Chapter Eleven: Chudokuga

It had been a busy morning in Seventh Division.

Hirata glanced ruefully across at the tall pile of documents and supply issue slips that still congregated on his desk with a sense of resignation. It was not easy, he mused, juggling the needs of Seventh District and the day-to-day requirements of the Division, but even though he was used to balancing the two responsibilities, it seemed as though he had yet more paperwork to process than ever before.

He could usually hand a considerable amount of it over to his Vice Captain. Kitabata Hajime had been appointed to the role from Fourth seat following the death of Hirata's only son, Souja, in Rukongai five years ago, and he had proven a natural at the job, trustworthy and responsible with whatever duty he was given. That morning, however, Hirata knew that Hajime was in District Seven, meeting with youngsters hopeful of recruiting to the Seventh Squad and putting them through their compulsory drill paces to ensure that they had met the standard required for Division entry. Since events of five years ago, Hirata greatly preferred recruiting new members who had been through Genryuusai's vigorous training program, but there were still old-fashioned minds within the Endou Clan that had resisted a blanket rule about the subject, so Hirata had had to compromise, allowing young noble sons the right to train at home through the old methods. At least, he reflected now, pushing aside one finished document and reaching for the next, he knew that Hajime was thorough, and not afraid of disappointing or offending those he went to observe. A lower born member of the Endou, Hajime had attained rank through his actions rather than his bloodline, and was largely resistant to the stuck up comments of some of his better-born brethren. In fact, Hirata admitted to himself dryly, he rather pitied any Clan peacocks who thought they could tangle with his Vice Captain, for Hajime was not given to suffering fools lightly.

He signed the supply document with a sweep of black ink, pushing it aside and moving to check what else was urgently awaiting his attention. Top of the pile was a sign-off sheet with the Shihouin crest, a formality confirming that Tenichi had successfully returned to his squad and ensuring that Hirata knew the conditions under which he had been paroled. At the very least, Hirata mused, skimming over the neatly listed bullet points with a sigh, that had gone according to plan. True, Tenichi's return to the Division had been delayed an extra day by the extreme reaction he had suffered to releasing the spirit cuffs, but the Captain of the Fourth, Unohana Retsu, had warned him of that possibility ahead of time, and he had therefore factored it into his plans. Since returning to barracks, Tenichi had done everything according to orders and, while he was still struggling to reestablish his previous deep bond with his zanpakutou, Reihahen, this too was something that Retsu had highlighted as a common symptom of lengthy exposure to the cuffs. It would return in time, and in the meantime he had been diligent and respectful, undertaking mundane and boring tasks without complaint and reporting to barracks and to individual officers at the time and place he had been instructed. It seemed that, whatever had happened in prison, Tenichi had no intention of doing anything that would send him back to the Shihouin cells, and this suited Hirata just fine. Whether Hajime approved new intake or not, having a reliable Eighth Seated officer back on the premises was no bad thing.

Unfortunately, though, the level of paperwork still awaiting the Captain's attention was not something he could dump on the parolee's shoulders.

"Taichou?"

A knock at the door alerted Hirata to the presence of his older daughter, Kikyue, the Third Seated officer and leader of his Division's second patrol. Since the loss of Souja, Hirata knew his bond with Kikyue had become closer, and, though devastated by the boy's death, Kikyue had worked hard to fill the breach, identifying her own weaknesses and endeavouring to become an officer of which her brother would have been proud. Even now, female shinigami from within the Endou clan were rare, but Kikyue's spiritual talents had shown themselves when she had still been very young, and there had never been any question that she was more suited to the active, military life than that of a pampered court lady. She was an attractive young woman, but there was the glint of a determined predator in her pale eyes, and Hirata knew that this independent and fiery spirit had scared off the wimpish Endou males who might have made suit for her hand.

Secretly, Hirata liked Kikyue better the way she was, for she had been able to carve her own path in defiance of Clan expectations, but he knew better than to say as much in front of his traditional kinsfolk.

He pushed the parole sheet aside, raising his voice to call his daughter in, and she pushed back the sliding door, entering the office and bowing her head respectfully before the desk.

"Taichou, there's been a report from the Rukon," she said softly. "It's not clear at present what the cause is, but seriously high levels of spiritual activity have been picked up in that same sector again. The sector you mentioned running an extra patrol to investigate this week."

"Spiritual activity?" Hirata looked weary, sitting back and regarding his daughter with a sigh. "I had meant to send a patrol quicker, but there's been so much to settle. Was this an eye-witness account, or something picked up by one of Nagesu-sama's sensor points? It'd be nice to know a little more."

"The latter, sir," Kikyue shook her head. "A messenger came from the Third to update us on the latest data. The readings were apparently very abnormal. They spiked for a brief period, and then disappeared to almost nothing. They'd like us to investigate, sir. I told them you were busy, but the only way I could get them to go away was to promise to bring the report to you straight away."

She reached into the folds of her obi, pulling out a folded sheet of paper and passing it across the desk.

"These are the coordinates," she added slowly. "I might be wrong, sir, but I think...I'm pretty sure the area...well, it's an area known to Seireitei, sir."

Hirata glanced at the numbers, and lines of consternation creased his brow.

"It's where Souja was attacked," he said frankly. "It's in the vicinity of Keitarou's camp, where Kohaku came from originally."

"I thought so too, sir," Kikyue looked uneasy. "I mean, I don't remember every single digit where Rukongai is concerned, but...where Oniisama met his killer..."

She sighed, rubbing her brow.

"It's not something you forget," she admitted. "I was sure you'd know it too, sir. And given the instructions you've asked us to follow when patrolling, I was sure that, when you saw the location, you'd want to do something more to investigate."

"You think there's a possibility this relates to Katsura, don't you?" Hirata asked, and Kikyue nodded.

"Criminals re-visit the scenes of crimes, and familiar haunts. Hajime-dono said that, before, when we were discussing potential spaces Katsura could be hiding," she said honestly. "I don't know whether he realises that the shinigami have all sectors of Rukongai and Seireitei under closer observation, now, but it would make sense that he'd go back to a place he knew well. The sensors are there, but he wouldn't know that. And Rukongai is wide, so we can't patrol every area every day. If he hasn't seen shihakushou, he might assume it was abandoned."

"Maybe," Hirata acknowledged. "The trouble with Katsura is that, like his father, he seems to have the uncanny ability to move. Before, when we sought him, he slipped between Seireitei and Rukongai without any issues. Whether he's using technology left by Keitarou or whether this is innate to him isn't clear, but even if he was in this place," he tapped the paper pensively, "it doesn't mean he will be if we go and search."

"No, but we might find clues," Kikyue responded. "Please, sir, will you authorise me to lead a patrol there this afternoon? Third want it investigated, and I think we should, given the situation. Hajime-dono is still away, but I can take my men and we can be back by this evening. Ohara is conducting drill with junior members in the yard, so he's close at hand."

"All right," Hirata made up his mind, nodding his head. "Go, and find out what happened. But don't take any juniors, Kiki. I won't have them put at risk if that fugitive is there."

"Understood, sir," Kikyue saluted. "I'll take Ohara and Takasugi. Oh, and..."

She paused,tilting her head on one side and casting her father a questioning look.

"Otousama, what about Tenichi? Do you still not want him to go out on open patrol yet, or can I take him with me too?"

"Tenichi?" Hirata pressed his lips together at this, considering the question. "Well, he's run errands efficiently enough since he's been back. How is his progress with his sword?"

"I'm not sure he and Reihahen are in sync, yet, but he's spending every hour he has trying to get back on form," Kikyue said thoughtfully. "He's been up at dawn every day, and he's late to bed, too. I'd like to take him, sir, with your permission. I think it would be good for him, and if there are no juniors, then it would help to have an extra body along."

"Then take him," Hirata offered her a smile. "You're his patrol leader, and I'll bow to your judgement, since you've spent more time with him directly than me since he returned. I admit, the conversation we had the other day reassured me that his mind is in the right place, and he understands that finding Katsura - even killing Katsura - is an objective for this Division. Just keep an eye on him, Kikyue. He intends to make good on this parole, but it's still early days. I want to ensure he becomes a shinigami we can utilise to the top level - and it's a fine line, once someone discovers a taste for violence, as to whether they control it or it controls them."

"Yes, sir," Kikyue said gravely. "I'll tell Ohara, too. We'll both make sure nothing untoward happens. If we find Katsura, we'll do our best to ground him. And if not, we'll investigate the scene in full."

"Attacking Katsura is your brief," Hirata agreed, "but not at the danger of your life or the lives of your fellow officers. I want that outlaw here, either dead or in my cells - but I won't take any more losses on Keitarou's account. If it becomes dangerous, withdraw. There will be a second and a third chance to catch him, so no stupid risks."

"I understand, sir," Kikyue saluted again. "I'll go brief the others now, and I'll report to you directly when I get back."

"Do that," Hirata agreed. "At the very least, maybe it will give me something to report back to the wider Clan, next time I'm called to District Seven."


"What have you to report to me?"

Nagesu set aside the document, casting his son a troubled look. "I don't like this, Shiketsu, and the sooner I get to the bottom of it the better. What can you tell me about the site of Keitarou's grave? Was there anything useful you could glean from the tests I had you do?"

"Sekime-taichou is still mulling over the data, but she's as foxed as all of us," Shiketsu sighed, sinking down into the vacant seat before his father's desk. "Someone definitely broke into the tomb, and someone definitely broke the seal. I mean, it's not a consequence of decomposition - which is another thing. There really is very little of that, too. All in all it's an unpleasant and rather macabre errand, Otousama - and one I don't take real pleasure in overseeing."

"Shinigami can't be squeamish, and nor can scientists," Nagesu said softly, and Shiketsu nodded his head.

"I know, and I didn't say I wouldn't continue," he assured his companion with a grimace. "Just, prying about the final resting place of a man who most of Seireitei would have liked to string up or burn isn't my favourite occupation. There are any number of people who might have hated or resented Keitarou enough to desecrate his tomb...but right now, we have no leads. Spirit power was used, and the data is...somewhat familiar yet somewhat not familiar. That's as much as Sekime-taichou was able to give me from her initial analysis. Whatever was there is somewhat affected by the residue from Keitarou himself."

"I see," Nagesu removed his glasses, setting them down on the desk and rubbing his eyes in an attempt to stave off the headache that he knew was brewing. "Then tell me about the other thing. The body. I know it's distasteful to you," as Shiketsu's expression clouded, "but I need to know everything I can. Keitarou's remains have lain there for five years. A shinigami of his ability ought to have been long since decomposed - but you say that's not happened?"

Shiketsu was silent for a long time, then he groaned.

"I would rather have been greeted with bones and spiritual entrails than a ghostly corpse that looked a few weeks dead," he owned. "Do you really want me to give you the full breakdown? It's unnerving enough to see it - but seriously, Father, I'd think that somehow he'd managed to stave off death and maybe broke the tomb himself in order to go walking the streets of Seireitei at night."

"Shiketsu!" Nagesu's eyes narrowed in irritation. "I've told you already, this isn't a time for squeamishness or superstition. Scientifically, if you please...what can you tell me about Keitarou's corpse?"

"If you'll forgive my interruption, Nagesu-sama, I think I can answer that in clearer detail than Shiketsu-sama can."

Before Shiketsu was able to respond, Mareiko pushed back the door to the office, bowing apologetically at her sudden interruption. "I realise that I shouldn't just barge in on you like this, but you did say...as soon as I could..."

"I did, and you needn't worry. Shiketsu seems reluctant to divulge gory details to me, but I trust you won't have the same hesitation?" Nagesu sent her a weary glance, and Mareiko shrugged her shoulders.

"It's not gory," she said simply. "That's what bothers Shiketsu-sama most, I think - and me also. Keitarou's body is not that badly decayed. It is not perfect...when you look at it closely, his skin is thin and fragile, and I imagine it wouldn't take much to damage it. However, the body is still very recognisable. The wound where Shunsui-dono cut him down is still easy to make out, the cuts clean and recognisable from the embalming of the corpse five years ago. The shroud is untouched, if dusty - the whole scene is dusty. But Keitarou's body ought to be spiritual ash by now - it just isn't."

"Such a thing is highly abnormal," Nagesu murmured. "Disenterring a man like my cousin is wholly against my principles, but if someone broke into his grave, and he's not decayed...I hate to ask the question but, Mareiko, are we sure that Keitarou was really...is really..."

"Keitarou is dead," Mareiko's eyes were sad, but she nodded her head slowly. "He has no spiritual pulse, and no living aura. He has no heartbeat, his eyes have no response to stimuli, and they are sunken and opaque, even if they too are mostly intact."

"Then..."

"It's only my theory," Mareiko tucked a stray wisp of unruly fair hair behind her ear, so absorbed in her conversation that she did not notice when it popped out again the next moment. "A theory unproven, but the only thing I can think of to explain it. Keitarou's body was exposed to his reidoku poison. I have heard that some of the individuals who were afflicted with Keitsune-sama's poison also did not decay with the speed that people expected."

"Really," Nagesu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Now how is it that you know that and I don't? I've never heard such a thing before, but Keitsune was my uncle."

There was a long silence, then Mareiko let out a heavy sigh.

"Daigo-sama...did research..." she said unwillingly. "Not on people's relatives, not in that way...but he did examine bodies which had been destroyed by reidoku in its early stages."

"Kusakawa Daigo," Nagesu's eyes became slits. "I see. Daigo-dono did work with my uncle, didn't he...I suppose he knew more about reidoku than anyone else left alive after that particular catastrophe. Daigo-dono was one of the few survivors at my father's court who would have had that knowledge. In which case...you know because..."

"Of Taichou. Yes," it was not possible for Mareiko's expression to become any more troubled, and Nagesu sighed, remembering yet again that the betrayal of Mareiko's former Captain, Daigo's son Shougo was still a fresh wound, despite the fact the man had been dead for so many years. "It was just something that came up in conversation...I think around the time Endou Seimaru died. I know that reidoku was part of his death, too, and I remember Taichou saying it was a pity that nobody Urahara would get to view the corpse, since it would be interesting to see whether that particular theory bore out."

"Kusakawa Shougo was guilty of treason against the Urahara," Shiketsu said blackly. "He was experimenting on people in the Rukon probably long before Endou Seimaru was killed...he probably just wanted another toy to play around with in his quest for the perfect poison."

"Shiketsu," Nagesu spoke chidingly, and Shiketsu reddened, casting Mareiko a sidelong glance.

"I'm sorry, Mareiko-dono. I know he was someone you trusted, once, and I know he let you down. But it makes me angry, thinking of the things he did and without us ever knowing. It's probably a good thing he never got his hands on Seimaru-dono's body. If he had, goodness knows what would have happened in his experiments."

"Kusakawa's poison and Keitarou's reidoku are not the same thing," Nagesu agreed, resting his chin in his hands. "I don't really feel inclined to request the Council authorise exhumations of those we know his potion helped to destroy, but even if we did, there's no telling that the effect it had would be the same. Whatever may have occurred in the distant past with uncle's experiments, we know that Keitarou didn't hollowfy when he drank his own formula, and according to reports, nor did Seimaru. Shougo's potion, on the other hand, was very unstable, and so was Daigo's before him. Daigo's creations that we fought in the Real World were stabilised by Keitarou, so Shougo never stabilised his drug at all. The components are not entirely the same - so even if I was to beg the Kuchiki and the Yamamoto for exhumation rights on Anabomi and the Eleventh's poor Vice Captain, there's no reason to assume we'd get the same result. And as for Endou Seimaru..."

"Cremated, probably - what was left of him," Shiketsu said matter-of-factly. "I know it's not a pleasant thing to think or say, but it was a pretty fitting end for him, and he was a charred mess when they got to him, anyway. Reidoku or not, his body was already in tatters before the funeral."

"Which leaves us with Keitarou," Nagesu mused sadly. "A man who is dead but not at rest...not returning to the world that gave him spiritual life. It's unpleasant, and especially if the grave was broken into - but if we have no other leads on who did that..."

He paused, casting Mareiko a troubled glance.

"Unless, of course, my other fear...you've found anything...?"

"Other fear?" Shiketsu looked blank, and Nagesu sighed, nodding his head.

"Keitarou had family," he reminded his son gently, "and we would do well not to forget that possibility in a situation like this."

"Kohaku?" Shiketsu was alarmed. "But I thought..."

"I don't mean Kohaku," Nagesu shook his head. "While it's possible he might know something about his father's work on reidoku, or may even have some symptoms of it in his own genetic structure, I don't suppose he's had enough free time, or motive, to go around demolishing graves which are some considerable distance from Inner Seireitei. I imagine Ukitake would notice if one of his officers was absent for any length of time, even if I did think the boy was of that nature - which I don't. I'm talking about Kohaku's brother - the missing miscreant who savaged Fourth Division healers and ran riot around the Seventh Division before being chased off into oblivion. Aizen Katsura is at large and a definite loose cannon. More to the point - Mareiko said when we found the damage that it was probably done by untrained or stray reiryoku. It wasn't a weapon, or a spell. Correct?"

"That was my first impression, and even with proper testing, I can't find any evidence of anything being used bar raw spirit power," Mareiko agreed. "I can't match it to anything from Aizen Katsura here, though. Not yet, at least. I don't have the right data to compare it to - if it still exists. I don't even know if any proper data for his reiryoku signature was recorded, if I'm honest. So much happened in a short space of time - I can't be completely sure. I won't give up," she added, "but at present I need more than what I have to make that kind of assertion."

"And the samples on the coffin are tainted by Keitarou's reiatsu traces," Shiketsu supplemented, his confusion clearing at the explanation. "He hasn't decayed, Otousama, but it's still there, emanating from him like a bad smell. It's broken reiryoku - that's what it is - and it has a cloying sensation all of its own. It's stronger than trace evidence of anything else - and it's contaminated our ability to take good samples. Even if we had a sample of Katsura's reiryoku, I don't know if we could match it like this."

"The body is intact but the spirit is gone," Nagesu sighed heavily. "Very well. In that case, we shall return him to his rest. I'll station guards to protect the tomb in the short term, in case it's someone with a random grievance launching an attack without means or motive. If it is Aizen Katsura, well, finding him would be one problem off the Council's to do list - and if not, we'll get to the bottom of it more quickly."

"I suppose no other graves have been desecrated, Nagesu-sama? Just Keitarou's?" Mareiko asked softly, and Nagesu looked confused.

"Isn't it enough that one is?" he demanded. "Why? Do you think this is something other than a one off hate attack?"

"It's Keitarou's grave," Mareiko said grimly. "That being the case, there could be threads all over the place. Especially if this is the work of Aizen's son. To do something like this...if it was Katsura, he'd have to have brain like Keitarou's, in order to break the seal and mess with his own father's corpse. Besides, there was something else that troubled me about Keitarou's grave - something we haven't yet had a chance to report to you. I still think that, if it was a fit of pique, we'd have seen more damage - but a crack across the surface almost implies someone hoped it wouldn't be quickly noticed."

"In short, someone came to the grave for another reason than to tamper?"

"That would be my conclusion, yes."

Nagesu rubbed his brows with his index fingers, letting out a groan.

"But the corpse is there, and intact," he reminded her. "If someone was playing games, what were they after? Breaking Keitarou's tomb in a way we're not meant to notice - and which we wouldn't have, had I not decided we go pay our respects - yet leaving the corpse...what was the purpose of something like this? If not to make a point to us, or a threat, or to vandalise Keitarou's body...then what?"

"They didn't want the corpse, Otousama," Shiketsu's expression darkened, and he exchanged looks with Mareiko, who nodded her head.

"Taking Keitarou's corpse might make us believe he wasn't really dead, and you'd expect them to want us to see that, in order to create panic," she said slowly. "That's clearly not what happened. However, the tomb is not complete. Keitarou is still there...but Keitarou's sword..."

"Chudokuga?" Horror flooded Nagesu's expression. "But...

"It's not there," Mareiko pressed her lips together in a grim line, and as she spoke, Nagesu felt a distinct sense of unease wash over him. "It was buried with him, but now it's gone. No hilt, no scabbard, nothing."

"Could it have decayed?" Nagesu asked. Mareiko shrugged.

"With the state of Keitarou's corpse, it seems unlikely," she replied. "Moreover, Shiketsu-sama tells me it's customary for a zanpakutou to be buried within a sealed box of its own, at the side of the wielder. There was no sign, however, of any such box within the coffin."

"The sword was definitely sealed according to tradition." Nagesu said heavily. "It was there...I am sure of it."

"Then it has doubtless been taken," Mareiko said gravely. "The box would not decay, but it is gone, and so is the sword. Chudokuga is missing...and therefore we must assume that was the real motive for disturbing Keitarou's sleep."

Nagesu bit his lip. Slowly he nodded his head.

"Chudokuga is dead, and there shouldn't be any danger from it, even in unknown hands," he said softly, "but if this is something relating to Keitarou's son, there's a possibility we don't know all the information we need to know to understand this crime. On the off-chance that this is more than just a random souvenir hunt or a mistake...I think that we can't keep this matter a secret any more. I will address the issue with the Captains at the next meeting - although, Shiketsu, I am forbidding you from mentioning it at a Vice Captain's meeting yet. We need more information first."

"Yes, sir," Shiketsu agreed grimly. "I understand."

"I will have to go to Thirteenth, though," Nagesu sighed heavily. "Above his rank or not, I need to talk to the Aizen boy. Kohaku might be the one trump card we have in getting to the bottom of this business - and I need to ask him about his brother, and about his father's sword."


The vale that led down towards the flagged area of Rukongai was unusually quiet as the four officers from Seventh Division made their way through the sparsely dotted forest terrain towards the correct regional coordinates. The sky was a greyish colour, though at intervals it appeared lighter, as though the sun was fighting to get through the heavy cloud cover and illuminate the landscape in its glow. This was still one of the poorest areas of Rukongai, far from direct Shinigami supervision and low on natural resources in spite of all the work from Third District people to improve the environment and make it more habitable. Still, there were enough ramshackle houses spaced here and there on the walk down to indicate that people normally did live here.

Tenichi gazed around him, mixed feelings in his mind as he registered his surroundings. He had been surprised when Kikyue had hauled him out from the training ground and told him to get ready to dispatch on an immediate and unplanned Rukon patrol, but he had also been excited, for, although he understood that he was an officer under observation, he had disliked the mundane nature of his workload so far. His sword still sulked at his waist, refusing to fully give him the release power that had once characterised their fighting style, but although he had asked Kikyue about this when she had given him the message, she had not seemed to mind.

"Taichou said I could take you, so you're coming. It's an order, so no complaining," had been her brisk response and Tenichi had immediately acquiesced, sheathing his stubborn weapon and hurrying off to do as he was bidden.

He had not been a part of a Rukon rotation before, as the idea had surfaced following his incarceration. In spite of that, as they made their way down into the valley proper, he realised that this area was familiar to him. Five years ago, he had been forcibly abducted here by one of Keitarou's agents, the still missing Onmitsukidou known by the moniker of Kurotsuchi, and he had spent a number of days here as a result. It had been that abduction which had begun the steps to his downfall and ultimate disgrace, and he sent Kikyue a sidelong glance, wondering if she had realised that when she had selected him, or whether it had been coincidental.

Still, he reminded himself, ducking between the lower branches of a maple tree, it was a long time ago. Keitarou was gone, and the area was no longer the bleak, dead land it had been back then. The Rukon outcasts that Keitarou had claimed to be helping had all been relocated to different areas, and the souls that now inhabited this stretch were newcomers, individuals who had been Soul Buried from the Real World since Keitarou's death. There was no longer the taint of death in the atmosphere and, as they passed a small, winding track, Tenichi paused for a moment, his gaze following the line of stone towards a dilapidated hut that stood abandoned at the edge. The briars that surrounded it had once seemed like a prison fence, but now, with the improved drainage and the substantial spring that marked the base of the mound, they had begun to flourish, and Tenichi almost thought he could see tiny flower buds in the twisting branches, evidence that, come the summer and autumn, there might even be fruit.

The spring itself was now a proper pool of water, and Tenichi shifted his gaze to it, remembering with a wry smile how he had been the one to originally break through the rock and ground here to provide what had then been but a trickle in an otherwise dry terrain. So he had done something to help the people here, he reflected ruefully, even if, in the long run, all his other actions had been proven folly.

"Tenichi, are you coming?" Kikyue's impatient voice alerted him to the fact that he had stopped, and he hastened to join his companions, an apologetic expression on his features.

"I'm sorry, Kikyue-dono. I got distracted for a moment."

"I suppose it's unusual levels of fresh air for you, isn't it?" Takasugi Heita, the Seventh Seat gave him a nudge with his elbow. "Thinking about it, it's your first time in the Rukon, isn't it? No wonder you're sight-seeing, though the rest of us are used to it by now."

"We're not here to sight-see," Ohara Masayuki, the Division's haughty Fourth Seat eyed the two of them with censure. "We came to do a job, and you are lagging. Kotetsu, I don't think I need remind you that your conduct is under scrutiny. First time or not, if you delay our patrol, the Captain will hear about it, and you won't be going on another one any time soon."

"I know. I'm sorry, Masayuki-dono," Tenichi bowed his head. "I didn't mean to. I suppose Takasugi's right. It's my first time on a Rukon rotation."

"Not your first time in the Rukon, though," Kikyue said acidly, sending him a hawkish glance, and at that moment, Tenichi knew that Kikyue had not forgotten the events of five years ago. He reddened, shaking his head.

"No. I suppose not."

"Not?" Takasugi was surprised. "How so? Kotetsu was banged up inside the first time we ran a rotation, and he just said it was his first time, which means..."

"I see," Ohara's expression became one of comprehension, and he glanced at Kikyue. "Hime, did you bring Kotetsu here for that reason? Or for another one?"

"As it happened, I just asked Taichou if I could bring him, as I thought he needed the time out on the road," Kikyue said dismissively. "The fact it was here made no difference. Though I did think you might remember," this last to Tenichi, "it doesn't change anything. The past is there and it will keep coming back and biting you. We're not protected from it and nor are you. The report was from here, so we're here. You understand, don't you? This place has history, and if there is any connection between that history and the present, dealing with it is our job."

"Yes, ma'am," Tenichi said gravely. "I understand, and I have no intention of acting otherwise. Here or anywhere, I already decided to go where my Captain orders me and do what my patrol leader instructs. I don't mind being back here. The past is what it is, but I'm moving forward."

"Good," Kikyue looked approving. "Then, if you've finished sight-seeing, let's go. As you can see, a lot of work has done to improve the place...so I'm sure it's a lot different from your memories."

"You really have been here before, huh?" Takasugi cast Tenichi a startled look, and Tenichi offered his companion a humourless smile.

"I was brought here by force by an agent of Aizen Keitarou, and held here for several days," he said honestly. He raised his hand, pointing across to the abandoned hut. "That's Kohaku's hut - the place the local people said was the home of a demon, though of course, that wasn't true."

"And it's the same region in which Oniisama was attacked," Kikyue said softly. "Where Kohaku found him and brought him back to Seireitei."

"Hime," Ohara sent her a concerned look, and Kikyue returned it with a resigned smile.

"Tenichi said it. The past is what it is," she responded evenly. "Oniisama came here and he was attacked. Kohaku found him and brought him back to Seireitei. Because of that, the Gotei was able to finally kill Aizen Keitarou and capture my aunt, putting an end to their activities. Oniisama was a brave martyr to that cause, and he would have not been unhappy about that, knowing his sacrifice led to us putting an end to things."

"But we've come here in search of Aizen Katsura, haven't we, Hime?" Ohara asked softly.

"Katsura?" Tenichi was surprised. "Is that the case, Kikyue-dono? I know that Taichou mentioned to me the possibility, but..."

"We've come to find out whether it's a coincidence or not that the signal alert came from this area of Rukongai," Kikyue replied crisply. "If Katsura has returned here, our brief is to take him out. If we can't kill him immediately, we bring him in. Taichou said that he doesn't want us risking our lives, but I believe that, if we take him off guard, we can catch him. We know what he's about, now, and he won't be able to stun us so easily. Plus, this time, you're here, and not languishing in Thirteenth's prison cells," she added acerbically, casting Tenichi a glance that made his cheeks burn red in mortification, "so that has to be seen as a positive."

"Believe me, Kikyue-dono, I have no intention of seeing the inside of any cell, ever again," he said fervently. "I've learned that lesson. I promise."

"Good. Then we press on," Kikyue gestured forward. "The coordinates that Third brought to me are for a little further along this path. Tenichi, you've been here before, so you'll know how deep into Keitarou's old territory we are right now."

"Right in the middle of it, I'd say," Tenichi recovered himself, eying the landscape with a pensive shrug. "Kohaku's hut was on the outskirts, and the people who lived here were afraid to approach it. The main settlement where Keitarou lived and where most of the people were was straight ahead," he pointed, "but everything here is much greener than it was then, so whether it's the same settlement or not is hard to say. Keitarou's dead, in any case. Probably they razed the area and rebuilt it when they cleared people out."

"Well, it's not Keitarou we're looking for, so that isn't a big problem," Takasugi said matter-of-factly. "I missed all the excitement of this Katsura's attack on the Division five years back, since I was on duty at the main house, so I'm looking forward to the chance to match up against him."

He flexed his fists in anticipation.

"I haven't had a good fight in a while, and he sounds like decent prey."

"He doesn't use a sword, but he shouldn't be underestimated," Kikyue warned. "He has psychic abilities, he can manipulate Hollows, and it's unclear how much control he might have gained over his skills in the past few years."

"We don't actually know if he's even alive, though, Hime," Ohara pointed out. "Of course, I have no qualms about fighting this ingrate again if he dares show himself, especially if he behaves in the disgraceful manner he displayed when he came to Inner Seireitei, but the fact is that Hajime-dono fired at least four bolts of his sword into the criminal's torso. I've yet to see or hear of anyone surviving that kind of wound, and Hajime-dono is normally an excellent shot."

"Hajime-dono didn't get the chance to finish the job, because I recalled him," Kikyue reminded her companion, who looked suddenly abashed at the memory. "Normally you're right, and he would have taken the man's head as surety, but there wasn't the time. You were incapacitated, and Nakata was injured. You both took priority, so we withdrew. We didn't find a body, so we can only assume that he survived. Keitarou might have saved him. We really don't know."

"Then I have even more reason to find and fight him," Ohara murmured, glancing at the ground, "as my carelessness is part of the reason he might have eluded justice."

Tenichi cast a quizzical glance between the two officers, but Kikyue did not seem inclined to expand on her earlier comment, nor respond to Ohara's words, instead indicating that they should continue at a brisker pace. Ohara cast her a pained look, but obediently followed the instruction, leaving Tenichi and Takasugi to hasten their steps in order to keep up and avoid a further scolding.

I guess a lot happened in my absence.

Tenichi pressed his lips together as he considered this.

Ohara has been like a different person since I came back on duty. He's the most different of anyone. When he scolds me, it's for my discipline, but he hasn't once linked it to my District birth as I expected he would. True, it's not as though his deference towards Kikyue-dono has really changed that much, but there's something else about it that wasn't there before. Like he's got a heavy debt to repay and he means to do it...at whatever cost. I've also never heard him praise Hajime-dono before. I wonder what happened...though I guess it's not my place to ask questions about things I had no part in.

He sighed heavily.

Kikyue-dono is right. I was no use defending my division against Katsura's attack because I was too busy trying to kill that poor girl at Thirteenth. I really did lose my mind. Kikyue-dono sent me to get help from Thirteenth, and instead of doing that, I launch an attack on an undefended recruit. How I imagined I would get away with it is anyone's guess...or did I even care? Thinking about that day still gives me chills inside...that I could lose myself so completely and act in such a way. I wonder if it really was because of Keitarou, and the paranoia that he instilled in me...or whether the urge to kill has become a part of me somehow. Maybe joining Seventh, maybe being here...perhaps that alone was enough to wake it inside of me. I suppose it doesn't matter what Ohara's situation is, or what may have happened in my absence where he was concerned. I have my own heavy debt to repay to this Division for my lapses in judgement five years ago, so if that means drawing my sword and fighting against Katsura this time, I'll have to do it - whether Reihahen is fully up for the challenge or not.

At that moment they reached the edge of the settlement that they had been sent to investigate, and as they stepped through the last of the trees, all four of them stopped dead, words deserting them as they surveyed the scene before them.

Although it was a poor region of Rukongai, agents from Third District had gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that the housing was stable, if not extravagant, and the area was habitable, with better irrigation and a thriving water source. For that reason, it had been well populated, and though Tenichi had not been there in the past several years, it was clear from the number of freshly built houses that it had become home to a sizeable population.

In spite of that, the area was largely deserted, and it didn't take long for the shinigami to see why.

In the centre of the village, a large section of the grass had been seared black by some kind of of hostile spirit power, which had flared up and consumed at least one of the houses in its blaze. As they drew closer, it became clear that the humps of ash and dust that lay scattered around it were, in fact, the remains of bodies, scorched where they lay helpless on the grass. Further along, outside the burnt area lay two further bodies, the land surrounding them caked in dried blood, and it was clear from a distance that one of them was too small to be anything but a child. In spite of himself, Tenichi felt physically sick. Whatever had happened here, it had been brutal, and anyone who had been able to leave the scene had quickly done so.

"I guess we know what the reason for the signal was, now," Takasugi was the first to break the silence, clambering down over the last of the boulders and dropping carefully into the settlement itself. "Kikyue-dono, this is what we came for, isn't it? This is why Nagesu-sama's sensors were picking up flares."

"Who would do something like this? And to women and children, too?" Ohara approached the nearest pile of ash and charcoal, pulling his sword from its sheath and using the very tip to push aside the burnt remains of old cloth to reveal the tiny, blackened form of an infant's skull beneath. At exposure to the air, however, the bone quickly crumbled, disappearing into a cloud of dust. He sighed, withdrawing his weapon, and turning to his patrol officer.

"What would you have us do, Hime? There's nobody here, but clearly there's plenty to be looked at."

"Take samples of the ash, and examine the scene thoroughly," Kikyue's instructions were firm, but Tenichi felt sure that even she was shaken by the horrific violence that had been unleashed here. "There's a lot of spiritual energy in the air, too. Something big happened here, and it was definitely sinister. This was an attack and we should treat it as such. It's our rotation, so finding the culprit is our duty."

"Do you think it was Aizen Katsura?" Takasugi knelt down beside one of the unburnt corpses, turning it over gently and flinching back at the savagery which had cut the woman open. "Someone did this with a blade, Kikyue-dono. I don't think even a psychic mad creature could dissect a person open in quite this horrible a way."

"We don't know what he can and cannot do these days, or how much his power of manipulation might have developed," Kikyue pointed out. "Takasugi, lay those corpses out and do what you can to preserve them until the Fourth Division can send a retrieval team to collect the remains. The burned bodies are falling apart right in front of us, so whether they'll be of any use or not I don't know."

"It's impossible to know if they were burned after they were dead, or whether they got caught in crossfire of some kind," Ohara stepped away from the infant's corpse. "I can make out maybe six bodies here. With the two Takasugi has, that's eight. Kotetsu," this last to Tenichi, who was standing at the edge of the scene, still staring at it in undisguised dismay, "if you're going to be squeamish about a crime scene, perhaps you should go and check the surviving houses for anyone who witnessed this. If there's anyone left alive here, who hasn't fled, we need their statements."

"I'm not squeamish," Tenichi assured his superior officer, although he was not sure he was telling the truth. "I'm just shocked that something like this could happen here, after so much was done to change it. I'll go check the houses," he added, "although I imagine if something that awful happened here, nobody will have stayed around to become the next victim."

"Check anyway," Kikyue instructed. "Ohara is right. We need to make sure of that. There must be witnesses to this - the population figures for this area are certainly recorded at higher than eight, and there are no other corpses as far as I can see. Be careful, in case the perpetrator is still around here. Your sword isn't fully functional yet, so don't try to do anything clever. Call for backup, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Tenichi saluted, hurrying across the ground to do as he was bidden. Although he knew that there was very real danger of the attacker still lurking around the premises, he found it a relief to be away from the sight of death and destruction just a few metres away.

Just like when I was a child.

He sighed, forcing the memories away, and moving to enter the first hut. He pushed back the cloth divide, quickly ascertaining that the tiny shelter was abandoned. Whoever had left here had left in a hurry, because there was a knocked over pan and a damp patch suggesting a recent spillage of water. He touched a finger to this, realising that although it was still moist, it was not soaking.

The heat of the fire, maybe? Or perhaps this happened a little while ago, and we've only just got the alert?

He gave the rest of the shelter a cursory glance, then withdrew, moving on to the next. Inwardly, though, his mind was whirling.

Who would do something like that, though? I don't think even Keitarou in his worst scheming would have murdered innocent children and carved them up in that way. Is this really the work of his oldest son? In which case, we really do need to find him.

His memory flitted back to his own youth, when, as a small boy of eight or nine he, his mother and his younger brother, then only a child of six, had gathered up a few belongings and said their farewells to his father, fleeing into the night for the safety of District Eight's refugee camp. He had never forgotten those experiences, or the villages they had passed through where people had been slaughtered and left to rot in the streets, their bones bleaching against the ground. In other places, people had simply starved to death, unable to get the supplies due to cut lines of transport caused by the movement of Endou Clan warriors. Ketsui had been too young to fully comprehend the real scale of the hell that had occurred in District Seven at that time, but Tenichi had often foraged for food or water while his mother sought shelter, and he had seen things that he had never spoken about to either one of them. This was Rukongai, but the suffering of people here once again reminded him of that time in his own life, and anger seared up inside of him at the injustice of the victims in each case.

Women, children, innocents who cannot defend themselves. Nothing has changed, except the person holding the weapon. Whoever did this is unforgivable. They must be stopped. No matter who they are, they must be found. The world has changed so much. The Endou has been purged of its murderers and District Seven has found peace thanks to the Taichou and his family. But that doesn't mean people stop being killed for no reason. It just moves, doesn't it? That's why Taichou wants to find Aizen Katsura and bring him to justice. Because when there are loose ends, things like this happen.

The second hut was also empty, as was the third, and, as Tenichi made his progress through the settlement, he realised that, though no people remained, there was no sign of damage at the further reaches of the land. Tracks in the dirt indicated a mass stampede to leave, and Tenichi surmised with some relief that, although there were a few specks of blood lining the pathway, most of the residents had managed to escape whatever violent predator had come to their door that day.

He turned back towards the scene of the crime, hurrying to rejoin his companions and trying to put out of his mind the ones who had not been as fortunate.

"There's nobody here, Kikyue-dono," he reported, as he reached them. "All the huts are empty. There's signs people left in a hurry, but not much evidence that many of them were hurt when they did. I suspect they scattered into surrounding land - but I think most people managed to get away."

"Then our witnesses are probably going to be in nearby villages and settlements," Ohara clicked his tongue against his teeth in annoyance. "That means a much wider canvassing of territory, and we are only a few. Would you like me to begin on that errand, Hime?" he asked, casting Kikyue a questioning look. "I might try the immediate neighbours, and see what stories have passed through the area."

"Do so," Kikyue agreed. "If there's nobody here, there's no danger. Be careful, and see what you can find out."

"Yes, ma'am," Ohara saluted, disappearing into shunpo, and Kikyue sighed, turning to Tenichi.

"I thought you'd got to grips with the reality of death," she reflected. "Is Ohara right? Are you going to faint or throw up, or can you be useful in examining the scene?"

"I'm all right, Kikyue-dono," Tenichi promised. "It reminded me of being a child, fleeing to Eighth District, that's all. Innocent people being killed just because they were there...it's not something you forget easily."

He glanced at the charred mess.

"I want to find whoever did this, too, before they can do it again," he added. "It seems like pointless, random violence, and that makes me angry. People here have a hard enough life without that. We need to stop it, so tell me what you want me to do."

"Fine words," Takasugi came up behind him with a grin. "Kikyue-dono, the corpses are a lot messy, but they're ready for a forensic retrieval. There's some kind of spiritual residue on the corpses, but I can't make it out. It seems to have broken down quite a lot, and I don't know if anyone will be able to pick a reiatsu signature from it."

"I'm not sure that it matters," Kikyue looked grim, stepping past the fallen bodies of woman and child and pulling her own sheathed weapon from its place at her side. Gently she nudged aside some of the dust and debris, revealing the hilt and then the blade of an old, rusted sword. It too was charred and damaged, but clearly recogniseable, and Tenichi's eyes opened wide with surprise.

"A sword? What kind of sword is that?"

"Whatever kind, it comes attached to a hand," Takasugi peered at the weapon closely. "No arm, though, just bony fingers clapsed around it. Quite gruesome, really," he added cheerfully. "Maybe a dead blade, Kikyue-dono?"

"Like the one that killed Oniisama?" Kikyue's eyes darkened, and she sighed. "I don't know. I don't know what it is, only that Plus Souls do sometimes bring them here. Usually they're no kind of weapon at all. Just pieces of metal and nothing else. We should probably take it as evidence."

"Do you think that this blade cut those people down?" Takasugi asked curiously. Kikyue shrugged.

"I think that, right now, the person who's holding this weapon was burned, and probably burned alive, because he's still holding it and the grip has been melted to the blade," she said matter-of-factly, making Tenichi's stomach turn once more with her graphic description. "The others around here are also burned. We can't rule out the possibility that this weapon was used to kill people, but it could also have been used to defend them against whatever was attacking. It's not clear...the weapon is damaged by whatever caused the burning, which suggests it wasn't a blade of any real quality to begin with."

She stood back, returning her sword to its resting place at her side.

"We'll take the sword as evidence. The hand, too, since it's attached," she decided, gesturing for Takasugi to retrieve it. "It's our job to do this thoroughly, after all. But..."

"But?" As Takasugi pulled a length of spare cloth from his obi, carefully wrapping the sword for return to Inner Seireitei, Tenichi cast his patrol leader a questioning look.

"I don't know who did this," Kikyue's expression was grim. "But I will tell you something I am sure of. Aizen Katsura was here. And, unless I'm very much mistaken, Aizen Katsura is the reason these people are scorched within an inch of existence. Whatever that sword is, it's probably a dead blade - but even if Katsura didn't hold the sword himself, it does not rule him out of the slaughter by any means. Katsura is capable of manipulating weaker spirit souls - Hollows, and probably others, too, if he puts his mind to it. In that sense, he is a puppeteer, just like his father, and we shouldn't underestimate the level of his ability to cause chaos."

She frowned.

"Right now, we don't know the details," she admitted, "but we do know one thing. The only distinct spiritual presence lingering over this crime scene like a rotten stench belongs to one person and one person alone."

"Katsura?" Takasugi paused in his retrieval, glancing up in surprise, and Kikyue nodded.

"I'd never forget this reiatsu," she admitted, turning to gaze back on the scene with a sigh. "It's not like he's even trying to hide it, either. It's his reiatsu all right, which means he definitely did survive the attack from Hajime-dono's sword. The weird way in which this is burned, too - it's not like a normal fire, but a burst of raw reiryoku consuming everything in its path. We've already seen that he's unstable. And now we know one thing for sure, which seems too much to be a coincidence. Aizen Katsura has eluded shinigami attention for five years, but he was definitely here in this exact part of Rukongai on the same day these people died."


Author's Note: Third and Seventh Divisions

A refresher of the key players in Tenichi's division, at their current ranks.

Captain: Endou Hirata. An old school friend of Juushirou and Shunsui and the Head of the Endou Clan. Famed for his sword, the "Wind Hawk" (Tsuumi no Fuuhi), which has the power to vaporise an individual and, as such, is widely feared. Although capable of killing without compunction, Hirata likes to regulate his behaviour along the lines of his friends, and they, for their part, keep him in line in this respect.
Vice Captain: Kitabata Hajime: Introduced as Fourth Seat in Sukuse, Hajime is a lower ranking member of the Endou Clan who, nonetheless, won Hirata's trust enough to become Vice Captain after the death of Hirata's son Souja. Hajime's backstory as a rebel against Seimaru's regime can be found in a oneshot.
Third Seat: Endou Kikyue - Hirata's older daughter, and something of a spitfire. The loss of her brother was a huge blow, but she is determined to grow into the shinigami he believed she would one day be. Due to her spirit power developing very early, Kikyue never went to the Academy. She is a rare example of a female Endou shinigami, as the Clan normally do not encourage women to train with swords.
Fourth Seat: Ohara Masayuki - a higher blooded son of the Endou Clan, Ohara was introduced in Sukuse as a slightly aristocratic and stuck up member of the Seventh. His experiences in Sukuse, however, have humbled him somewhat. He is still in love with Kikyue, although knows the chances of marrying her are slim.
Fifth Seat: Nakata Yusuke: Tenichi's friend and Seventh Seat in Sukuse, Nakata is a down-to-earth and likeable Endou shinigami.
Sixth Seat: Hashimori Raizen: A new character for this story; in Sukuse, was dispatched to guard the Endou at the Main House, but is now returned to barracks.
Seventh Seat: Takasugi Heita: A new character for this story; in Sukuse, was dispatched to guard the Endou at the Main House, but is now returned to barracks. Formerly Ninth seat, promoted since Sukuse.
Eighth Seat: Kotetsu Tenichi - released from prison after his offences in Sukuse.
Ninth Seat: Masaoka Sadafumi - a bluff, middle aged, and portly member of the Endou who is surprisingly good in a crisis.

These members figure in Seventh Division's two key patrols are as follows (with Nakata having moved patrols with his promotion)

Patrol 1

Kitabata Hajime (Patrol Leader/VC)
Nakata Yusuke (Patrol second)
Hashimori Raizen
Masaoka Sadafumi

Patrol 2
Endou Kikyue (Patrol Leader/3rd seat)
Ohara Masayuki (Patrol second)
Takasugi Heita
Kotetsu Tenichi

And also, of course, the Third:

Third Division

Captain: Urahara Nagesu: Head of the Urahara Clan and the cousin of the exiled and dead Keitarou. A kind man not given to wild assumptions and prone to peace, Nagesu has spent a lot of his life trying to repair the damage done by previous insurrections. He is a scientist, but not a genius, and is humble enough to know when to rely on those with greater skill. As such, he is a popular leader and figure in Inner Seireitei.
Vice Captain: Urahara Shiketsu: Nagesu's son, Shiketsu is intelligent but not as good in a crisis as his father, and lacking in some of Nagesu's leadership skills. Despite that, he works hard, and is well respected.
Third Seat: Urahara Yunosuke: Former Anideshi at the Academy when Shunsui and Juushirou first enrolled, Yunosuke is calm and responsible, and is also capable of basic healing skills.
Fifth Seat: Kamitani Jun: Former student with Juushirou and Shunsui at the Academy.

Mareiko (Sekime Mareiko) is, as has been previously introduced, the Captain of the Twelfth Division.