Shippoman: To start out, I want to give a nice big shout out to Rebecca Taylor. Thanks for reviewing for almost every chapter. Your reviews are always welcome. And thank you to all of you who review when you can, getting them just makes my day and let's me know how I'm doing. Okay, so enough of that, enjoy the chapter. :D
Chapter 20: Seeing Things
Everything swam before her eyes as Yukiko slowly opened them up after her short nap. Her side was still in pain from the wound she'd received fighting the hollows but she was feeling slightly better. Looking around herself to see what the others were doing, she spotted Mashiro lying on the ground trying to take a nap and Tousen standing nearby staring off into space.
Kensei had caught her attention, though, as he seemed to be deep in thought while leaning against a nearby tree. She assumed he was trying to solve the mystery of the strange hollow they'd come across. Imagine, a hollow that could make itself look like a normal soul. Had they not stopped it, there was no telling the amount of damage it would have done.
She watched him for a few minutes thinking about how he'd been around her for the last few days since she returned from the beach. He rarely spoke to her now unless it had to deal specifically with a mission and seemed to avoid contact with her entirely when she was alone. Instead of feeling as if he was avoiding her specifically, it seemed to her that something was bothering him and for whatever reason he only appeared comfortable when lower seated or non-seated members were present.
Even now with both Mashiro and Tousen nearby he didn't seem comfortable. She wanted to ask him about it, but something told her he wouldn't answer so easily. So, making up her mind, she slowly pushed herself to her feet and headed over to Tousen to see if he knew what it could be. As she moved, she had to concentrate on her feet to keep from stumbling and to keep her head from spinning. She really shouldn't have stood, but this problem was really bothering her.
"Hey, Kaname, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked nervously when she approached the quiet third seat.
He shifted his head so he was facing her. "It would probably be best if you remained seated for awhile longer," he murmured softly. "Moving doesn't seem to be agreeing with you right now."
"Well, my head is still spinning a bit," she admitted slowly. "But there's something I need to ask. It's going to keep bugging me if I don't." Tousen sighed before nodding for her to continue. "I was wondering...the Captain seems as if he's got something severely weighing him down. Do you...happen to know what it is?" She paused, waiting for his answer before she tacked on, "It's not because of me...is it?"
Tousen sighed and turned fully toward her. "I do not know exactly what the reason is," he told her. "However, I do know that if it concerned you, he'd bring it up to keep anything from affecting his performance."
"You...really think so?" she asked almost hopefully. He nodded and she smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Kaname."
Just then a light breeze rushed past as she smiled, enjoying the touch of the wind. When she looked back at Tousen, she saw what seemed to be ripples rolling over him. The ripples allowed her to see for only an instant another face in place of Tousen's though she didn't recognize it. It was the same...the same rippling effect she'd seen in the air near where her fight had taken place. She couldn't for the life of her understand what was happening or why she was seeing the ripples. What shocked her more was that while the current ones showed someone besides the dark third seat, the one before allowed her to see Aizen and Tousen simply watching.
"Yukiko, is something the matter?" Tousen asked curiously, having noticed her shocked stare.
"Uh...yeah," she muttered blushing a little. His words had brought her back to her senses and she quickly shook her head finding that the ripples had vanished. She knew her head had been spinning but seeing ripples and things that were impossible must mean she'd lost far more blood that she thought. Maybe she really shouldn't have gotten up. "I just...I was just seeing things. I think you were right about not moving. I think standing only made me worse."
Tousen nodded and gently assisted her in sitting back down, leaning against another tree trunk. "You really should pay attention to your body more and not push yourself," he murmured calmly. "You'll end up worrying myself, Mashiro, and the captain unnecessarily."
"R-right," Yukiko muttered nervously. She felt her eyelids droop again as she sat and knew it was her body's way of telling her she needed more sleep. "Thanks. I-I'll be fine now. Really."
Tousen nodded once more before straightening back up and strolling over to his captain. As he walked away, Yukiko's eyes drifted close and she fell asleep once more.
Just as the third seat reached his captain, the larger man turned his gaze toward him curiously. "Is something wrong?" he asked calmly.
"I believe we should move on," Tousen murmured as he glanced back at the tenth seat. "I am worried that Yukiko will not be able to recover properly out here."
Kensei grunted in acknowledgment before pushing himself to his feet and moving closer to the sleeping soul reaper. She was still pale but a little color had returned to her cheeks making her almost appear to be blushing. Her breathing was even as she slept and he took note of the bandage peeking out from the hole in her shihakusho.
Knowing he had a lot of other work that needed his attention spurred him into shaking her shoulder to wake her up. They didn't have the time to waste waiting around until she could move properly again. "Yukiko," he muttered as her eyes slowly fluttered open. "We need to start heading back. Think you can walk?"
She simply nodded in answer and forced herself to return to her feet. Kensei didn't like the way she was swaying just standing there, and the moment she moved her face seemed to lose the color it had gained. Deciding it would be safer, faster, and easier, he quickly picked her up bridal style and began heading back to the barracks.
"Mashiro!" he called out, causing the lieutenant to shift in her sleep and sit up with leaves and grass in her green hair. "We're heading back! You'd better get your ass moving or I'm leaving you behind!"
"Kensei meanie!" Mashiro shouted back, but she caught up to them pretty quickly. "Ooh, can I get a piggy back ride?"
"No," Kensei grunted in irritation.
"Awe, but you're carrying, Ume!" Mashiro whined. "It's not fair." She suddenly got an impish look on her face as an idea struck her. "Ooh, I get it. You just want Ume all to yourself. You're so naughty, Kensei."
Kensei shook his head ignoring her comment. It really was amazing how calm he could be when he was breathing in Yukiko's plum blossom scent. Normally he would have bitten his lieutenant's head off for insinuating what she did. But somehow, it just didn't matter at the moment. He glanced down at the girl in his arms and could see that despite the light struggles she'd given him at first she was back asleep, her head leaning against his chest.
It wasn't the first time he'd carried her and somehow he knew it wouldn't be the last time either. She was very light in his arms and he noted that his fingers were able to feel the slender build she had, that he'd seen when she was wearing her swimsuit. Somehow, that thought, and the memory of the suggestion his lieutenant had just made came together and nearly made him drop her.
Instead he mentally shook himself, determinedly pushing those thoughts to the very back of his mind. Once that was done, he motioned to the other two to follow him and he picked up his pace making it back to the barracks in record time where he deposited Yukiko in her room for recovery before attempting to return to his office and finish his mountain of paperwork.
Before he could leave though, Yukiko seemed to wake up and caught the hem of his haori. "Captain, I'm sorry I was hurt on the mission," she expressed through her drowsiness. "My injury forced you to carry me back and everything. Had we been attacked again I would have been a serious burden on all of you."
"It was fine," he muttered darkly. "With the three of us it wouldn't have been an issue."
"I see..."
"What distracted you?"
Yukiko looked up at him with confusion in her eyes and he groaned in irritation. "Before you were hit you were staring at something that distracted you enough to where you didn't notice the thing right behind you," he clarified. "What was it?"
"Oh...nothing," Yukiko muttered, her eyes drifting close yet again.
"Don't give me that shit," he grumbled bending down again so he could get her to look at him. "Now what was it?"
Yukiko took a few moments to try and clear her head so she could think of his question and give a good answer. "I was just seeing things," she muttered. "For an instant...I thought I saw Aizen and Tousen standing there watching us...but that's impossible because you would have noticed Aizen and Tousen was busy fighting another hollow."
"Then why'd you see them?" he asked wanting her assessment before he'd ask Unohana to find out.
"I think I was just tired."
"You've been having more of those late night training sessions haven't you," Kensei accused. Yukiko nodded lightly and he sighed again. "No more of those from now on, got it? You need your sleep."
The young tenth seat looked as if she was going to argue the point but closed her mouth and just nodded instead. She knew he was right especially since she'd been spending more and more hours training at night instead of sleeping. Still, she was trying to get stronger and knowing that she'd be unable to at a time where most members were asleep and be unable to watch her was slightly depressing.
"Good, now get some rest," Kensei told her getting back to his feet. "If you so much as move from this spot before you're physically able I'll tie you to a bed in squad 4."
Yukiko chuckled lightly at this believing he would definitely follow up on that threat so she nodded again before drifting off with a smile on her face.
"It appears that girl has one more mystery to solve," Aizen mused as he sat in a room filled with monitors. Beside him stood the dark third seat of squad 9 and another man who was wearing the fifth squad uniform and had short brown hair that covered barely any of his head thanks to his severe receding hairline. "You're certain she was able to see you, Yamato?"
"Yes, Lord Aizen," the man replied with a light bow. "We were speaking after the battle when her eyes went wide and she was staring at me in shock. It only lasted for a moment, however, so I believe the effect was temporary. She believes she was merely seeing things."
"I see...then I suspect she was able to see the two of us as well, Kaname," Aizen replied turning to the monitors before him. "Which means that even if she does not know how, she is capable of seeing through my complete hypnosis. Until now, no one, not even the Head Captain has been able to see through it. I'm intrigued to learn how this is possible."
"Should I test her to find out?" Tousen asked curiously. He too wanted to know for sure what allowed the young 10th seat to see through such a complete ability.
"That won't be necessary," Aizen replied, smiling darkly. "I have a plan to have her reveal the reason on her own, though implementing it will take time. Yamato, until I have been able to fully determine the reason behind this you will need to be careful when around her. She is slowly gaining confidence in herself and I believe that if she notices it too much she'll eventually determine that what she is seeing is real and attempt to report it to her Captain. You must not allow her to grow too confident in herself."
"Yes sir," the balding man muttered before turning and leaving the room.
Once he was gone, Tousen stepped up beside Aizen and murmured a question that was bothering him. "Aizen, if she is really capable of seeing through your hypnosis then she presents an extreme danger to our plans. What do you plan on doing about her if this is discovered to be the case?"
"Simply put, we'll need to ensure that she never discovers this ability of hers," Aizen answered darkly. "If she begins to become too close to the truth, then I'll simply have to present to her a special offer. If she refuses, then she must disappear...for good."
Shippoman: After all the effort that went in to getting her out of trouble, Yukiko goes and lands herself in another pile of it. Unfortunately she still has no idea what all she is capable of. But at least Kensei is taking such good care of her. Poor thing, with Yukiko's amazing scent and Mashiro's brazen comments he'll really have to watch himself. Stay tuned to see how the good and the bad continue to progress. :D And please remember to R&R.