Chapter 10
Later that evening Atsumi was in her room combing out her short hair and putting on some face cream at a vanity. She heard a quiet noise at her door and looked over her shoulder. She saw a note with her name slide under her door. She opened it up and read it. Atsumi clasped the note to her chest and sighed outloud.
Renji, leaning on the wall in the dark hallway, smiled at her sigh and walked off satisfied. 'Captain ain't the only one who knows 'bout poetry. I did go to school…'
On the other side of the Seireitei Eri was finishing the day sweeping up in an exam room She flet a warm but powerful reiatsu enter the tiny space. "Captain!" Eri immediately bowed in deference to her squad's leader.
"Eri-san, at ease" cooed the leader. "Do you have a moment?"
"Of courses Captain!" she replied.
The captain invited her to sit at a table of supplies and pulled up a second stool next to Eri. "Eri-san, it is about the other day when Atsumi of 11 came to us with that injury."
Eri bowed again and apologized "I'm sorry Captain, I should have focused on the patient first instead of chiding 3rd Seat Madarame. It was negligent and I'm sorry. I have no excuses."
Unohana chuckled and kindly said "I understand the frustration you must have felt with them. The eleventh does tend to over do things a bit. I accept your apology and am glad you recognize that. That aside I really want to discuss your power. I was very surprised you were able to summon so much spirit power. You are a carrier of an ausuichi, are you not?" Eri seated herself again an avoided eye contact. "Eir-san? Eri-san, please look at me."
Eri raised her wide eyes and said "I don't know where it came from. I just felt it open up."
Unohana smiled and said "I think you need further guidance. It seems your talents were hidden."
"Do you think so? You mean like Tashi?"
Unohana laughed "Well, Tashi is another special case, but something like that."
"Captain Unohana, I'm more sure than ever that I want to use my powers, whatever they are, to further the mission of the fourth squad."
Unohana couldn't help but smile at Eri's determination. "I'm glad. I will ask that you get up extra early to meet with me before your normal duties and sometimes stay later after your normal duties."
"Yes Captain!"
"Tomorrow then, please comet to my office."
"Yes Captain!"
--
The next morning Eri ran to Unohana's office. When she arrived she noted the 11th squad captain exiting. He grunted at her in acknowledgement and she bowed deeply afraid. 'What's he doing here so early?'
Unohana knew Eri was outside and called her in. The peaceful captain looked like she was cleaning up breakfast for two.
Eri was surprised and a bit confused. Unohana whispered "If we know we are both going to be busy I arrange for a little picnic like this one" she winked at Eri implying she was just let in on a secret. There were rumors about the two captains ever since they were in school, but no one could really ever say it was more than just idle gossip.
Eri smiled broadly and promised to herself she would be discreet about the captain's private affairs. Eri helped the Captain sweep away the last of the blueberry muffing crumbs and they got to work.
--
Atsumi
decided to skip practice after lunch and tried to find a perfect tree
to nap under. She found a wide oak and walked to the far side in
order to be out of sight. She found the spot was already taken by her
favorite red haired Vice Captain. She nudged him with her sandaled
foot and his eyes fluttered open. "Oi…" he said sleepily. He
stretched his arms up and out and Atsumi snuggled up next to him
before he brought his arms down. He smirked as Atsumi snuggled
closer. He took note of how young she was but quickly dismissed the
idea. Age was more so a living world quality and not something which
was ofte an issue in Soul Society. Atsumi understood when he made
slips of that kind.
She was like him. A lonely soul who came to Rukongai all too young. They both scraped by and worked hard at just surviving. They both then came to see becoming Shinigami was the only way to leave behind the hell of their everyday existence in Inuzuri. They were educated and their power grew. They used the same grit and determination they sued to survive in the ghetto as they did to climb towards the top. Along the way they found each other.
--
Tashi
returned to her suite in the Kuchiki house and started her routine
for the evening. After a hot bath she combed out her hair and allowed
on of the servants to take over. She applied moisturizer to her hands
and face. And found a glass bottle she knew wasn't there the last
time she sat there. There was a note underneath the bottle. She
smiled knowing who the author was. She read the note and penned a
quick sweet response on the back and handed it off to a servant to
deliver. Tashi opened the bottle and wafted the scent. "Jasmine…"
She dabbed a tasteful amount behind her ears then admired the beauty
of the bottle it came in.
This night her dinner was brought to her and she ate alone with two quiet servants to attend her. She began to think about how she was living. 'I'm enjoying life so much right now. It is so simple. She looked at the small chest where she now kept Byakuya's poems and on top of which she sat her Vice Captain badge. 'Have I really come this far? How long will all of this last? Beauty and peace are fleeting. I just want to relish this time and open my heart completely to the joy life brings…' Tashi picked up a book she was reading and enjoyed it until she became sleepy. Her servants laid out her bedding as she observed the moon and soon she was fast asleep dreaming on her futon.
Sometime later after a few forgettable dreams she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and another stroking her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and looked at Byakuya in the moonlight. He slid under her down filled blanket without any resistance from Tashi. He took her in his arms and she woke up enough to realize she felt his bare skin and not his yukata.
"Sire!" she gasped and he silenced her response with a kiss.
"Tashi…" he kissed her again more passionately and Tashi almost panicked. She tried to resist him, but soon felt there was no need. He knew 'the rules' and she was safe with him. Tashi recalled the talk she had with her mother. She taught her the golden rule of chastity which meant nothing to her at the time, but she was young and had not yet been taught the facts of life. If it was not for Renji's blunt explanation when he found her in Inuzuri Tashi would have been completely ignorant and unable to enjoy this moment with Kuchiki-sama. She remembered her mother say 'Just not inside!'
At this point all Tashi knew was that he wasn't inside, but what he was doing to her was surprisingly pleasurable and made her eyes roll up into her head. "Sire!"
He chuckled and pulled the blanket over the two of them completely.
--
Around
the same time, deep within Rukongai, a newly departed soul sat in a
dirt floor shack contemplating his knew existence in Rukongai. He sat
looking out a drafty window up at the light of the moon.
He had been a soldier killed in battle. He left behind a wife and daughter. When he passed into this world he thought he could simply wait and see them again. He came to learn this was not the case and he would most likely never see his family again.
His bitterness seethed, but the good memories from when he was living was what held him back from becoming a hollow. He had seen the Shinigami walking the streets naturally more powerful than he could ever hope to be. 'Those snide prideful bastards. Everyone suffers here, happy to eat the scraps form their banquet of power. I'm not! This is 'heaven'? I was a proud solder and I will continue to be one. The inequities in the afterlife are worse than those in the life I left behind! They won't be for long. I know how to crush them. I can gather a force and overthrow the Gotei 13!'
--
Eri
woke up early again the next day and went to meet her captain. She
couldn't shake an uneasy feeling she had woken up with. Captain
Unohana told her that the 11th squad had been dispatched
to handle a disturbance in forests of Rukongai. Rebellions of some
sort were popping up all over Soul Society outside the Seireitei.
The Captain didn't give Eri any more details and went straight into kidou instructions. Eri could tell her captain was worried.
--
Later in the afternoon the 11th squad was returning to the Seireitei after routing rebels in the forest towns in Soul Society. As they returned they walked down a major road towards one of the large deathstone gates which surrounded their home. They all looked a bit downcast. Zaraki led the way with Yachiru on his shoulder. No smiles, no cheers. Atsumi was among them, carrying her sheathed sword over her shoulders looking disappointed.
Atsumi thought 'What's the point of trainin' so hard and gettin' so powerful when the only people we use that power against are other Shinigami with power? I don't' like beatin' up on weak souls in Rukongai…'She felt discouraged and slid her zanpaktuou back into her belt.
Ikkaku noticed Atsumi was in conflict and slowed his pace to walk next to her. He quietly said "Oii, Atsumi"
"Mm?" she said as she kicked a few small rocks in her path.
"It's not always like that." She looked up at him. "I know what you're you thinking. We're not bullies. Those people were trying to disturb the peaceful citizens. It's our job to beat the crap outta them."
"Yeah, but it's hard to enjoy when they're so weak."
"Ah, but we were expecting a larger group…"
Atsumi stopped along with everyone else. "IKKAKU! …The Seireitei!" A series of explosions rocked the Seireitei and the brilliant white towers and golden roofs were obscured by black smoke.
As they ran closer and entered the Seireitei they could see the squads were in full action. She saw Renji standing and shouting orders, directing parts of his squad here and there to gain control over the situation. Her first instinct was to run to him, but she stopped herself, aware she had a job to do herself. She looked to her captain, received her orders, and started on her job.
A hell butterfly came down and gave the captain and vice captain a message. Apparently while they were out routing the countryside of some trouble makers, a few other squads were called out to do the same in other directions in Soul Society. Not all of the squads had returned yet. While they were all away someone was able to sneak into the Seireitei and set bombs and traps. With all the commotion of Shinigami entering and leaving, it was no surprise a few people could have snuck in.
Only the 6th, 4th, 12th ,and 3rd squads had been left inside while all other squads were called to action outside the walls of the Seireitei. Atsumi was ordered to guard the Southern Gate along with Yamichika and to eliminate any and all intruders. A man dressed in peasants clothing was spotted on the great expanse of marble floor. The Shinigami rushed after him, not to detain him, but to kill him on the spot as per their orders.
Yamichika lead the way, but Atsumi looked at the man, covered in filth and rags, without an obvious weapon, and slowed her pace. She hung back and watched as the group of Shinigami attacked the intruder and killed him on the spot. Yamichika noticed Atsumi not partaking but did not say anything. He left the group to deal with the body and he approached her, fluffing his hair and smoothing out his kimono. "Such an ugly man, doing ugly things, in our beautiful world." His words didn't reach Atsumi and he knew it. He watched her and the turmoil building behind her eyes.
"Atsumi-san!" he said angrily.
She snapped out of her daze and looked into his violet eyes and said "You're all the ones who're ugly. It ain't me, and it ain't him." The group broke up, wiping the blood off their swords and chuckling a bit on the high of slaughter. "We…he wasn't even armed! What the hell was…"
"Atsumi-san, he was an intruder. Intruders pay with their lives. Everyone in and out of the Seireitei all know the rules."
"But…"
"You can't even say he was innocent. You heard the message over the hell butterflies! Bombs have been planted and we don't know where they are. He had something to do with it and we couldn't let him run back to plant more!" Yamichika sheathed his sword and said and he walked off.
Atsumi slowly joined up with her squad again. Another blast blew in the distance and a white tower came crashing down. 'What the hell is going on here? Where's Renji?! I hope he's okay.'
--
"Damn!" 'Where's Atsumi!?' Renji watched the same tower from a rooftop as it come crashing down, destroying surrounding buildings and killing more innocent people. His eyes scanned the horizon as he searched for her reiatsu. He found her, far from there. She was safe…for now. He turned back to his battalion and began to give orders about where they should be going.
Renji took with him a handful of soldiers and headed towards the center of the Seireitei. His Captain was there directing the higher level commands along with General Yamamoto.
Captain Kuchiki saw the explosions, the crashing buildings, and the Shinigami scrambling like aunts from his high perch in the General's office. 'At least my one comfort is that Tashi is not here, but with Captain Ukitake routing those rebels in the forest.
--
Tashi and her squad were
traveling back when they all felt the flares in reiatsu and the
extinction of so many at once. Captain Ukitake ordered those who
could to shunpo back to the Seireitei and those who could not to run.
Ukitake returned with Tashi, Kiyone, and Sentaro at his side in a flash. He was a captain, and Tashi just barely kept up with him. She stood catching her breath while Ukitake waited for the gate to open. It didn't. There were then more ground shaking explosions and dust clouds that erupted into the sky. "CAPTAIN!" said Tashi alarmed.
The gate then slowly opened
--
As the sun sent on the broken down
Seireitei the angry soldier sat in a hut with his top men. "Sir,
this is amazing. We never thought we could get so far! We know you're
definitely the leader here, but we're, not sure what to call you.
What would you prefer?"
"Just call me General" said the bitter soldier.
They drank a cup of sake to their success but did not rest that evening. The General said "It's time to go boys. Time to leave." The five of them stood and walked out the door. They greeted the masses outside and asked them to bow their heads in silence in respect for their comrades who willingly sacrificed their lives for the cause. The bombers knew they were not coming home. The General and his advisors then gave a rousing speech and led nearly a thousand angry souls towards the Sereitei.