Chapter 10: Initial Symptoms -An unfolding Treachery (1)
Lost in thought, Zanjiro sat there staring at his lieutenant Tsubaki Ito who was busy working. She was a goddess blond, slim, eyes that would melt the hearts of many men; she was easy on the eyes, a beauty. Despite this she was often lonely, her shy, socially inept demeanour repelled many who contemplated talking to her. He chose her carefully as his lieutenant, loyal and a hard worker, as well as her captain he was her close friend.
"Lieutenant Ito please take a break you've been working for hours."
"Thank you captain Abarai it was getting somewhat tiring. How about we drop the formalities while I'm on my break."
"Fine. Tsubaki I noticed you went out last night, I hope you weren't drinking, you know I like my officers to be in the right state of mind."
"I did go to the bar but I didn't drink anything alcoholic, I was chatting to some fellow seated officers, it was fun until captain Maruyama came in."
"Captain Maruyama! He's not the bar sort, what did he do?" Zanjiro looked puzzled.
"I'm not sure why he came in, but I left along with the other officers, the only two people left were captain Kinnosuke and captain Koizumi."
"Interesting, I'm sure Megumi will tell me, she'll show up to bother me at some point."
Tsubaki went quite, looking around.
"What is it?"
"Captain I hear footsteps!"
Zanjiro closed his eyes, listening carefully. Opening his eyes he drew his zanpakuto.
"I hear it to, brace yourself."
The windows shattered figures wrapped in dark clothing resembling that of a ninja, jumped in and ran through every opening surrounding the captain ignoring Tsubaki. Captain Kinnosuke walked in.
"Zanjiro Abarai, you are under arrest by the orders of central forty six, we have found several illegal weapons within your division, I recommend you come quietly to await sentencing, unless you want to take me and the stealth force on."
"Captain Kinnosuke he wouldn't!" Tsubaki yelled, gripping her zanpakuto.
"Stand down lieutenant! You really think I want to arrest him."
Shaking, her loyalties conflicting, Tsubaki looked at Zanjiro. Zanjiro looked calm, sheathing his zanpakuto, he dropped it and kicked it towards Kinnosuke.
"Look after it Kinnosuke, Lieutenant Ito take over squad six while I'm gone."
"The stealth force officers will take you to central forty six, I'm sorry I had to do this."
Zanjiro looked at Kinnosuke he smiled.
"You are just doing your job."
With that he walked away, guided and surrounded by the stealth force.
The thirteenth division was packed with shinigami, all excited to see the fight between Rena Kaisa and Zoki Shizuka. Tension was rife in the air; a few officers could be seen placing bets. Rei, Megumi, Ryuusuke and Doami sat together on a roof overseeing the battleground.
"Rei I'll wager a bottle of sake on Rena winning."
"You're an idiot Ryuusuke, Zoki will obviously win, so I'll accept your offer."
Ryuusuke pulled a bottle of saki from his sleeve.
"Really?!" Rei moaned, "You had this planned. Captain Koizumi I hope you have the same faith Ryuusuke has in your lieutenant."
"I do, head captain how can you make stupid bets, when there are so many serious matters going on."
"Megumi relax, enjoy the battle, it's a rare opportunity. Or if you're referring to captain Abarai that's already been dealt with, although I will look into it more thoroughly."
"Thank you, your word means a lot to me."
Ryuuusuke laughed.
"I've heard those words so many times, often followed with disappointment."
Megumi slapped him around the head.
"Don't ruin the moment!"
"Silence you two, the brawl is about to commence." Doami ordered.
Rena and Zoki stood opposite each other, Rena gripped her zanpakuto with both hands the blade pointing towards the ground, Zoki held a smaller zanpakuto in his right hand.
"Rena I hope you're not too nervous," Zoki said mockingly. "Just to warn you I'm using my shikai from the start, I recommend you do the same."
Trembling, Rena held her zanpakuto sideways in front on her face, breathing on it heavily.
"Infect Akuirusu."
A dark green gas shrouded her zanpakuto, completely hiding its shape and size.
"What a cowardly ability, hiding your true weapon from me. I'll show you the way a true warrior battles, fortify Tsuinyaiba."
Zoki's zanpakuto grew in length just greater than that of a normal zanpakuto. Rena watched him closely as he started to walk towards her.
He doesn't appear to have changed much, should I stay on the defensive?
She closed her eyes to clear her mind for a second, upon opening she couldn't see him.
Invisibility?
"You think too much." I voice closely behind her whispered.
He kneed her in the back, dropping he spun sweeping her legs, she hit the ground.
"Rena your skills are laughable. Oh well, time to finish this."
He aimed to impale her, thrusting his zanpakuto downwards. She quickly rolled deflecting his attack, he staggered, and she threw her zanpakuto at him. Impossible to avoid being hit by it, he changed its path of motion by hitting the blade with his arm, blood dribbled down his arm.
"You managed to scratch my arm, at the cost of being unarmed. Was it worth it?"
Rena stopped shaking, her face full of confidence, Megumi watched closely, Rena never expressed any positive emotions; it was like another person was fighting.
"Worth it? Of course it was the initial symptoms should be taking affect."
Zoki's vision blurred, he started wobbling unable to keep a sense of equilibrium, his skin becoming pale.
"You are a sly one, attacking me from within." He said slurring his words. "I can't use my bankai now, it seems my spiritual energy is being absorbed."
A short bald man walked up to Ryuusuke, who was carefully assessing the fight. Having never spoke to Ryuusuke before, the man felt nervous.
"Excuse me head captain, I've got your zanpakuto."
"Thank you lieutenant Karukai, although I'm a little concerned you're not watching your captain fight. Is there any reason why?"
"Head captain in all honesty I don't get on with him, he's verbally abusive towards me, treats me like fifth and I can't please him no matter how hard I try."
"Lieutenant if you need to move to another squad, I'll be fine with that, there's no point being unhappy in life."
"Thank you for your offer head captain but I'll have to decline, my family have had their hearts set on me working in the thirteenth division so I'll stay, not for my sake but for theirs."
Ryuusuke nodded, "You're an honourable man lieutenant, putting family choices first. I must seem selfish in comparison, doing only a few of my duties, slacking off, I'm really glad there are great shinigami like you in the seireitei. Please sit down next to me we'll watch this fight till the end."
For the first time in his career, Karukai felt appreciated, he sat there feeling like Ryuusukes equal.
Go on Rena win this, defeat my captain, he thought.
"Captain Shizuka, you told captain Koizumi that I would never amount to anything as a shinigami, look at me now, you're losing."
"Don't get so full of yourself lieutenant!" Zoki shouted, drooling.
She ran at him, positioned to impale him.
How long is her sword I can't block it properly without knowing what it looks like.
Zoki attempted to block, she didn't impale him, but as her zanpakuto ran across his it sliced his shoulder.
"It's time you experience the critical symptoms."
Zoki fell to his knees; painfully coughing, blood spurted from his mouth. His muscles contracted, paralysed he dropped his zanpakuto and fell to the ground. Looking at him Rena could see a huge grin on his face.
Ryuusuke jumped from the roof, landing next to Zoki, clapping his hands he shouted."An excellent match, everyone welcome the new captain of the tenth division, captain Rena Kaisa."
She blushed, tears gushed from her eyes, Megumi jumped down, she was speechless, throwing her arms around Rena she hugged her tightly.
"I'm so proud of you, captain Kaisa." Megumi whispered.
Ryuusuke tapped Rei on the back.
Rei looked disappointed, "I owe you one bottle of sake.
"That's not what I want, it's time we deal with captain Shigeyo."
Megumi is going to be in a great mood; no doubt it'll be drinks all around.
Kinnosuke hurriedly walked to the ninth division, eager to get quite tipsy, at the promotion celebrations. Someone jumped out pinning him against a wall.
"Why did you arrest my brother, what did he do to you?"
"Miyu!"
"Kinnosuke you know he's innocent yet you still arrested him!" Miyu Kuchiki shouted.
"Get off me, think about what you're doing! This will do nothing to help him, he'll be sentenced soon, me and Ryuusuke are looking into it further."
He lowered her arms gently.
"You believe he's innocent?"
"Of course I do Miyu, I haven't always got on with Zanjiro, as you know our personalities somewhat clash, but he's a true shimigami, and obeys the rules so methodically, without a doubt he's innocent, we just have to persuade central forty six."
"It's reassuring to know you're all on his side."
He put his arm over her shoulder, and grinned.
"It should be, he'll be out soon. So for now let's party."
"Lieutenant he's waking up!"
"Brilliant, I knew he'd make a fast recovery. Captain Hisagi just let me ask him a few basic questions first."
Gin's eyes opened, his eyes moved scanning the fourth division infirmary, his parents looked at him lovingly, tears forming at their eyes. Lieutenant Hajin also looked at him judging his reactions.
Mum, dad.
"I'm glad you're back Gin, how do you feel?"
"Thank you lieutenant, I feel a bit disorientated. How long have I been out for?"
"Two days, we found you with severe wounds, in the outskirts of the seireitei. What happened?"
"I remember lying down on the grass, I heard a noise, a senkaimon opened, captain Shigeyo walked out, I hid. He found me then attacked me."
"I'll kill that bastard!"
Hiasagi stormed out of the room.
"Rangiku stop him!" Hajin ordered.
"No, he attacked my own flesh and blood, he'll get what he deserves."
Rangiku hugged Gin.
"Son I'm so happy you are back," she said, crying joyfully.
Night crept over the seireitei, the moonlight dimly lit the seventh division, all was quiet. Two lone figures stood still admiring the moon, one a tall man, with short blue hair, curving around his head like a helmet. The other a tall muscular woman, manly in appearance, her short black hair didn't help her look any more feminine.
"Lieutenant Watari, I'll soon be arrested, don't try to fight them its not worth dying for." Captain Shigeyo said.
"But captain we can rise up against them now, we have the pills!"
"No, they should only be used if necessary, otherwise an overdose is fatal. Let them arrest me tonight, it's not long now until we all unveil ourselves, and take the seireitei."
"Understood captain,."
"One last thing Lieutenant, when they arrest me, they'll suspect the squad for treason but I've made sure, that everything treacherous is linked to me. So while I'm gone, you'll be filling in as captain. Now go don't disturb me, I sense a powerful presence heading this way."
"Thank you, captain. I won't disappoint you."
Obedient, Lieutenant Watari went inside, leaving Captain Shigeyo by himself. Alone he sat down crossing his legs, closing his eyes he counted down.
…four…three….two…one.
He heard a person land on the wall behind him.
"Awfully nice of you to be here head captain, it's nice to think that you'd attempt to mask your presence, but of course that's not possible for you. You're alone, I assumed Rei was coming, what a shame, it could have been fun. Now lets get down to my treachery, the attack on the fourth division and the assault of that stupid boy."
He heard the person jump of the wall, treading towards him.
"Really head captain, it's not like you to give me the silent treatment. How about you just get on with it and arrest me."
The footsteps stopped behind him, he heard the sound of a blade being drawn.
"Arrest you?!" A voice from behind yelled.
That's not the head captain!
Turning around captain Shigeyo caught a glimpse of the man lunging at him.
"I'll eradicate you, reap Kazeshini.