Chapter 20: Chaos Building
'What do you mean 'they didn't go through the Academy but they have enough skill to be placed in a Division immediately'?' standing in her place as the Captain of the Third Division, Soifon stared suspiciously at Yamamoto, something most wouldn't dare to do, 'How can such people possibly be qualified to become part of the Gotei 13? What is the meaning of this?'
The captains meeting had been called unexpectedly just as the sun was appearing over the horizon. No details had been provided. All of the Division leaders had surprisingly actually turned up, including Zaraki, who'd only recently returned from getting lost in the Rukongai (certainly not for the first time), Kurotsuchi, who looked absolutely furious (probably about having to pause his most recent experiment), and even Ukitake, who wasn't in the best of health (because the sudden snow the day before had upset his delicate wellbeing).
I wouldn't say I feel as strongly about this as Soifon, but still . . . it is indeed unusual, Tōshirō felt his frown deepening as he turned the new information over in his head, So there's two shinigami who the Head Captain believes could be placed into Divisions immediately . . . he must have surveyed their skills himself to say such a thing, letting his concentration slip for just a moment, he added to his mental dialogue, I wonder what Likara thinks about this, considering the fact that she only graduated before the war and then, so soon after it ended, she was promoted to Captain of the Third Division. Then again, these two didn't even go to the Academy, apparently. They must have some crystal clear talent . . . interesting.
'I mean exactly as I say,' Yamamoto wasn't fazed by the Second Division captain's outburst, 'These two souls- shinigami, for they are shinigami, have shown ability enough to be placed into one of the Divisions of the Gotei 13. Understand that they will initially be on probation,' he gave all of the assembled captains a long stare, before finishing, 'I will ask them in now,'
As if on cue, although it didn't seem like the Head Captain had done anything, the great doors opened to reveal two almost identical silhouettes. Light fading from their temporarily blinded eyes, the captains blinked as they took in the appearances of these two . . . shinigami.
They were male and without a doubt, they were twins. Identical twins. Both appeared to be teenagers, probably in their freshman year at high school, had they been human. White hair hung short around their faces in an artfully untidy way, and each had a single braid that rested down their backs. Blood red eyes stared at each relatively impassive face as the pair took in the group before them, the bright colour seeming out of place against their pale skin.
The one on the right was grinning widely . . . something that looked to be a constant feature, but the other wore a more serious expression. Interestingly enough, they each had a white bandage wrapped around their heads, although they had no visible injury.
'What are your names?' Soifon, who had initially been quieted by surprise at seeing the similar hairstyles of the twins compared to her own, spoke suddenly, tone superior and demanding.
'Mika and Miku,' apparently sorting out who was who before introductions was too difficult, or something, because they both spoke at the same time, voices actually quite different, probably due to their differing personalities, 'Oh . . .' they seemed to remember something, 'And it's very nice to meet you,'
As the two brothers bowed politely, the captains continued to appraise their appearances and a few attempted to judge their personalities just from what they'd said so far. Which hadn't been all too much, to be truthful. Politeness can be staged, like many other things, so they were all glad that this pair of twins were going to be on a trial period.
'How does this trial work, exactly?' after a long, stretching silence, one of the brothers – as of yet it was too hard to tell which, so putting a name against the speaker had the potential to be . . . insulting – asked the question in a polite but questioning way, 'We're curious,'
The Head Captain waited another long moment before deciding to reply, 'You will be stationed within each Division for a few days or so. While there, you shall work as an average Division member and prove your skills to the Captain of whichever Division you're in,' he paused again, before adding, 'At the end of the trial time, the Captains of the Gotei 13 will report to me and, if everything is satisfactory, then you will be permanently assigned to a Division. Do you understand?' he gave them both a long stare.
'Yes sir,' bowing again, the twins turned and left the hall, footsteps surprisingly quiet on the wooden floorboards.
There was another moment in which everyone just stared at something and thought about another thing, and then the Head Captain explained how the trial was going to work. After that, each of the captains left the hall and returned to their respective Divisions. No one really thought any more on the incident. It would, undoubtedly, be one to come up again when it was their turn to trial the twins.
It would have been a week later that issue first arose, creating trouble and rumours in the ranks of the Gotei 13. The issue itself was serious, and a captains meeting was called to discuss it, for not often are Seated Officers suddenly appearing in the Fourth Division fighting for their lives. As was the case with Lieutenants Sasakibe Chojiro, and Omaeda Mareichiyo.
The former was the usually unseen, or rarely seen, Lieutenant of the First Division, who had a liking for tea and whatnot. The latter was the Lieutenant of the Second Division, a cracker eating man who was, to put it plainly and with perfect bluntness, a very fat shinigami.
The two of them were not conscious, but certainly not dead, and Unohana found herself in quite the predicament trying to figure out what was wrong with them exactly.
It turned out to be Yamada Hanatarō that caused the first breakthrough, quite by accident, of course, when he came into a room one day and tripped over someone's relatively inconspicuous bag. That in itself was not at all helpful to the anxious healers, but it was what the distracted Seventh Seat had begun babbling – about how once upon a time, someone had been tricky enough to leave a bag in his path – that ended up helping them all. He'd tripped over said bag, of course, and then he'd 'gone into a scary black place' before appearing once more in the Fourth Division, this time as a patient. The cause, as he had later worked out for himself, long after everyone else had, was a reiatsu draining device in the bag over which he had tripped. Some kind of mean prank, most certainly.
End of story.
Unohana had been rather surprised that a forceful draining of reiatsu could be the cause of the Lieutenants unconsciousness, because she had already looked for signs of such an attack and found none. That meant, in her reckoning, that the method in which the reiatsu of the two Lieutenants had been stolen was quite unique and previously never encountered. She then applied the necessary treatment and wasn't at all surprised when there was a slight improvement in their condition. The kindly captain berated herself for not realising the cause of their condition sooner and she felt a little down before Isane pointed out that she had been suffering from a slight cold on the day that Omaeda was brought in. When sick, even slightly, and treating sick patients, thoughts on aiding them can often be severely hampered by one's own illness.
Anyhow, now that the two Lieutenants were on the way to recovery, and Unohana had recovered from her cold, everything in the Fourth was looking more like it should.
Other places in the Soul Society, however, were not functioning as smoothly.
Likara frowned as she watched her Division members working outside of her office. Her turquoise gaze was lingering on two figures in particular, almost identical in their appearance but not, as she had discovered earlier that morning when they had arrived, in their personalities.
It's the Third Division's turn to trial those brothers, she wasn't too sure why she was so suspicious, And so far they haven't played up at all, recalling the meeting where they had all been discussing the recent hospitalization of the Lieutenants, her frown deepened, Could they seriously be the ones who're attacking the Seated Officers? No, I can't imagine why they should want to . . .
Remembering in a rush the other recent cases in the Fourth, the notable ones all being Seated Officers, including those Lieutenants, Likara felt her suspicions growing at the same time as they were lessening. Did the twins really want to gain acceptance into a Division, or were they really just trying to target the Seated Officers for some unknown reason of their own?
Knowing that Izuru could well be the next on this unusual hit list, the young captain had the strong urge to just run to the Tenth Division, tell everything to Tōshirō, and then get him to help her work out what to do. They had always been such a good team. But, of course, she couldn't do that anymore.
Sighing deeply, Likara almost jumped when a jigokucho fluttered straight towards her, flying at a speed no ordinary butterfly could possibly have managed, 'A message?' she spoke aloud in her surprise, 'It's going to be something bad, I can just feel it,'
Attention! All Captains report immediately to the First Division Assembly Hall! There have been multiple
attacks on the Rukongai. Civilians are fearful for their safety and we of the Gotei 13 have a responsibility
to them. Repeat: All Captains must report immediately to the Head Captain.
Turquoise eyes widening in shock, Likara was frozen for a moment, trying to figure out just what had happened. So, not only were Seated Offices being attacked at the moment, but the Rukongai as well? With a slight gasp, she rushed back over to the window, watching in confusion as both Mika and Miku continued to chat to the members of her Division and sweep the courtyard. If they weren't the ones who were attacking the Rukongai, then who was?
Trying to sort out what was going on, the young captain rushed from her office, using powerful shunpo steps to carry her to the Assembly Hall. Halfway there, she blinked in surprise as Tōshirō appeared by her side. Just for a second there was no animosity, no awkwardness . . . just for a moment they were just two shinigami worried about the safety of others. And, despite the dire situation, Likara couldn't help but feel glad for it.
Matsumoto wasn't having the best day. She'd been trooping around the Rukongai looking for attackers who she was now sure had to be figments of someone's twisted imagination, for ages now. And, no big surprise, she hadn't even seen a shadow which might belong to these unusual troublemakers. Not to mention that she didn't have any sake and she was stuck working with Abarai. It wouldn't have been an issue under normal circumstances – this time was an exception because . . . because he still hadn't forgiven her for the embarrassment he'd suffered due to his participation in her failed plot. Apparently not enough time had passed for him . . .
What compounded her bad mood was the fact that, after witnessing one or two things she wished she hadn't, she had now decided that she didn't want to restart her investigation. Fact was, at present, both her captain and Captain Kuroiyami were just far too fierce and cold.
Aggravating them would be something akin to suicide, although not as deadly, because even being captains, executing a Lieutenant wouldn't go unnoticed. Thank goodness.
'See anything?' for what had to be the seven-hundredth time, Rangiku threw the words over her shoulder, not even caring much whether or not Abarai even heard her, 'I don't, just in case you're wondering,'
'I'm not. Stop saying that,' tone tighter than anything Matsumoto had ever heard before, coming from Renji, that was, the red headed Lieutenant glanced around once more before heading off purposefully in a random direction, more than half hoping she didn't follow.
Alone now in the grassy field, somewhere at the very edge of Junrinan, Matsumoto sighed deeply and looked at the sky in a sudden rush of uncalled for sadness. Dashing a useless tear away, she wondered what was making her so emotional all of a sudden. Even being the bubbly, energetic person she was, actually being emotional, in a teary way, was unlike her.
You're being ridiculous. There's absolutely no reason why you should start bawling like a baby. Those two Lieutenants are better now . . . and you don't even associate with either of them, except at Lieutenants meetings. The troublemakers in the Rukongai haven't been found but they haven't attacked anyone else, or destroyed anything else. So, after all that, why oh why do you feel like crying? Rangiku, for some reason, just couldn't shake off the feeling that everything wasn't actually all good and that she would have a real reason to cry, sooner or later.
And, somehow, she suspected it would be sooner.
What was I worried about, exactly? I can't imagine why I should've been so paranoid, sighing deeply, Likara filed away another document. The twins had moved onto their trial at the Fifth Division now, and Izuru hadn't been injured at all. His only ailment was his increased anxiety level due to something Likara couldn't help but assume was Matsumoto's doing. That, compared to the major issues still apparent, seemed almost laughable.
The attacks on the Rukongai had ceased, perhaps due to the increased number of shinigami patrols, although the assailants hadn't been found. Sasakibe and Omaeda were back in their Divisions, with strict instructions from Unohana not to strain themselves in any way. They were weak still, but able to move around with relative ease. Omaeda, perhaps, should not be included in that last statement because he often had trouble shifting his weight around. Or he said that just so people would get things for him, because he was too lazy to do so himself.
Sensing two now familiar presences just outside of the closed doors, the young captain raised her piercing gaze and frowned for a moment before smoothing her expression and saying in a most level and authoritative tone, 'Come in,'
'Captain Kuroiyami, sir,' bowing respectively, the twins themselves smiled tentatively across at her, shifting their weight from one foot to the other in almost perfect unison.
'Yes?' thinking it was rather ironic for them to have arrived just as she was thinking about them, something that happened to her on a few notable occasions, Likara lowered her ink brush properly and gave them her undivided attention. It was almost the end of their second week as shinigami and both of them looked rather cheerful, as they usually did.
Mika, who everyone now differentiated from his twin by his cheekier grin and the position of his bandage – that being on the right side of his head, stepped closer to her desk, moving towards the wall as if looking at the spines of the books, even though his liquid red gaze never left her face, 'Captain . . . how are you?'
The question was perfectly innocent and delivered in such a casual but suitably polite way, that Likara wouldn't have thought anything of it, but before she had a chance to reply, Miku added in his softer, more serious way, 'And your Lieutenant, how is he?'
It was like a tsunami had just crashed into the young captain. She was frozen for a split second, mind rejecting what she had just heard, struggling to comprehend what was going on. It could just be another innocent question, of course, but she couldn't help but think that they'd planned this perfectly before even deciding to approach the Third Division. Mika's carefree demeanour and usually light tone suited the first part, the polite questioning after her health. And Miku's serious, 'darker' personality made the second question almost like a threat, or something. A threat, a warning, or words said to confuse and worry her.
'Are you alright?' tone softening, Mika turned away from the bookshelves and moved even closer to the desk, 'Maybe we should go, Miku,' he flicked a glance at his twin before looking back at Likara in concern, 'It seems like we really chose a bad time to interrupt you, captain,'
'Mika,' perhaps there was a slight warning in the teenager's tone, one which Likara was far too shocked to notice, because said brother straightened and followed Miku out of the office.
And without even looking up, Likara could sense his grin.
Tōshirō wondered what Matsumoto was doing and if she'd somehow gotten her hands on a bottle of sake somewhere along the line. Since she was in the Rukongai, and therefore unable to bother him and distract him from his work, all of the paperwork was done and dusted. Because of that, he actually had nothing to do. It was unbelievable and made him think that sending Matsumoto off into the Rukongai more often would be a good idea.
What to do? It wasn't often that he ever got to ask himself that question. Practically never.
Shaking his head and dismissing all of the troubled thoughts there regarding the injured Officers and the attacks on the Rukongai, Tōshirō stood and decided to go visit Granny in Junrinan. It had been a long, long while since he'd had enough excess time to go see her.
Walking out of the office without so much as another thought, the young captain vanished in the direction of West Rukongai's First District.
Sometimes actions occur purely out of impulse, without regard of the current situations in the surrounding society, but whether or not they turn out, however, is not something a person can control.
This decision of Tōshirō's was one of them.
Likara could feel anxiety building up inside of her but she fought valiantly to stay calm, Finding Izuru wasn't going to be easy if she ended up destroying something because she accidentally lost control of her reiatsu or something. No, she had to stay calm and focused.
Marching briskly along the paths that connected everything in the Seireitei, the young captain tried to think of every place where her Lieutenant might usually be. She already knew that he hadn't gone into the Rukongai to look for the attackers, but that didn't answer the question of where he was now. When he'd left the office earlier in the morning, he'd been his usual quiet and melancholy self, no change there, but he hadn't said where he was going either.
This is ridiculous, you're probably overreacting, she truly hoped she was, because if the twins were the ones who were attacking the Seated Officers, then she had to do something. Especially if she was the only person who knew about it.
It stuck her as odd that they'd actually come into her office and practically openly say what they were really doing. It made no sense at all, because what wrong-doer wants to be found out? Certainly none that she'd encountered over the years.
Sensing a familiar presence, Likara went against her better judgment and changed directions, aiming for someone she knew was there. A single shunpo had her only metres away from the white haired captain of the Tenth Division and a couple of long paces brought her to him.
'What are you doing?' because of the pent up emotions inside her – namely the anxiety, proven suspicion, and shock – she forgot all about being awkward and distant. Instead she was shouting like some madwoman, shaking the surprised captain hard. Letting out some of those feelings in the form of anger was easier than suppressing them continually.
'Going into the Rukongai,' his tone suggested he was wondering what was wrong with her as well as why he should even be answering her questions.
'WHY?' feeling more of her sanity slipping away, Likara shoved the other captain aside and held a hand over her visible eye. Almost everyone thought she was completely cold and indifferent, no matter what. Those people didn't really know her, though, because really, Kuroiyami Likara cared greatly for those she knew and had come to like. Tōshirō had been the first of those people and now Izuru was one of them too.
'To visit Granny,' there was a faint note of disbelief in his tone as Tōshirō watched his once friend having what appeared to be a mental breakdown, 'May I ask what you're doing?'
'Nothing!' screaming defensively and looking as if she was searching hard for something, perhaps someone who might hear her shouts, Likara whirled around, wide turquoise eye flicking from alleyway to alleyway, trying to decide where to go.
Tōshirō was at a loss, because he had really never seen her like this, and he was about to ask once again why she was screaming and running around shouting at people, when she vanished.
'Oh great,' he saw his lovely idea of visiting Granny fly away on an uncomfortably warm breeze, 'Now I'm going to have to find Likara, get her some help, and then work out what in the world the problem is,'
Sometimes things don't turn out the way we want, rather, they turn out in a way we couldn't even imagine.
This, for Tōshirō, was one of them.
Author's Note:
I do indeed believe that the level of chaos in the Soul Society as of late has been building up quite a lot, perhaps the usual amount of 'controlled chaos' had transcended to a whole new level. Well . . . it's looking to be quite confusing.
Sorry if this chapter was different from previous ones. Things I noticed was less dialogue, maybe a bit less internal conersation, and a whole lot more jumping around from one place to another on this day or that day. My apologies about that, and also the fact that the time in which these events happen wasn't clearly defined.
Oh well, Likara's having some emotional issues - probably more than usual - and the true intentions of those twins are . . . in doubt. Are they really the culprits or are they not? What a serious matter . . .
Poor Toshiro, he didn't get to see Granny . . . although how exactly he was going to justify walking off in the middle of such a troubled time, I'm not too sure. Hanataro actually managed to help out, and Matsumoto dropped her investigation idea, but for how long . . . that is the question.
Hmm, and how could I forget? Where is Izuru?