouraku Shunsui-taichou?"
The sheer iciness in the noble's voice had the gentle, 13th Division Captain cringing. As it was, his brunet friend stared at the noble with widened eyes.
"Good heavens no, Byakuya-kun. What could ever possess me to imply such a thing?" The long haired Captain shook his head. "You are the perfect example of a capable squad leader –in fact, it's something that my lovely Nanao-chan reminds me of every single day... She seems to feel that I should try and be as responsible, awe-inspiring, immaculately dressed, diligent and silky haired as you."
The man pouted. "I can't imagine why she doesn't like me the way I am, though..."
Ukitake sometimes wondered if his friend had made it one of his goals in life to throw everything he could at their younger colleague, just to see what would cause the near perfect control he had over his emotions to snap.
Ah, he thought weakly, with a wry smile, knowing Shunsui, that is probably what he aims for. But he quickly shook the thought out of his head, because there was a potentially troublesome situation building up around him.
He opened his mouth to attempt to put an end to this conversation –for he had a vague idea he knew how it would end; with a smirking brunet and a silently incensed noble stalking off- when he felt a flicker of reiatsu. Having felt it before, he knew at once that it belonged to the shivering girl who stood before the noble.
Wait, he thought, bleary eyes narrowing, shivering...?
As he focused his eyes on the girl, he saw that she was indeed shivering... but it wasn't the remotest bit chilly –
Understanding dawned on him as his eyes landed on the noble standing before her.
She was afraid.
"Shunsui," he started, eyes never leaving the girl. "Shunsui," he found himself repeating, before he was assured that he had his friend's attention. "I think you should stop teasing Byakuya." The pain in his chest was quickly becoming more painful than it was before, but he ignored it.
The brunet frowned.
"But he's just so fun to—" When the 8th Division Captain stopped abruptly, Ukitake knew that it was because he had sensed the flickering reiatsu too, for his eyes snapped towards the girl.
"I'm sorry," whispered the girl, her head still bowed. "P-Please don't blame K...Kyouraku-taichou. I... I wanted to leave. To...to just get out..."
The noble's eyes were unwillingly drawn to the way her hands clenched into fists by her side. "I just –" she looked up then, her previously blank grey eyes whirring with an emotion that the noble had trouble with identifying at first. "I can't –I can't s-stay there..."
Frustration, mused the dark haired Captain, as it dawned on him then, is that...frustration in her eyes?
"Be that as it may," he said, evenly, "you were placed in the Relief Station for a reason. Or have you forgotten that you have not yet completely recovered your health?"
The girl lowered her eyes to her feet.
"No, I-"
"Inoue-chan," started Kyouraku, when the girl trailed off once more, "please, be at ease. You don't need to explain yourself, you know." He smiled at her back, wishing that she would turn so that he could properly see her face. "Despite what you may think, Byakuya-kun isn't being cruel; he is merely concerned. But since our Byakuya-kun is a rather...unique specimen, he has an equally unique manner of showing his concern."
He beamed at the glare he promptly received from the noble.
"I... I know I should...shouldn't – but..." the girl trailed off again, shaking her head. The dark haired Captain standing before her watched as her eyes flitted sideways, to the figure lying face down on the ground. "He—"
The three Captains stiffened, as one, as they sensed the reiatsu heading towards them.
Ukitake's face paled even further, if such a feat was possible.
"K-Kiyone..." he gasped, although he didn't have to. "A-And Sen...tarou..."
Kyouraku glanced quickly behind him, knowing that they'd have to do something to stall them if they wanted to prevent them from seeing the human with them.
"I'll go out and—"
He stopped when he saw the noble move forward abruptly, his movements as graceful as ever.
The vibrant haired girl tensed as she saw the noble moving towards her, and found herself unwittingly taking a few steps back. Grey eyes widened as a hand darted out, gripping her wrist in a firm hold.
"What-" A squeak left her lips as she was pulled forward by the grip on her wrist, almost colliding with the noble, had he not had his free hand out to prevent that. "P-Please...d-don't..."
Byakuya glanced down at the girl, startled, as he heard her soft plea. What...? "P-please d-don't... don't h-hurt me. I –I won't...I won't leave t-the room ag-again... I...I promise..."
Ukitake felt his heart clench at the raw fear in the girl's timid voice.
"O-Orihim—" Unfortunately for him, that was where his lungs gave out, as raspy cough after raspy cough escaped his tightly pursed lips. Cursing under his breath, Kyouraku turned his attention from the girl to him, a worried expression on his face.
"Byakuya-kun," he called, looking to the younger Captain quickly. A silent message was uttered as the two locked gazes, before the noble nodded.
Turning his steely eyes back to the trembling girl, he sighed inwardly when he realised what she thought he was –possibly- going to do to her. But there was no time for reassurances. Not just then.
"We have to go," was all the warning he gave her, before swiftly bending enough to slide his hand underneath her knees. Straightening just as fluidly, he took a moment to make sure that his grip around her was a secure one, before he turned on his heel. "I will send someone for Abarai later," he called, before he stepped away from the opened doors, drawing upon his mastered shunpou.
He stared at the scroll that lay opened on the desk before him, a pensive expression on his undeniably older face. The writing was clear enough for him to find it unnecessary to read over it a second time, yet it was the content of the message that had him continually gazing at it.
It was not good news, and given their present situation, that had an even worse meaning to it.
"You are sure of this?" he questioned, not once glancing up at the masked figure standing before him.
"Yes."
He paused for a moment, one hand stroking his beard.
"Have you managed to find out anything that would help in deciphering this latest riddle?"
The figure shook their head.
"No, soutaichou-sama," the darkly-clad figure replied. "Though we are still looking, even as we speak. It is difficult, though. Our...contacts do not trust us as they once used to."
"A wise thing indeed," commented the elderly figure, wryly, "for, given what we have experienced, I would not find myself continuing to trust people who hide their faces behind masks either..."
He sighed after a moment. "There is nothing else that you can give me?"
"I am afraid not, soutaichou-sama."
He nodded.
"I thought not," he said, sounding tired. "And has your Captain seen this?"
"It was she who asked me to bring this to you, soutaichou-sama," said the masked figure, bowing his head slightly.
"And what did she say of the matter?"
"That it is best to act sooner than later," he replied, keeping his head bowed as the man seated behind the desk sighed.
"I would not have expected anything else from her," murmured the elderly man, softly, before he nodded. "Very well. You may leave." He watched as the figure bowed once more.
In the blink of an eye, the office was empty once more, save for the elderly man and the scroll lying on the table.
My, my, thought the infamous Captain-Commander, this is certainly something that needs to be carefully thought out. The possibilities of what could happen, should she be taken, are worrying; even if she is currently lacking her powers.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes, lifting a hand to massage his head. This was certainly going to be a long day. And it would only get longer, seeing how everything pointed to the fact that he would need to call for another meeting of the Goteijusantai.
Frowning, the elderly man opened his eyes, only to stare absently at his desk. Was a few months of continued peace really too much to ask for?
The Relief Station:
"Zaraki-taichou, as I have already informed you, I will not be able to tend to your injuries, or to those of your division. Not at this moment, in any case," said the 4th Division's Captain, as she continued to make her way down the corridor, having exited her office shortly after her return to it.
The lumbering presence behind her snorted.
"I don't see why not –it won't take ya too long," muttered the somewhat porcupine-haired Captain, bleeding arms crossed over his chest. "I've seen wha' you can do, y'know..."
The Healer shook her head, taking a moment to nod reassuringly at some of the Relief Station staff she walked by, noting their fear of her current companion. It seemed that, despite the number of times the 11th Division's Captain inevitably found himself at the Relief Station, people were still at least slightly afraid of him.
"What I can and cannot do is unimportant, Zaraki-taichou," she said, as calmly as she could. "The fact is that there are many patients that need my attention –patients who have injured themselves in ways other than sparring until either they or their opponent collapses out of sheer exhaustion."
There was another snort.
"Yeah, well, the 11th Division ain't made up of pansies, y'know..."
The tall, intimidating figure raised an eyebrow as the slender woman stopped abruptly, turning around to fix him with an ever present smile and a piercing stare.
"I would prefer it if you were to refrain from referring to my patients in such a manner, Zaraki Kenpachi-taichou," said Unohana, her voice slightly deeper than it usually was. "If you really wish to have your injuries, and those of your Division, seen to, kindly head back to your division. I will send word once I am done with what requires my urgent—"
"-You don't look like you've got anything 'urgent' to look at right now, y'know." The 11th Division Captain tilted his head to a side. "In fact, you just look like you're aimlessly wondering down corridors, smiling and nodding as you go."
The atmosphere surrounding the two Captains changed swiftly, and Zaraki's grin faltered ever so slightly.
"Looks can be deceiving, Zaraki-taichou. I thought you might have learned a bit of that lesson, as we all did, when dealing with our former colleagues." The healer's voice had a sharp note in it.
If the situation had been different, she would have been slightly concerned with her tone, for it was not as calm as she usually liked. But, given the situation at hand, she knew that she should not be too hard on herself for her slip up.
It wasn't every day, after all, that she had two missing persons to locate.
She frowned at that, recalling the alarm that her 7th Seat had raised when she had returned to the Relief Station, after tending to the 3rd Division's Vice-captain. Contrary to what was commonly believed amongst the other divisions and their respective Shinigami, Yamada Hanatarou was not a brainless young man who panicked at the smallest hint of unrest. He was a capable young healer, who, after noticing the empty room of the patient he had been checking up on, had calmly searched for his Vice-captain, as she was his superior, and would know what to do.
When it turned out that Isane too was missing, he had taken to searching the Relief Station by himself, knowing that it wouldn't do to alert anyone else while his Vice-captain and, more importantly, Captain, was away. Not when it was something concerning the very patient who was missing.
When she had returned to her office, however, it had been to the sight of the young Shinigami on the verge of a breakdown, as he reported the missing status of the two women.
She had sensed that her Vice-captain wasn't at the Relief Station before being told the news, but to find that the young human patient was missing as well... to put it bluntly, she wasn't pleased. Logic –and her knowledge of her Vice-captain's character- told her that she should not jump to conclusions and assume that the light haired Healer had taken the girl away, but a sense of uneasiness was making itself known in the dark haired Captain, for she was afraid that the girl had wandered out on her own.
And given the fact that not many people knew of her presence in Seireitei, and the bigger concern of them being unwilling to appreciate said presence... it did not bode well.
However, she told herself, quite firmly, giving in to this uneasiness will not get me anywhere. And that was quite true. Besides, it was very unlike her to give into any form of uneasiness at all.
Separating herself from her concerns, she refocused her attention on the hard gaze that she could feel on her person. "In any case," she started, the usual smile back on her lips, "I am busy at the moment, Zaraki-taichou, so I would appreciate it if you would—"
Her head snapped to the side just as she cut off what she had been saying, causing her taller, blood-thirsty colleague to send her a somewhat quizzical glance.
"What?" he asked, looking around them as though trying to spot whatever it was that had startled her. But the 4th Division's Captain wasn't paying him any attention. She was focused on the familiar reiatsu she had momentarily sensed –only this time, there was an equally familiar, yet much, much weaker reiatsu with it.
Her brows furrowed.
Kuchiki...taichou?
Abruptly turning on her heel, she headed towards the stairs that would take her to the top floor, aware of, but not bothered by, the continued presence of the 11th Division's Captain.
If she had correctly identified the two sets of reiatsu –which she was quite certain she had done, for she was not known for making mistakes in that department- then it meant that her patient was with the 6th Division's Captain.
Why would Kuchiki Byakuya be with the human? Or why would the young human girl be with Kuchiki Byakuya?
She recalled what she had been told previously about the noble's Zanpakutou spirit, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was all connected, somehow.
Before she knew it, she had reached the fourth floor of the building, although she pulled herself out of her thoughts long enough to glance over her shoulder at the Captain still easily following her.
"Zaraki-taichou, I do not think that it would be wise for you to follow me beyond this point." She smiled. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to return to your division, so that I can send some healers over at the end of the day?"
She heard a grunt before her colleague shuffled forward to stand beside her, looking down at her out of his considerable height.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were tryin' to get rid of me, Captain Healer," he commented, a wide grin splitting his face. "But that can't be right, can it?"
"Of course not," replied the healer, still smiling. "I merely though that you would be bored, watching while I make my usual rounds..."
There was another snort from the man.
"Hah, sure I would," he agreed, "but something tells me that this'll be interesting..." There was a rather wolfish smile on his lips. "That was the pretty-boy's reiatsu, wasn't it?" There was an amused glint in his eyes. "Heh, I'm guessing the pansy's done something he shouldn't have... This should be fun..."
The healer sighed inwardly; for of course that was why the man was following her –he and the noble seemed to share a rather...dubious professional relationship after all...if it could be considered a professional relationship, that is, from the way they behaved.
Grateful for the fact that the windows were, indeed, wide opened, the dark haired noble carefully let himself inside. His feet touched the floor by the windows, and he took a moment to glance behind him. Nothing that he saw through the opened windows indicated that his presence had been noticed –that was good.
All he had to do now was get the girl back in bed and he would be free to leave.
A tremor from the figure in his arms had him redirecting his attention forward, although this time on the fiery haired young woman.
A small frown worked its way onto his lips as he wondered if he had caused her any harm, using shunpou to transport her. Yes, he was aware the Kyouraku-taichou had used the very same thing to get her away from the Relief Station in the first place...but they had no way of knowing if exposing her to it would have a negative effect on her health. She was still recovering from having lapsed into a comatose state after all.
(And no, it did not matter as to why she had lapsed into that very state in the first place)
"Are you..." he trailed off, albeit sharply. What was he meant to ask her? If she was alright? He really ought to be more sensible, for if she was alright, she would not be looking as pale and haggard as she was at the moment, would she?
When he saw the pair of grey eyes meeting his pensive gaze, he pulled himself away from his musings. "Yes?" he queried, detachedly, after a few moments passed by and she remained quiet.
He watched as she averted her gaze, glancing quickly at the floor, although her eyes slanted in his direction once more.
When she saw that she had, once again, caught his gaze –or rather, that he had caught hers- the long haired girl quickly glanced away once more refusing to meet his gaze.
...I do not have the time for this, he thought, as he briskly began moving, aiming to get the girl to her bed. On hindsight, he supposed that he should have alerted her as to what he was doing, for upon feeling the movement, she started, reaching out to clutch at the collar of his shihakushou in a rather powerful grip.
He did not know if it was because she had realised his intentions, or if she had indeed felt the disapproving gaze that he had pinned her with, but she did let go of his robes.
She has done quite a lot of that today, he thought, moving carefully so that he would not jostle her any more –he did not particularly want her to further crease his usually neat shihakushou, Is it because she is not at ease, here in Seireitei, without her friends by her side? Or is it because she has other things on her mind –things that might be of the kind that Soi Fon-taichou believes she knows?
He had covered half the ground to her bed when he felt a rather powerful reiatsu heading towards the room. Tensing automatically, he turned his head sharply towards the door, recognising the presence quite easily.
It would be hard to miss such a bloodthirsty reiatsu after all –hard and rather lacking for one of his talent and position.
But the question was not to do with his reiatsu sensing abilities. No, rather, it was more along the lines of why the 11th Division's Captain would be paying a visit to Seireitei's only human patient.
Eyes narrowed, he did not realise the expression that had swiftly crossed his face, although the unresponsive figure in his arms did, as evidenced by the puzzled expression that appeared on her pale face.
The dark haired noble stiffened some more as he sensed the second presence a moment before the door was pushed open.
The 4th Division's Captain stared at the scene before her, nothing about her calm features showing any indication of her surprise –if she was surprised, that is. From his place behind her, Zaraki quickly took in the scene inside before letting out a highly amused snort –which earned him a displeased glance from the noble, which he easily ignored.
"Kuchiki-taichou."
The dark haired noble met his colleague's gaze for a moment, before nodding.
"Unohana-taichou," he replied, in greeting.
"Kuchiki-taichou," started the healer again, the pleasant smile still on her face, "This is... Well." The smile widened as she trailed off, before trying again. "Would it trouble you too much if I were to ask you for a reason for-" she gestured towards the wide-eyed, pale-faced girl in the noble's arms, "-this?"
As the healer's gaze flitted to the girl, she saw her flinch, before unconsciously pushing herself further against the noble, completely missing the quick glance he shot the top of her head.
"I was simply attempting to get your patient to rest, Unohana-taichou," started the noble, after a further moment's silence.
The healer nodded.
"Of course," she acquiesced. "Although I-"
"Pfft, right, I'm sure you were," snorted the taller Captain who stood behind the healer, his arms crossed over his rather broad chest.
The dark haired noble glanced at him through narrowed eyes.
"I refuse to lower myself to your standards, Zaraki-taichou," he said, curtly, before returning his attention to the healer. "You were saying, Unohana-taichou?"
The slender woman nodded.
"I was attempting to ask you what might have happened to cause Inoue Orihime-san to...be doing something other than resting."
There was another snort from behind her.
"My guess is that she was tryin' to run away from pretty boy over here." He smirked. "Wouldn't blame her. He's so much of a pansy; she might have thought it was contagious."
The look Unohana saw being directed to the colleague behind her had her smile widening, for it was one of the noble's coldest glances, and one that was usually guaranteed to silence whoever the look was being directed at. "What're ya lookin' at me like that for, huh?"
But then again, she should have guessed that the look wouldn't work on the likes of Zaraki-taichou. Nothing short of violence usually did –and even then, it was questionable.
"Kuchiki-taichou," she spoke up, calm voice breaking the tension that had settled upon her two colleagues. "An answer, if you would...?"
The 6th Division's Captain opened his mouth to, no doubt, answer her, when he found his attention drawn back to the vibrant haired girl in his arms. It did not take him long to realise that it was the tensing of her figure that had drawn his attention.
His brows furrowed ever so slightly. Was the girl...afraid?
If so, what she afraid of? Or rather, who was she afraid of? "Kuchiki-taichou?"
He quickly shifted his attention to the healer, keen eyes noting how her smile seemed to have lessened somewhat. "I was informed of my rather important patient's disappearance when I returned to the Relief Station a short while ago." There was a pause. "Given the fragility of her situation, as well as that in Seireitei itself...I would have thought that great pains would have been taken to ensure that she remained in her room –even by those not part of the Relief Station staff..."
"If you are attempting to hold me responsible for your patient leaving the Relief Station, you are mistaken, Unohana-taichou." There was a mildly displeased expression on the dark haired man's face. "I was simply returning her, that is all."
Unohana raised her eyebrows at her colleague. Returning?
"She ain't no goddamn pet, ter be 'returnin', Kuchiki," muttered Zaraki, shaking his head at the noble, although it was done more out of amusement than any genuine care.
"I was under the impression that I was speaking to Unohana-taichou."
The icy note in the voice was audible to everyone in the vicinity.
"I was not implying anything of the sort, Kuchiki-taichou," said Unohana, speaking up after a moment's silence, "I am merely curious as to how you came upon Inoue-san, and where she was. You understand, of course, the reasons behind my desire to keep her here?"
The noble nodded curtly.
"Of course," he agreed, quietly, sparing the girl another glance as she fidgeted in his arms.
The healer smiled.
"Then perhaps you could explain how it is that you came across Inoue-san, outside the Relief Station?"
There was a moment's silence during which the calm woman saw the quick, almost wary glance that her patient shot the noble, before looking away quickly. She raised her eyebrows at that. That's...interesting...
"Kyouraku-taichou seems to have paid her a visit earlier today," said the impassive Captain, "and he also seems to have felt that it would be a good idea for her to...be outside. To...get some fresh air, I suppose."
Unohana's smile widened, although for those who knew her, they would know that it was not a good sign.
"I see. And where did you come across them?"
The noble frowned, not at all liking the fact that this sounded like an interrogation, of sorts –and that it was the second time he had been questioned by his older colleague.
"At the 13th Division's compound."
"Oh."
"Please –don't...don't be angry." The timid voice drew the attention of three pairs of eyes, and the noble frowned inwardly as the girl fidgeted, again. He really should put her down.
His frowned deepened. Yes, he really should put her- "Kyouraku-san...he just –he didn't mean to...to cause any harm," continued the vibrant haired girl, a troubled expression on her face. "He –he just wanted me to meet...Ukitake-san and –and he just didn't mean anything by it..."
Unohana's smile softened as she continued to gaze upon the girl, unsure as to whether she should feel sorrow –for it was clear that the girl thought she would bear some ill will against her fellow colleague- or whether she should feel joy, as this was the first time she had heard the girl speak up in a while.
Perhaps, she mused, this was what you were aiming for, Shunsui-kun?
"Be that as it may, he should have been more responsible," spoke up the noble, his voice clipped as he stared ahead of him. "You still have not recovered fully from your...ordeal, after all."
Of course, what he wanted to say was that the lazy Captain should have kept in mind the fact that not all of Seireitei was welcoming of the girl, and that apart from the Captains and a few of the Relief Station staff, no one even knew of the girl's presence with them.
But he had the distinct impression that it would be best to dismiss mentioning all of that in front of the girl –she was still recovering after all, and it would make no sense to overload her with bad news.
"That is true," agreed Unohana, quietly, "but as far as I can see—" She stopped abruptly when the long haired girl turned around so that she could look up at the noble's face. Although she couldn't see the expression on her patient's face, she could tell by the tension in her shoulders that she was...worried? Wary?
"Please don't," she said, her voice soft. "I –I didn't mean to...to cause trouble. I just –I..." she trailed off, sounding very much uncertain.
Unohana watched the noble, although she was unable to make out any change in his facial expression.
"Speaking up for those who are clearly in the wrong is not something that you should make a habit of," said the dark haired man, curtly. "It is unbecoming of both Shinigami and humans."
Orihime bowed her head.
"I didn't mean to-" she let out a soft squeak when the noble started moving once more, and reflexively clutched at him again. It didn't take her too long to realise what he was doing when she saw the bed right before her.
She waited patiently as the noble released her, and although she wobbled when she was placed on her feet, she was grateful for the fact that he had indeed set her back down next to the bed –which she quickly latched on to, for support.
Half leaning against the bed, she turned as the noble moved away from her.
"If that is all, Unohana-taichou, there are some matters that I must take care of," he said, looking towards his older colleague, who had been observing him in a somewhat thoughtful manner. A somewhat thoughtful manner that unnerved him, even if it was only slightly.
He had the feeling that it did not bode well for him, although he had no evidence as such to give weight for the feelings swirling in his gut.
The 4th Division's Captain nodded her agreement, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Of course, Kuchiki-taichou," she said, pleasantly. "I thank you for bringing Inoue-san back to the Relief Station –although I do not think that Kyouraku-taichou would have knowingly endangered her in any manner... at least not in the manner you are thinking of. He has always been an impulsive person, but never foolish."
The slender noble stared evenly at her for a moment, before he allowed a quick shrug of his shoulders.
"If you say so, Unohana-taichou," he said, clearly hinting at his disagreement, which caused the healer's smile to widen. Perhaps if Shunsui-kun would not seek to antagonise Kuchiki Byakuya-san all the time, he might have a slightly different opinion of him...?
"In any case, although I do not believe Inoue-san to have been harmed, I will have to do a routine check up on her. It is still too early to say whether travel by shunpou would be harmful to her, in her present condition."
The 6th Division's Captain let out a quiet 'hnn', before he stalked towards the doors. Seeing him approach, Unohana gracefully stepped further inside the room, thus also enabling him to reach the doorway without her obstructing the way.
But of course, the fact that she had moved, didn't mean that the third Captain at the scene would do the same.
"What?" questioned Zaraki, the amused note in his voice quite obvious to their ears.
The noble stared pointedly at him, waiting for him to get the hint –but from the relaxed manner in which he leaned against the doorframe, it became clear that the 11th Division's Captain was either unskilled at identifying hints, or he identified it but simply chose to ignore it.
And it is hard to say which one it is, mused the noble, with an inward sneer, he is not very intelligent after all.
"I cannot leave the room with you hulking in the doorway like that, Zaraki-taichou," he said, coolly.
The (rather extremely) spiky-haired man raised his eyebrows at him.
"Really? I'm pretty sure that yer can squeeze through somehow," he drawled, a grin on his lips as he stared down at the noble, "it's not like you've got any muscle, or bulk ter speak of, so...yeah..."
Unohana sighed inwardly, even as she moved towards her patient's bedside and gently directed her to at least sit on the bed, as opposed to using it to support herself and keep standing.
Honestly, she thought, shaking her head slightly, you would think that a war of as grand a scale as the winter war was, would teach them how meaningless such antagonistic feelings towards each other really are...
"Very mature, Zaraki-taichou –I would be surprised, if I had not expected something of the sort from you," answered the noble, his voice just as cold as it had been before. "Now, kindly, remove yourself from my path. I am quite certain that the doorway will still be present for you to...hover about, after I leave."
"Pfft, always with the fancy language. Fancy language ain't gonna get me ter move, pretty boy," snorted Zaraki, waving a hand dismissively. "But why the sudden rush to leave, hmm? Yer afraid of the little missy over there?" He nodded at the vibrant haired girl, currently being surrounded by a cloud of light blue light as her vitals were checked by Unohana. His glinting, dark eyes showed his amusement at the idea.
The noble, however, did not seem too amused, as his steely eyes narrowed.
"I would just as soon be afraid of Kusajishi-fukutaichou," he replied, evenly, and watched as a dark expression flashed across his fellow Captain's face.
"An' what exactly are you implyin', Kuchiki?"
"I am not implying anything. On the contrary, I am saying, that I am as 'afraid' of the human as I would be of your Vice-captain –which, coincidentally, I am not."
The expression that settled on the Captain's face this time was a rather heavy one –and one that was not often seen on the loud, uncouth man's face. The distant look in his eyes told the noble that he was recalling past events, and he could not help but wonder if it was entirely healthy for him to do so.
I should know, he thought, sardonically, I should know the danger that comes with holding onto the past.
"Get outta my sight, pretty boy," growled the 11th Division's Captain, before he turned on his heel and stalked down the corridor, his footfalls heavy against the floor.
The dark haired noble stared after him for a brief moment, wondering if, perhaps, he had gone too far when he had mentioned the 11th Division's Vice-captain. He had not meant any harm by it, of course –he had merely tried to show his always-eager-for-a-fight colleague that he was as scared of the human girl as he was of the short, pink haired menace. Which, of course, he was not.
But perhaps he should not have mentioned the young one's name...
For, even though he did his best to act as he normally did, seeking more and more fights and more bloodshed, it was obvious to those with good eyes and a better brain, that Zaraki Kenpachi was a man who was gradually becoming more and more burdened with guilt.
It would not be easy, he knew, for the large man to convince himself that what happened to his Vice-captain was not at all his fault.
How could it be easy, when he was confronted with the stark reality of the loud, overly cheerful child's loss of sight every single day? It was to her credit that she did not let it affect her, not in the slightest bit, but he knew, just as their colleagues did, that it was not easy –not for her, and certainly not for her beloved 'Ken-chan'.
He could still see in his mind's eye the image of the man, enraged beyond any words he could find in his rather extensive vocabulary, bleeding so heavily that there was more red visible on him than his normal skin colour, and standing over the scattered limbs and torn flesh of the still miraculously breathing lump recognisable as the Decima Espada, or the Zero Espada as it turned out.
He doubted if anyone who had witnessed the scene would be capable of forgetting it, at least not any time soon.
Shaking his head and realising that he had not moved from his spot, he stalked out of the room.
A short while later:
The loud snores in the room accompanied the soft sound of his impatiently tapping feet –but neither noise looked to be capable of waking the happily snoring man from his induced slumber.
His patience was running out, if he was to be honest, and all that he wanted to do was to leave his division's compound for the day, and get back to the familiar comfort of the Kuchiki manor.
But then again, it is that very action of mine the other day, that enabled Abarai to spend the night drinking away, he mused, annoyed. Not to mention the rest of the events that followed his presence at the 13th Division's compound...
The throbbing in his head started anew, as his mind chose that particular moment to give him an account of what had happened –despite the fact that it had not been that long ago, and that he could still remember it clearly.
It was a throbbing that was becoming increasingly frequent, especially with matters that concerned a particular Relief Station patient who was, in all honesty, far more trouble than she looked.
He frowned at that.
Trouble? Well, of course she had been the cause of nothing but trouble for Seireitei...but he was fairly certain that it was all unintentional –on her part, at least, for he really could not speak for the treacherous former Captains.
And she was still nothing but 'trouble' to Seireitei, given their lack of information as to what she did and didn't know about Aizen and his plans.
But what troubled him slightly more than that, was the...trouble she had caused him; the trouble she still caused him. During the time that he had spent making the occasional visit to the Relief Station –more so when she had been in her comatose state- out of a somewhat unconscious feeling of...a debt that was owed to her? No, that was not correct; he had only visited her because it was what his sister would have wanted. That was the reason.
In any case, between those visits and this present moment, the girl had caused his Zanpakutou to rebel against him; had unknowingly created a potential threat to whatever peace they had managed to maintain by being placed in a position where his Vice-captain had seen her, and had elicited from him a promise to 'give' her powers back (even though she was in a half hysterical state, and being put into a calming sleep by Unohana when she had said this)
And that was not the end of it –not at all.
She had somehow managed to make him feel somewhat like an insensitive cad, even if it was only for a moment, when she had mentioned her brother; had unwittingly forced memories of the past to refresh themselves in his mind, rather vividly and had generally taken up a fair amount of his valuable time –time which he did not have to waste in such a manner- whether she knew it or not.
And in addition to that, the illogical, overly emotional, much too soft human was glad that she had been able to save him.
What type of foolish, naive, person would be glad for...saving the life of someone they did not know at all, except by name and appearance, even after it caused them to be in a comatose state for months afterward?
And what type of person would shed tears of relief for the fact that someone she barely knew, was alive and well? She barely knew his Vice-captain, except for the fact that he was Rukia's friend...and an...acquaintance of sorts of the Kurosaki boy.
But what annoyed him more than this inexplicable, anomaly of a person, was the fact that he was actually spending time pondering it all. It was none of his concern, was it not? He had no connection whatsoever with the human, and what he had done, up to a certain point, was because of his sister.
In other words, I need to set myself apart from all of this. It is shaping up to be far too troublesome to my liking.
He would not be surprised if his moment of regret, earlier in the day, at his mention of Kusajishi Yachiru to the 11th Division's Captain, somehow, inadvertently, had something to do with the troublesome, so very troublesome, human.
Reminding himself of who exactly he was, and how he was hardly ever influenced by others, especially not weak little things like the human, he soon dismissed the thought for being what it was; ridiculous.
More than slightly irritated with himself, the noble glanced once more at the red haired figure sprawled on the futon. Whoever had picked him up from the 13th Division had certainly been in a hurry to leave him in his room.
"Aba-"
The arrival of the Hell Butterfly stopped him abruptly, and, after a moment's contemplation, he held his hand out, allowing the creature to come to a halt on his finger. This could not be good news.
Meanwhile, at the Relief Station:
The ever present, gentle smile on her lips, the dark haired Captain pulled down the fiery haired girl's yukata sleeve, before meeting her silently inquiring gaze with her own.
"It seems that you haven't suffered any adverse effects of being subjected to shunpou twice in one day, Inoue-san," she said, sounding somewhat pleased. "That can only be a good thing, for it is an indication that your body is on the mend. I would not encourage any more...trips such as this, however –but it gives me hope, for if your body was still at its weakest point, you would most certainly have been worn down by the day's events."
Orihime nodded, absently fiddling with the sleeve of her yukata.
Smiling at her partly bowed head, the darker haired woman turned to the table by the bed, bending over slightly so as to open the first of the two drawers it held. "How do your legs feel, Inoue-san?"
"My...legs?"
Unohana nodded, her eyes passing over the various different jars that were placed neatly in the first drawer.
"Yes," she said, still not looking at her patient. "Have you had any aches or pains in them? Perhaps in your calf muscles?" She reached out and pulled one such jar out, staring at its dark contents before shaking her head and placing it back inside. "And if so, has the pain occurred when you have been stationary, or when you have been moving about?"
"I –" Absently watching as the older woman took out another jar before quickly replacing it in its place. "They haven't been...hurting. Not exactly," she said, quietly, causing the Captain to send her a quick glance.
"Yes?"
The vibrant haired girl bowed her head once more.
"When I'm walking –it's a bit... I sometimes feel like my legs won't be able to hold me up for long..." a semi pensive expression flashed across her face, although it went unnoticed to the healer. "It's sort of like when you're sitting in one place for a long time, in the same position, and then when you stand, you've got pins and needles and it takes a while for your legs to get used to any movement again."
She glanced up just as the healer sent her a questioning glance.
"Pins and needles?"
"Yes, pins and nee –oh!" Only then understanding the purpose of the questioning glance, Orihime nodded. "It's when your feet –well, not really...but it happens most in your feet- sort of...fall asleep..." Her voice trailed off. "Um...I'm sure there must be a medical term for it...but I don't know what it is. It's –well, it's when your foot falls asleep. I'm sorry, but that's the only way I can think of to describe it..."
Unohana smiled at her.
"Do not trouble yourself over it; I understand what you mean," she said, her smile widening as she wondered if the girl realised her changed behaviour. She couldn't remember a time when she had spoken so much, since she had woken from her comatose state.
And I am deeply grateful for whatever it was that brought this on, she thought, honestly, before her eyes lit up as she plucked the appropriate jar from the drawer. She stared at the olive coloured salve for a moment, nodding a moment later.
As she turned around, she saw the questioning look the girl was sending the jar. "This is a salve that you will need to have applied on your arms and legs twice a day," she explained, setting the jar down on the tabletop. "It will soothe the pain in your muscles."
"But..." Orihime glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, looking almost sheepish. "But I don't feel any pain..."
Unohana smiled.
"No, you won't be feeling it just yet," she explained. "It has only been a short while since you awakened from your comatose state, Inoue-san, and while your limbs were unresponsive during that time –for obvious reasons- the limited amount of movement you have experienced has not been enough to remind your muscles of the unmoving state they have been in for five months or so."
Her smile widened as she saw the somewhat confused expression on the girl's face. "You have not been walking, or using your arms very much, have you, Inoue-san?" The girl shook her head slowly. "When you do start walking more frequently, and perhaps begin with the exercises that Isane-san and Hanatarou-kun will guide you through, that is when the pain will start." She gestured towards the salve. "The application of this salve, when massaged carefully over the muscle mass, will aid with this inevitable pain, even if it will only be a little bit."
Orihime nodded, her brows furrowed as her eyes stayed focused on the jar. The vacant expression on her face, however, told the healer that she was not particularly observing the jar itself; rather, she was more focused on whatever it was that was running through her head.
And she knew better than to prod anyone to speak, not when they were in this particular state.
"I... I saw..." she waited patiently as the girl paused, a hesitant expression crossing her face, before it cleared once more. "Kyouraku-san took me to see Ukitake-san today."
Unohana nodded.
"So I heard," she said, her voice soft. "Was it the first time you met either of them?"
The girl shook her head.
"Just Kyouraku-san. I had seen him before, but I...well, I knew who he was, but I hadn't actually met him." The healer nodded. "But I've met Ukitake-san before. When I was her, in Seireitei."
"Oh?" The healer smiled.
Orihime nodded, her eyes downcast.
"We... we needed his permission to use one of the 13th Division's training grounds."
"We?" echoed Unohana, partly out of curiosity, but mainly out of her desire to encourage the girl to keep talking. There were a few names at the tip of the Captain's tongue, just waiting to be mentioned, but she held them back. It hadn't escaped her notice that the girl hadn't spoken of her friends, not once, and she didn't want to be the one breaching the topic –that was something her patient would have to find it in her to do it by herself.
"Yes. Me and Kuchi...ki-san," whispered the girl, the grip she had on the sleeve of her yukata tightening rather visibly, even as she bowed her head even further.
"I...see."
Orihime nodded, vaguely feeling the lump that was growing in her throat.
"It... she wanted to help me train. To –to help me so that I –I would be able to... So that I wouldn't be –" She stopped, swallowing against the lump in her throat. "She was...just helping me train."
Unohana nodded, observing the fact that there was more to it than that, although she was most certainly not going to press her patient for any further information.
As the silence in the room stretched for a moment too long for her liking, she decided that it was time to keep the conversation going, and to change the topic.
"I am certain that Ukitake-taichou wouldn't have made you feel any discomfort, during your stay here?"
She politely gave the girl a few moments to clear away the thoughts in her head, before she was able to answer.
"H-He..." Orihime swallowed again. "He was very kind." She shook her head at that. "He is very kind." The smile on the healer's face was a fond one.
"He has always been very kind," she mused.
"But he –he seems... he seems more..." when Orihime trailed off this time, it was more to do with the fact that she couldn't find an appropriate word to describe what she wanted to say.
"The war was not kind on him," commented Unohana, the fond smile being replaced by a saddened one. "It was not kind on anyone, of course."
When she saw the pained expression on the girl's face, she immediately regretted her comment, for she had guessed –while her patient was still in her comatose state- at the guilt that she would feel at the events that had taken place. "But we knew what the possible outcomes would be when we decided that our former comrades were too much of a danger to leave alone for another century or so."
Even though her patient nodded, she could tell that her heart wasn't in it. "Inoue-san," she started after a moment or two of silence, "it was not my intention to-"
"I saw Renji-kun."
Unohana stared at her for half a moment.
"...I do not understand."
"I saw Renji-kun. A-At the... the 13th Division," explained Orihime, her voice faint. "He –he was...he wanted Ukitake-san to hide him, I think. From...from Byakuya-san..."
Oh dear, thought the healer with an inward frown, this cannot be good news. No one was supposed to know of her current state of consciousness –especially not anyone connected to her and her friends in Karakura.
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, So this is why Kuchiki-taichou was slightly more irate than usual with Shunsui-kun's behaviour.
She could understand the noble's reaction after all, for who knew what the outspoken Vice-captain would do with this knowledge? Who knew whom the man would inform of his discovery? Come to think of it, she should probably send him a summons, to see just what he had seen.
But knowing her younger colleague, and if he knew of the fact that his Vice-captain had seen her patient, he would already be making it known to him that he should hold his silence on the matter.
But I should still speak with Kuchiki-taichou. Just to be certain. And perhaps have a word with Shunsui-kun as well.
She pulled herself out of her thoughts when she saw the look the girl was sending her.
"Forgive me, I was merely caught up with-"
"Please don't hurt Renji-kun –he didn't do anything wrong! If anything, it was my fault. I –I shouldn't have left this room, like Byakuya-san said. I...I should have known better, and –and taken into consideration the amount of time and effort that you, Yamada-kun and Kotetsu-san have put into healing me." There was a panicked expression on the girl's face. "I understand why Byakuya-san was mad, but –but please, if you're going to –to punish someone, punish me. It's my fault, not—"
The gentle hand that gripped hers brought her out of her panicked state, even if only slightly.
"Inoue-san, there will be no punishments for anyone; not you, not Abarai-kun and certainly not Ukitake-taichou or Kyouraku-taichou," said Unohana, as reassuringly as she could. "I give you my word on this."
The suddenly lost look that overwhelmed the grey eyes of her patient caught the healer by surprise.
"He gave me his word too..." whispered the girl, "but even after –even when I... He still hurt my friends..."
As the girl continued to stare blankly ahead of her, as though in some sort of a trance, the healer was occupying herself with focusing on what she had just said. Who had given the girl his word? And what...what had he demanded in return?
Her brows furrowed. She mentioned something about her friends, she recalled, staring at her patient, Something about not harming her friends. But...what would she have had to do in return? And who—
Deep blue eyes widened.
He had given her his word.
And somehow, his 'word' had had to do with...not harming her friends...
A chilly feeling settled in her gut.
Could it be-?
She was snapped out of her reverie, however, by the appearance of a Hell Butterfly in the room. Its arrival had also broken her patient out of whatever trance she was in, for her eyes were now focused on its fluttering wings.
"Yes?" questioned the healer, clearing her throat slightly as she reached out to touch it.
'Report to the Division One compound as soon as this message is received. There will be an impromptu meeting of the Goteijusantai. All Captains are required to attend, unless unwell or requiring bed rest. All Vice-captains will attend a later meeting, and will be given more information soon. I repeat, there will be a meeting of the Goteijusantai. All Captains, unless unwell, will be required to attend. Report to the 1st Division as soon as possible.'
The dark haired healer stared at the butterfly, a small frown tugging her lips downward.
This...did not sound good.
A short while later,
The 1st Division Compound:
He felt the 2nd Division's Captain bristle once Kyouraku had finished speaking of the possible solution to the situation.
"Yes, Soi Fon-taichou?"
"With all due respect, soutaichou-sama, I do not agree." Her voice was curt. "One of the tasks that the Onmitsukido specialises in is that of protection. Covert protection. There is no safer place for her than one where she will be surrounded by members of the Onmitsukido who will also be able to quickly get her to safety if something were to happen."
The Captain-Commander could not help but nod to that as well, for he knew that the 2nd Division's Captain had spoken no untruth; he would be the last person to doubt the skill of her Onmitsukido.
In any other situation, he would not have hesitated to hand the person in question to her, leaving it up to her to organise the protection detail that would be required.
But he was an observant leader.
Soi Fon had been rather adamant in her pursuit of requesting his approval for her to question the human, and she not hidden the fact that she was distrustful of the Relief Station's patient.
Despite her strong opinions, she was also a woman of her word; she would not secretly seek to torture the girl, should he decide that it was best for her to be placed under her protection. But he also knew that she would not do anything to make the human feel welcome. It was not in her nature –especially not when she was still so very angry with the traitors, and what she perceived as her failure of not noticing their intentions, what with the considerable force of the Onmitsukido under her command.
"Do you have something to add, Zaraki-taichou?" he questioned, eyes drawn to the fidgeting man.
"Nah," he said, with a shrug, "except that I'd feel sorry for the thing no matter where you decide tar place her. It's a choice of the freaky fanatic or the stuck up pretty boy."
"Kindly refrain from speaking of your colleagues in such a manner, Zaraki-taichou," commented Yamamoto before he turned to look at the noble.
As though noticing the gaze on him, the dark haired Captain turned, meeting his eyes with his own steely pair. From the way his face was set, the Captain-Commander knew that he did not approve of what had been suggested.
"If we're going to have to put her somewhere, I don't see why the 12th Division hasn't even been mentioned so far," commented Kurotsuchi Mayuri, mildly irritated. "It would be killing two birds with one stone; we could see to her protection, and test the girl's apparent lack of powers."
"And what will your scientists do should anyone come for her, Kurotsuchi-taichou? Experiment on them to the death?" Kyouraku laughed at the look on the 12th Division Captain's face. "You know as well as I do that it will not work. Especially not for her," he muttered.
"I don't see you offering to help with this problem," snapped Mayuri.
Kyouraku shrugged.
"I do not think the services that I can offer will be adequate," he said. "My house isn't half as populated, or protected, as Kuchiki-taichou's."
The noble turned his attention to the Captain, glowering at him.
"The fact that there will be people bustling about the manor does not concern you, Kyouraku-taichou?" he questioned, flatly. "We are all aware that there are many in Seireitei who do not have a favourable impression of the girl –and yet you still think it wise to place her in a manor with servants and guards who could possibly harbour the same dislike for her?"
The smile Kyouraku sent the younger Captain was one of his more disarming ones –though, judging from the cool expression on his face, it didn't seem to work with the noble.
"Quite true, my boy," he said, with a nod, "but you are the Head of the manor. I'm quite certain that a...briefing from you will be all that is required to set things straight amongst the staff at the Kuchiki manor." His smiled widened. "Besides, Inoue-chan is such a gentle, sweet, kind soul that no one will have the heart to be anything less than kind towards her –as you know quite well."
Steely eyes narrowed, although it only served to further delight the 8th Division's Captain.
"Komamura-taichou?" questioned the Captain-Commander, seeing the 7th Division's Captain holding up his notepad, which he handed over to the Kuchiki noble with a somewhat apologetic expression.
Doing all he could to not snatch the item from his fellow colleague's hand, the dark haired Captain started to read what was written on the notepad.
"... 'I agree with Kyouraku-taichou. There will be some protection for the human while Kuchiki-taichou is handling the affairs of the 6th Division, along with some form of company, in the form of the staff working at the manor. Also,'..." the noble's eyes narrowed slightly, before he continued, "... 'the human is, at the very least, somewhat familiar with Kuchiki-taichou. At least, more familiar than she is with Soi Fon-taichou and Kurotsuchi-taichou, respectively. It would certainly be in her best interests, I think.'..."
If he had not been who he was, and if he had not been raised in the manner he had been raised in, Byakuya would have shoved the notepad back into his colleague's waiting hand.
But he was Kuchiki Byakuya, so he settled for calmly handing the item over, although he thought he saw his fingers twitch once.
Yamamoto was stroking his lengthy beard as he nodded grimly.
"Your reasoning is sound," he commented, not missing the way the noble's shoulders tensed.
"In addition to that," started Unohana Retsu, as pleasantly as ever, "the Kuchiki manor is not too far from the Relief Station. It would not be hard to send a healer to the manor, should my patient require any assistance." She paused. "I can also arrange a day and time during which I can check up on the patient, if Kuchiki-taichou will agree, that is."
It is quite obvious that he is far from agreeing to this, mused Yamamoto, shaking his head inwardly, before he turned serious once more. From the looks of things, they had one Captain who wanted the girl to be placed with the 2nd Division, another Captain who wanted her to be handed over to the 12th, three Captains who wanted her to be placed with the 6th Division's Captain, even though he seemed to disagree...and one Captain who didn't seem to approve of either of the three choices.
I would not normally wish to proceed without the consent of a fellow Captain, he thought, eyes flicking once more towards the stony-faced noble, but the threat is one that we cannot take lightly.
"Come now, Kuchiki-taichou, there is no need to look as though someone died," said Kyouraku, before the smile left his face. "Inoue-chan is in a fragile condition at the moment, and I do not simply mean it physically." He met the noble's gaze evenly. "She would be terrified at the 12th Division, and lacking proper human contact at the 2nd."
"Excuse me?" Soi Fon did not look happy. "What exactly are you implying?"
"Nothing, Soi Fon-taichou. Who do take me for, really?"
Unohana smiled to herself as the noble looked away from the 8th Division's Captain. She knew that Kyouraku's words would have struck something within him.
Surely he would not want his sister's friend to suffer in such a manner?
They all turned their attention to the Captain-Commander as he slammed the end of his staff onto the floor. The elderly man waited for a moment before he spoke.
"Kurotsuchi-taichou, you and your division will soon be busy with other tasks that I will give you –you will not have the time for such a mission," he said, fixing the Captain with a warning glance as he looked ready to argue. "Soi Fon-taichou, I would prefer that your Onmitsukido spend their time searching for as many possible clues, or if possible, facts, as to the contents of the scroll. It is important that we find out what we can about the information in it, for it if is correct, then things have not been properly dealt with, as we initially thought."
Swiftly turning his gaze to the noble, he easily spotted the resignation, mixed together with a touch of...concern, from the looks of it, on the man's face. "Kuchiki-taichou, I apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause you, but I must agree with Kyouraku-taichou, Unohana-taichou and Komamura-taichou. For the moment, at least, it would be best for the human to reside in the Kuchiki manor. This way, your division does not need to know about the girl's condition, and the number of people that are capable of informing those back in the living world will be greatly reduced."
He observed the dark haired Captain for a moment longer. "Do you have any complaints?"
Silence reigned in the room for a long, long moment, as all eyes remained fixed upon the noble.
His jaw clenched as he stared ahead of him, before eventually bowing his head.
"None that are of any importance to the reasons behind this decision," he said, impassively.
Yamamoto allowed his eyes to rest of him for half a moment longer, before he nodded.
"Very well, the subject is now closed. As soon as you are able, Unohana-taichou, please discharge the human into Kuchiki-taichou's care. The sooner the better, I believe. And Kuchiki-taichou, do not hesitate to ask Unohana-taichou for help, if the girl needs it." He turned his attention to the rest of the Captains. "I expect everyone to pay attention to the rumours flying around this time –that is one way of getting some information or the other."
He sighed, a hardened expression finding itself on his face. "If Tousen Kaname is, indeed, alive, we cannot afford to take him lightly. Nor should we ignore the fact that only one body was found, charred beyond recognition. For all intents and purposes, it could be an indication that the either Ichimaru or –heaven forbid- Aizen himself managed to escape alive. Although I was of the opinion that both had perished..."
He was pleased to see the serious expressions on his subordinates' faces. "We underestimated them once, and we would be fools to do it again. Whatever happens, neither they nor anyone else must be allowed to get their hands on the human. Is that clear?"
"Yes, soutaichou-sama," murmured the seven gathered Captains.
A/N
I know that was longer than the last chapter, but I needed to fit in everything that I did manage to fit in this chapter. It would have been dragging it on a bit, if I had left it to a new chapter. Once again, as is becoming more and more common with this story, I apologise for the chapter length! Okay, correction, this chapter isn't as long as chapter 9, but that's because I cut out a chunk about -well, a chunk that I can include in chapter 11, when I get around to writing it. So that's all good!
There were quite a few scene jumps in this chapter as well, but I hope it wasn't too difficult to read? You might have noticed that there was more of Orihime in this chapter, as in, of her speaking, and her thoughts etc –and that was intentional, because I did want to focus on her for a bit. (That and I thought I'd give Byakuya a chapter's worth of a break, free from too much of angst. Don't think I succeeded though!) But Orihime certainly did experience a variety of emotions, of ups and downs in this chapter. Poor Byakuya too; it must feel horrible to have your colleagues gang up on you and forcing you to agree to something you do not wish to agree too! (Not that he would have had much of a choice, if Yamamoto had ordered it anyway. But still, the fact that he didn't refuse outright must mean something. ...Or maybe not...?) I also hope that no one minded the fact that I started off the chapter with a continuation -of sorts- of where chapter 9 left off...and then continued on from there. I just felt as though I needed to add more of Kyouraku's, Ukitake's, and of course Byakuya's and Orihime's reactions to that situation, and I wanted Orihime to come across as being rather disoriented what with everything that was going on, at least in that scene. I'm really hoping that that worked.
Okay, so it's 2:50 am right now, and I'm a bit tired... and also trying not to think of the assignment that needs to be handed in on Friday.
As I mentioned earlier, I will get to the review replies sometime Friday afternoon –though I do apologise for the delay.
Keep smiling,
Siriusgirl1