Chapter Twenty Four: Into The Crossfire
"Wait!"
As Byakuya's hand was about to loosen on the hilt of Senbonzakura, a fresh voice entered the conflict, and both the Captain of the Sixth Division and the rogue Shinigami turned as one, gauging the appearance of the newcomer with a mixture of surprise and irritation.
"Ukitake." Byakuya was the first one to speak, his grey eyes narrowing. "What are you doing here? This is in hand - I don't need any help."
"Ukitake...taichou?" Uryuu's eyes widened for a moment, and from his shelter, Ichigo saw the blue haze of reiatsu flicker slightly, as if Ametatsu's focus to fight had been broken by the sudden appearance of his former Captain. Ukitake turned his head at the sound of his name, a grave smile touching his lips. Though he was very pale, and moving in a cautious, tentative way, there was resolution in his dark brown eyes, and Ichigo realised that the man had left his sick bed once again to help them in their quest. His eyes narrowed, digesting this fact slowly.
So Ukitake-san's connection to this Shizuki guy is deeper'n any of us suspected, then. Sendin' the letter wasn't enough in the end. For him t'go this far – it can't just be for Ishida's sake. Can it? Does he really care so much about savin' one Quincy's life that he'll drag himself up when he's sick to stand in front of Byakuya's blade?
At Byakuya's curt question, Ukitake nodded his head.
"You should lower your sword, Shizuki." He said quietly, his voice level and calm despite the fact that he had just walked into a battle between two souls with top level reiatsu, and Ichigo found the 13-Bantai Captain rising once more in his estimation. "Byakuya isn't your enemy. And you can't keep doing this. It isn't fair."
Uryuu's eyes narrowed, his grasp tightening around the hilt of his blade as he turned back to glance at the cold, stiff form of the 6-Bantai Captain. Ichigo's eyes widened slightly as he realised that, where his friend's reiatsu had burned with complete madness a mere moment earlier, now it's flickers and flares reflected far more clearly the troubled, grief-stricken soul of a Shinigami Captain in better command of his senses.
So what, then? Is he mad, or isn't he? Did Ukitake-san do something, or...is it Ishida, after all? Or just...I dunno...but the change...it was almost instantaneous. As soon as he saw Ukitake-san...it was like he became a completely different kind of opponent.
"This isn't your fight, Taichou. I don't want to involve you - please, step aside."
Uryuu's voice was soft, full of both defiance and regret, his stance as resolute as one who had made his choice and intended to stick by it, yet even so, Ichigo did not get the sense that the earlier waves of madness were still dominating his actions.
"I concur." Byakuya's entire form bristled with frustration and impatience, though he did not attempt to raise his weapon in Ukitake's direction. "Stand aside, Ukitake. I can deal with this situation. I require no other help."
"Yes, I know." Ukitake's expression became sober, and he nodded his head. "I know as well as anyone the strength that both of you share, and I realise that neither one of you need the interference of a sickly old man to settle your differences. Yet I am going to say it again. Stop this, now. It is a fight that must not carry on - Byakuya, you at least must realise the foolhardiness of what you are doing."
At this blatant piece of scolding, Byakuya's already stiff form became even more rigid, and despite the situation Ichigo could not help but stifle a smile. So there were people in Soul Society, after all, who could speak to Byakuya in that manner without being cut down by Senbonzakura's sweeping blade!
"I am not as sentimental as you are." He said now, his tones cold and full of censure. "I see no problem with eradicating someone who is clearly a danger to Soul Society. You know it as well as I do, Ukitake. I read your letter and I understood its meaning as well as I understood your plea. If the boy receives the sword, you said. You told me yourself of the dangers that blade can unleash – and therefore, the owner who wielded it and the risk he poses, too. I gave him his chance to retreat from the boy's body, and he refused. You cannot therefore expect me to stand aside whilst someone of that calibre walks the streets of Seireitei? He is a threat. My job is to eliminate such threats. No matter what your feelings are, Ukitake, if you stand between us, you will be in breach of your duty as a Captain."
"If you slay him, Byakuya, you will be in breach of yours as a Shinigami." Ukitake strode across the ground, reaching out to put a hand on Byakuya's sword arm. "Or does the life of Ishida Uryuu not count for anything in all of this?"
"That is not Ishida Uryuu." Byakuya shook his companion's arm off, flicking Senbonzakura's blade in the angry Uryuu's direction. "That is the criminal Shizuki Ametatsu. A man who, by your own testimony, was guilty of serious felonies against Soul Society. A man who even tried to slay the Sou Taichou himself. As I said, I am not sentimental in the way you are. Whatever his form may have been before, he is no longer that person. He is one who is a threat and must be eliminated."
"Get out of the way, Taichou, please." Uryuu spoke up at that moment, tapping his own blade in agitation on the ground as though uncertain for the first time about what to do. "It's not my wish to fight you. I told you that before, right? That I wouldn't fight you."
"Yes, Shizuki. I remember that. I remember it well." Ukitake turned, nodding his head as he regarded the Quincy gravely. "But it's come too far for me to be able to do anything else. You understand, don't you? Things have changed. And you have to stop, now. The past is past. It's over. All of it...it's long over."
"Over...?" Uryuu sounded bewildered, and Ukitake nodded again.
"Sheath your blade, Byakuya." He instructed, without taking his gaze from the Quincy's glimmering form. "If you do not, I will be forced to make you do so. It's not my wish to fight with either of you. But I won't let you fight with the boy. Not so long as there's a chance of recovering Ishida Uryuu alive...I'm fairly sure that, of the two of you, you stand a better chance than he does of surviving the full thrust of Sougyo no Kotowari's attacks."
"You would fight me to protect a rebel and a murderer?" Byakuya stared, his usual composure momentarily shattered by Ukitake's bold statement. "Even though you are barely fit to stand, Ukitake, you would still unseal your blade and challenge me?"
Ukitake sighed.
"I would fight you to protect the life of an innocent, yes." He said levelly. "Whatever the cost to myself."
"And the cost to Seireitei?" Byakuya snorted. "In sacrificing yourself to my blade…in trying to harm me…in protecting one who has killed before in madness? You forget your position, Ukitake. Even the Sou Taichou will not look well on such a blatant disregard for the rules."
Ukitake's eyes narrowed, and for the first time Ichigo saw a flicker of stubborn steeliness cross the older man's gaze, negating in an instant the kindly, genial aura that he and his friends had come to associate with the amiable Captain of 13-Bantai.
"I am telling you to sheath your sword, Kuchiki-taichou" He said quietly, his tones hoarse yet somehow every word challenged the noble Captain to defy him. "For the first thing, you would only be giving Shizuki the oblivion he seeks, in any case. For the second, you would be ending the life of one who is an innocent in all of this, and that I cannot condone. That would make you the murderer, which you are wise enough to have reasoned out for yourself. For the third – even with me in this physical state, there is no guarantee that you would be able to defeat me. And for the last thing..."
He smiled suddenly, tapping Byakuya's sword arm once more.
"You are the same." He said softly. "You and he. Of all people in Soul Society, Byakuya, you above all others understand the things that were racing through Shizuki's mind and heart the day he killed Shihouin Hirohito and the members of his squad."
"What did you say?" Byakuya started, staring at the senior Captain in disbelief, and Ukitake spread his hands.
"You lost Hisana." He said lightly. "And Shizuki lost Niji. You both understand the true depth of a grief that none of the rest of us can possibly hope to understand. Of all people, Byakuya, you should comprehend best of all what Shizuki has been through."
"How dare you bring Hisana's name into this!" Almost as soon as the words had left Ukitake's lips, Byakuya reacted, and Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw a flare of pure rage flood the nobleman's usually composed expression. All through the 6-Bantai Captain's reiatsu prickled an angry fire that seemed to dance and glitter from his body, and Ichigo muttered a curse, struggling to understand the sudden flood of emotion that had animated the normally distant Byakuya's tall frame.
"Because it's the truth." Ukitake seemed unperturbed by Byakuya's uncharacteristic show of fury. "Shizuki lost his love too, just as you did. You have no reason to fight him. The two of you are the same."
"Ukitake, if you dare say another word..." Byakuya was well and truly riled now, and from his position across from Ichigo, Renji let out a low whistle.
"Shit, the Taichou's pissed now." He muttered. "I ain't never seen him like that before - not in all the years I've seen him fight. Ukitake-taichou must have a death wish - sayin' shit like that an' in front of other people."
"Ukitake-san doesn't seem at all worried about it." Ichigo hissed back. "I didn't realise the old guy was so tough."
"No kidding." Renji agreed fervently. "Damn, an' I thought I could take the Taichou, but I got a long way t'go before I'd throw myself up against him when he looked like that."
"How dare you compare me to a madman." Byakuya's eyes glittered with cold fury. "How dare you compare me to a traitor who slew his comrade and marched on Soul Society in order to take down the Sou Taichou himself! How dare you…"
"Shizuki was not mad." Ukitake said quietly. "He was angry and he was hurt - and now those emotions are being heightened and manipulated by the hand of another. He lost someone he loved and he took vengeance on the one he considered responsible. But he was not mad. No more so than you are now, raising your weapon against him."
"You were the one who told Rukia that." Byakuya's eyes narrowed to slits. "You were the one who…"
"I lied." Ukitake cut across him, a flicker of resignation touching his expression. "I lied two hundred years ago, and I lied again when your sister came to ask me questions. I've been lying about it a long time, Byakuya, if you want to know the truth."
"What did you say?" Byakuya's expression became one of shock, and Ukitake nodded.
"Shizuki was a subordinate I valued greatly for a long, long time." He admitted gravely. "What he did was inexcusable, yet I was too fond of him to allow his soul to be obliterated just on the say-so of the Shihouin-ke. The times were different from these times, after all - I doubt Yoruichi would have pressed so hard for things to be settled that way. The first crime was Shihouin Hirohito's. Everyone knew that. But the Shihouin-ke were powerful and Shizuki was a man from Rukongai. Shihouin Hirohito did not survive his battle of swords, but he still engaged in it on equal terms and was killed as a result of it. It was a brutal and bloody conflict, but a fair fight between two men capable of defending themselves to a high level of fighting ability. However, the Quincy Hirohito ordered killed were, many of them, innocents. Men, women and children alike. Unarmed humans who had surrendered their bows in the belief that the Shinigami would treat them fairly…and struck down for that belief in cold blood. Shizuki's actions were vigilante and driven by his feelings, true enough. He should not have acted without seeking support from at least your Grandfather if not Soul Society itself. But had the Shihouin-ke not had so much power over the hearing…and had I been able to prevent Shizuki from running to his own death…things may have ended differently."
"Shizuki Ametatsu tried to kill the Sou Taichou." Byakuya said flatly, and Ukitake frowned.
"Shizuki tried to end his own life." He corrected sadly. "In the only way he knew for certain how."
For a moment Byakuya hesitated, then he shook his head.
"That is neither here nor there." He said frankly. "Whatever happened two hundred years ago, this creature has already vandalised my squad buildings. He is clearly not of sound mind…and he must be removed."
"If you raise Senbonzakura against me, Byakuya, you'll be in breach of regulations." Ukitake was unperturbed. "I've already told you, lower your blade. This is foolish behaviour for one in your position, and you know it as well as I do."
To Ichigo's surprise, Byakuya's expression became one of sullen defiance, and for a moment it looked like he intended on wielding Senbonzakura anyway, releasing it once more to attack the 13-Bantai Captain at point blank range. Then, very slowly, he seemed to regain his wits, and he sighed, lowering the weapon ever so slowly until it trailed against the fabric of his haori.
"I won't forgive you for using Hisana's name so freely." He said coldly, and Ichigo heard a note of uncharacteristic petulance in his voice.
"I'm sorry, then, that I've made you so upset." Ukitake's words were sincere, his tone almost like an indulgent grandfather placating an angry child. "But I have orders too, you know. Protecting the visitors to Soul Society is one of those orders - for all of us Captains. Ishida-kun came here for our help, and so far we're not having much success in helping him. That's why I came here today. Because I didn't want you to do something we'd all regret."
He smiled slightly.
"You are more sentimental than you like to admit, I think." He added, his gaze flitting briefly to the still unconscious Rukia who Renji had been guarding so protectively inside the curled shadow of Zabimaru's Bankai form. "You raised your blade to defend Rukia, after all - didn't you?"
Byakuya flinched, but did not answer, and Ichigo stared at him, fascinated by the nobleman's sulky, scolded-child attitude.
Ukitake seemed satisfied, however, for he turned his back once more on the resentful 6-Bantai Captain, crossing the ground purposefully towards the bewildered Uryuu and reaching out his hands to rest them on the boy's shoulders.
"You understand, don't you, Shizuki?" He asked quietly, looking Uryuu straight in the eyes. "That this is all wrong. That this body, even...is not your own. That Niji is no longer here - that you won't find her by fighting people like Byakuya and adding to the crimes you committed two hundred years ago. You know it, don't you? I see it in your eyes and I know you do. You died once already. You've been at rest for a long time. And whatever force woke you, it's not fair to make an innocent boy suffer in your stead."
"You called him...Ishida-kun." Uryuu said faintly. "But...that was Niji..."
"Niji was an Ishida too, yes." Ukitake agreed gently. "Ishida Uryuu-kun is a descendant of that clan. He's a Quincy, Shizuki. A Quincy of the Ishida clan who survived into the present day, holding on to those values that your Niji believed in with her heart and soul."
Uryuu's eyes widened, and Ukitake smiled.
"And even more than that, there's something else." He said softly. "The one who you challenged in Karakura - Kurosaki Ichigo-kun - he came here because he wanted to help Ishida-kun - and you - to resolve this properly. Ichigo-kun is a Shinigami. Ishida-kun is a Quincy. Yet they fight on the same side. Isn't that what you went to the Real World to achieve, all those years ago? Isn't that why all that blood was shed? It wasn't shed in vain. Do you understand? You didn't fail, in the end. And there's no need to keep raising your sword against Soul Society."
"Ukitake...taichou." Uryuu's fingers loosened around the hilt of his zanpakutou, which clattered to the ground unnoticed as his focus on the battle faded. "But..."
"In the Real World, you saw terrible things done to the Quincy." Ukitake continued gently. "I know that. You told me it yourself, the day you came back here with Shihouin Hirohito's blood still staining your robes. And I know you regretted it even then, when you told me what you'd done. I know that, even through your anger and grief, you already felt remorse. It couldn't bring Niji back, after all. It wasn't right. Was it?"
"I..." Slowly Uryuu sank down onto the ground, burying his head in his hands.
"Everything was rushing through me." He murmured. "Anger and hate and fear and...I didn't know why or how but...I had to fight. Even though Hassuiryou was...was telling me not to, somehow I...I had to. So I did. Because I thought...if I did...if I did...then it would stop."
He raised a hopeless gaze to his former Captain, pain and distress in his indigo eyes.
"I wanted to make it stop." He said brokenly. "I wanted...to make me stop. So I kept fighting. Because I didn't want...to kill...anyone else."
"I know." Ukitake rested a reassuring hand on his former subordinate's head.
"To fight like that so easily...I really did become a monster, didn't I?"
"No. Not a monster." Ukitake's tones were gentle and soothing. "The night Shihouin was killed wasn't your true nature, and today isn't your fault. Someone else has played a part in this and those emotions that flooded you when Niji died are being distorted out of their true order. You're not a murderer at heart, I know that. I didn't train that Shizuki, after all, did I?"
"I don't..."
"You came to me that night because you didn't know who else to go to." Ukitake added quietly. "But even then you knew that there was no going back. You burned your haori because you were angry with Seireitei, but also because you were angry with yourself. And you took off to face the Sou Taichou because you knew that, if you did something as outrageous as that, he would be bound to act against you. You went looking for that closure, didn't you? You went to fight him in order to die."
He looked sad.
"And I, weak and ill as I was that day, hadn't the physical strength to stop you." He added regretfully. "But today, I'll stop you. I won't let you fight any more, Shizuki. Even if you are seeking a return to that oblivion by challenging one like Byakuya to the death, this is not right. I will not let you harm that boy's body any further, so I advise you listen to me instead. Ishida Uryuu is Niji's relative - a descendant of that same family who put their trust in you two hundred years ago. You can't help Niji - you can't turn back time. This is Ishida-kun's time – Ishida-kun's fight. It isn't yours. Not this time."
For a moment there was silence, then Uryuu let out a heavy sigh.
"I told you then, Taichou, that I wouldn't fight you. That bloody as my blade was, it would never be raised against you." He said heavily, his tone thick with regret and guilt as he raised his gaze to the Captain's understanding brown ones. "I won't go back on it now. I already shamed you enough, after all, didn't I? All the work you put into training with me, and helping me to become a Captain - I already threw it back in your face when I did the things I did. Didn't I?"
"Mistakes are easy to regret in hindsight." Ukitake murmured. "You're not the only one who's ever made them."
He smiled ruefully.
"Believe me, the mistakes I've made over the years could fill an encyclopaedia all on their own." He added sadly. "But we move on, Shizuki. We have to. For the sake of everyone else…and for our own sake, too."
Uryuu digested this for a moment. Then he met his former colleague's gaze.
"I didn't move on." He said softly. "I fought…I killed…I died. Didn't I? All of those things…hazy as they seem now…are real. And I went to the Sou Taichou because I didn't want to fight any more. Not with...not with blood staining Hassuiryou's blade like it did that night."
"I don't doubt that for one minute." Ukitake assured him gently. "I trained you, and I know the kind of man you were. One moment of rash recklessness doesn't change the good things a person has done. Or that they're capable of doing, either. That's why I wanted your soul reborn, Shizuki. This life was over…but I knew you had potential to be strong again in the future. I'm sorry if that's meant you've suffered more pain. But I don't regret asking for it. Only this way…is wrong. This is Ishida-kun's body. You have to let him decide how he should use it."
Shizuki's expression became wistful, and he nodded his head.
"Hassuiryou's saying the same, now I'm bothering to listen to him." He whispered, reaching out his hand to brush the hilt of his sword almost reverently as he did so. "And it's all right with me, too. I don't need to be here, after all. I'll just make more mistakes and curse him too, if I am."
His fingers closed around the sword hilt, and he closed his eyes.
"I'm leaving it to you, Hassuiryou." He added softly. "From hereon in…he's all yours."
For a moment, the sword was bathed in a soft, azure glow. Then as soon as the light had come, it faded, and Uryuu swayed, putting his hands out to steady himself against the reassuring hardness of the ground below.
Ukitake hesitated for a moment, then crouched at the boy's side, gently helping him to his feet.
"Ishida-kun?" He murmured. "Are you all right?"
"Uki…take…san?" Uryuu murmured blurrily, and Ichigo let out an exclamation, hurrying across the ground as he realised his friend once more had control of his body.
"Ishida!"
"Give him a moment, Ichigo-kun." Ukitake held up his hand, offering the redhead a smile. "He's all right. Just a little tired, I imagine. He's had quite a busy day."
Byakuya's eyes narrowed, as he slipped Senbonzakura back into its sheath.
"I trust then that I can leave the rest to you to handle, Ukitake?" He said coolly, his composure once more back in place, and Ukitake nodded his head.
"Yes. I think that to be the right thing." He agreed. "Thank you, Byakuya."
Byakuya's eyes narrowed, but he did not respond. Instead he turned his gaze towards Renji, flicking his hand in Rukia's direction.
"Renji, Zabimaru is no longer needed. Re-seal him and bring Rukia back inside the 6-Bantai quarters." He said flatly. "Until the felon's spirit has left Seireitei, I do not want her entering 13-Bantai's headquarters - so for the time being, I intend her to stay where I can keep a close eye on her."
"Yes, sir." Renji looked startled, but nodded, flicking the bone-like hilt of his sword as Zabimaru's immense Bankai form glittered with reddish pink light, then slowly dissolved back into the weapon's normal sleeping state. He returned it to its sheath, moving to kneel at Rukia's side as he brushed her hair out of her face.
"I don't think she's badly hurt, just knocked out." He reported, relief clear in his tones as he scooped her protectively up in his arms like a ragdoll, and at his words, Ichigo felt relief flood through him as well.
"It is a very good thing that that is the case." Byakuya's gaze flitted back towards Ukitake for a moment. Then he turned on his heel, sweeping away towards the 6-Bantai building without even pausing to check whether Renji was following him.
"I guess he's still pissed." Renji rolled his eyes. "I'd better do as he said. Rukia'll be okay, Ichigo. Leave it to us an' worry about Ishida, huh?"
"Yeah." Ichigo agreed. "Thanks, Renji. Though when she wakes, tell her I'll definitely speak t'her before we leave. Okay?"
"For sure." Renji saluted him playfully with his free arm. Then he was gone, and Ichigo was left alone with Ukitake and his confused companion.
Once Byakuya was clearly out of earshot, Ichigo let out his breath in a rush.
"That was ugly." He said frankly, and Ukitake glanced up, nodding his head.
"Potentially, but not everything should be solved with a clash of weapons." He said with a rueful smile. "Thank you for staying out of it until things had calmed a little, Ichigo-kun. I realise it is a difficult situation for you as well."
"I never saw Byakuya like that." Ichigo admitted. "You must've known him a shit long time, Ukitake-san, t'be able to talk t'him like that without him running you through."
"Oh, I remember when Byakuya was no more than a small tyke running around the Kuchiki estate, wielding a wooden sword and challenging the house staff to fight him at every opportunity." Despite himself, a glimmer of amusement flickered in Ukitake's dark brown eyes, and Ichigo smirked.
"For real?"
"Yes, indeed." Ukitake looked nostalgic. "Quite a spirited young lad he was, too, to all intents and purposes. Well, there were shades of it in him today, on reflection. I probably shouldn't have mentioned Hisana...but I had to do something to divert his attention away from the fight at hand."
"Even if he'd turned Senbonzakura on you instead?" Ichigo looked mystified, and Ukitake shrugged.
"When you've been around long enough to see a fellow Captain as such a young boy, I suppose it's hard to be frightened." He said frankly. "You have to realise, Ichigo-kun, that I still remember the days I'd visit his Grandfather and find him at Ginrei's heels, wrapped in a dusty towel to represent a mock haori and demanding candy right before it was time to eat."
Ichigo's eyes rounded, and Ukitake looked rueful.
"Perhaps that isn't an image I should have shared with you." He acknowledged. "He might be cross with me, if he knew I had, so keep it to yourself. But the truth is, Ginrei and I both knew even then, when he was no more than three or four, that he had the potential to be the most powerful Kuchiki-ke leader for generations. And he has become so, too. Byakuya is a tremendously strong Shinigami - definitely one of the strongest in the Gotei 13. I have never fought him, but there is always a possibility, given his high-born roots, that these days his abilities outpace the ones this weak, sickly old body possesses. But no, I'm not worried about him attacking me. He is not so reckless as that, I don't think. Contrary to what you just saw...he and I have a fairly good understanding."
"Rukia's in 13-Bantai." Comprehension flooded Ichigo's features, and Ukitake nodded.
"Exactly." He said lightly. "Because it was somewhere Byakuya felt was a suitable place for his sister to learn about Seireitei's demands."
"Where am I this time?" Uryuu put in at that moment, glancing around himself in wary confusion, and Ichigo smirked, shaking his head.
"Better you don't ask." He said frankly. "Trust me. You'd rather not know."
"For the time being, I think it's best we take him back to 13-Bantai's quarters." Ukitake reflected. "Since Byakuya's washed his hands of the situation, I'll take it over from here."
He coughed, pausing a moment to catch his breath, and Ichigo cast him a concerned look.
"Are you really all right?" He asked anxiously, and Ukitake nodded.
"It hasn't killed me yet, and I don't suppose it will any time soon." He agreed lightly. "Thanks to Inoue-san's unusual abilities, I think I'm probably better than I should be, in truth."
"Inoue's..." Ichigo stared at him, then, "You mean...Inoue used her power...so you could come and...?"
"She cares a good deal about her friends, that girl." Ukitake nodded again, his expression softening as he glanced between the two young teenagers. "Well, just as you all do, I imagine. It's good for an old man to see, that kind of loyalty forged so young."
"I guess we've all been through a lot of shit together." Ichigo reflected, and Ukitake smiled.
"That's usually how the strongest bonds are formed." He said wisely. "I've been a Captain a long time, and I've seen many many different people move in and out of power in Seireitei during that period. But the ones who make the biggest positive impact tend to be those who trust in and, in turn, can be trusted to do the right thing. You youngsters have solid foundations for that - and come the Winter, I feel, we'll be relying on that fact more than we probably should."
He glanced at the still dazed-Quincy.
"In the meantime, if Ishida-kun can stand, maybe if you support his other side we can get him somewhere he can rest?" He added. "Then I'll send Kiyone or Sentarou for 4-Bantai..."
"I don't need…healing." Uryuu spoke up, shaking his head carefully as though it was still buzzing with the after-effects of the battle. "I'm just…tired. That's all."
"Then we'll find a place for you to rest." Ukitake assured him. "And then, with any luck, we can fully resolve things in the right way."
"I fought again, didn't I?" Uryuu glanced at his scuffed hands, and Ichigo nodded.
"Full pelt against Byakuya." He agreed ruefully. "Not t'mention layin' Rukia out cold on the ground. I'm almost sorry I didn't get t'see you go Bankai – although I guess it was the right thing, for Ukitake-san to stop you when he did. Byakuya'd have cut you to ribbons, judgin' by the mood he was in today."
"I fought…against Byakuya-san?" Uryuu murmured faintly, and Ukitake laughed, resting a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Shizuki fought Byakuya. He knows that and so do I." He said frankly. "Byakuya wouldn't have raised his sword against you if you'd been yourself, I'm sure. But Ichigo-kun is probably right…Senbonzakura would probably have been too much for you – even with Shizuki's reiryoku running through you. I don't know that your soul is strong enough at present to be able to maintain a Captain's Bankai – let's be glad we didn't have to find out."
"I feel ragged enough." Uryuu admitted. He frowned, casting his gaze in the direction of the blade that still lay discarded on the ground.
"I think it's my own fault, though." He added, reaching a hesitant hand out towards it. "For not listening when I should've done."
"Hey, you don't want to be playing with that." Ichigo said hastily, moving to kick the weapon away, but Uryuu shook his head.
"Hassuiryou isn't the one who made me act like that." He said evenly, his pale fingers closing around the hilt of the weapon as he lifted it, running his hand over the blade. "He tried to warn me, but I really didn't listen. And because I didn't listen, I put people in danger. Kurosaki, is Inoue-san all right? And Kuchiki-san? I didn't hurt her badly, did I?"
"Inoue's fine. She's already at 13-Bantai - that Kiyone girl took her there to keep her safe." Ichigo shook his head. "And as for Rukia, she's just unconscious, I think. It was the rest of us you were gunning for. Byakuya especially. You had it in for him."
"Mm." Uryuu tilted Hassuiryou's hilt, watching as the sun glinted off the silver weapon.
"There's been so much fuss about that sword." Ichigo added. "Are you tellin' me it had nothing to do with anything, after all?"
Uryuu shrugged.
"I suppose it depends." He said thoughtfully. "Everything and nothing, probably. If nothing else, I think…I accepted a new reality, today."
"Huh?" Ichigo was foxed, and Uryuu smiled faintly.
"It's all right." He responded. "You wouldn't understand it, Kurosaki. Even if you tried."
"If you can walk, Ishida-kun, let's head back to 13-Bantai." Ukitake suggested, and Uryuu frowned.
"There is one other thing, Ukitake-san." He said quietly. "Someone gave me the sword and primed me to use it. Someone wanted me to fight Byakuya-san. My memories are pretty fuzzy, and although I don't know why, I've a pretty good idea who."
"For the time being, that matter can rest…and so must you." Ukitake said firmly. "There will be plenty of time tomorrow for that."
"But…"
"Right now, you don't look fit to fight with your shadow." Ichigo said frankly. "Ukitake-san's right. Give in a little, will you?"
Uryuu sighed heavily.
"All right." He said reluctantly. "I suppose you're right. I suppose…tomorrow is as good as today."
So the Quincy was all right, after all.
Nemu quelled the disloyal feeling of relief that stirred inside of her at this realisation, her gaze focused intently on her master's study subject as, with Ukitake on one side and his spiky haired companion on the other, he prepared to leave 6-Bantai.
Whether Kurotsuchi would be pleased or disappointed with the outcome, Nemu didn't know. Yet even though she felt certain any sense of failure would be taken out on her, she didn't mind. The Quincy was all right. That was more important.
She allowed a faint smile to touch her lips, turning on her heel and making her way slowly back towards her home barracks. They had not noticed her during the battle, she knew, for she had kept her own reiatsu closely concealed as she had watched from her hidden vantage point every stroke that both fighters had made in their short-lived, heated confrontation. She had observed many things, several of which she would dutifully relate in exact, pedantic detail to her Master on her return to the lab.
And yet there were a few things that she would not.
I'm glad you're alive, Quincy-san. Even though I've only helped Mayuri-sama in his attempts to study you, you've still always spoken to me in kindness. I'm sorry that I helped to take your friend prisoner, and I'm sorry that you had to get hurt. But I hoped that you'd be strong enough. And in the end, you were.
She sighed, reflecting on the battle once more as she reached the entrance to 12-Bantai.
Likely that will make Mayuri-sama happy, too, since it means he can continue to watch over you. In which case, I have no reason to complain. Mayuri-sama gets easily bored with projects when they don't make progress, after all. Thank you, Quincy-san…for being one of the ones that did.
"Nemu!"
At the sound of Kurotsuchi's imperious tones, the Vice Captain was brought back to reality, and she stepped through the gate, raising her gaze to meet her master's quizzical look with an impassive one of her own.
"You took your time. I sensed the fall in reiatsu a good few minutes ago." Kurotsuchi was impatient, but even though annoyance burned in his cold amber eyes, Nemu found that she didn't mind.
"My sincere apologies, Mayuri-sama." She said contritely, bowing her head. "I have come to report to you now."
"Then stop with the theatrical formalities and spit it out, woman!" Kurotsuchi demanded, reaching out to grasp hold of her long braid of hair and giving it a warning tug. "Or do I have to rip the data from your memory by force?"
"The Quincy is alive, Mayuri-sama." Nemu did not even flinch, meeting the malicious golden glare with a calm dark one of her own. "He released the blade, just as you expected. He was able to attack with it, and he caused considerable damage to the outside façade of 6-Bantai's buildings."
"I know that, you idiot girl. I felt as much from here." Kurotsuchi said frankly. "Kuchiki Byakuya released his sword too, didn't he? Well? How would you say my project measured up?"
Nemu was silent for a moment, considering once again the struggles between Shizuki's manipulated spirit and his glittering zanpakutou to retain sanity and control.
"I think Shizuki Ametatsu is like the Quincy who now has possession of the soul." She said softly. "He doesn't like to kill, Mayuri-sama."
"What kind of an answer is that?" Kurotsuchi stared at her strangely, and Nemu managed a slight smile.
"Ukitake-taichou prevented Kuchiki-taichou from releasing his Bankai." She continued levelly. "And so the Quincy did not attempt to release his, either."
"Ukitake." Kurotsuchi's expression became angry and he released his hold on Nemu's hair, clenching his clawed fists together in his frustration. "I knew that he was far too interested in spirit particles of late. Damn him! And when I was so close to finding out the true limits on a reconstituted soul's power! But still, even so, I should have some quite considerable data to analyse, what with the bacteria flowing through his system and your recollections, Nemu. And he's still alive, you said? Perhaps that is best. I have very little interest in Quincy corpses."
He gestured towards the laboratory.
"Follow me." He instructed. "I'll see for myself just what you observed, if you don't mind…and if Ukitake is involved now, I will have to do so quickly, so I can archive any useful data into the computer banks before he puts all the pieces together and arrives at my door."
"Yes, Mayuri-sama." Nemu bowed her head in acknowledgement of his orders, and Kurotsuchi tut-tutted under his breath.
"That old fool interferes in my business far more often than I'd like." He muttered. "Sometimes I really wish I could start a study into spectral tuberculosis…that would, surely, be enough to distract him away from my other concerns."
Inwardly Nemu said a silent 'thank you' to the 13-Bantai Captain for his interference, glad that in that moment at least her master could not read her thoughts.
Somehow it makes me feel a little relieved, that it ended up this way.
"Well? Why are you dragging your feet? You heard me, didn't you?" Kurotsuchi snapped, clicking his fingers in front of her face and making her jump. "We have work to do! I won't tell you again – follow me!"
The flickering reiatsu on the horizon had dampened down, now.
Kira got to his feet, crossing the small recovery chamber that had been his home for the past forty eight hours, casting a glance at his reflection in the long mirror as he did so. Although he was still pale, he was much recovered, and had been ready to leave the 4-Bantai building some hours earlier, but his sharp wits had quickly picked up Senbonzakura's rising aura, and he had decided it safer to stay put until things had settled. Instead he had used the time in the way which came most naturally to him – in compiling into written form every detail of what had happened in 3-Bantai, down to the last word.
He had not recognised the other reiatsu, though he had greatly suspected that it had had some connection with the ryoka Quincy boy and the stolen sword, and he pursed his lips, wondering what the outcome had been and whether he would get a scolding after all for having allowed Hassuiryou to fall into the wrong hands.
By now, he knew, the sun was beginning to set over Soul Society, and he wondered absently how his squad had managed in his absence. Though he was not arrogant enough to believe they had flailed without him, he knew that there was a part of him that would be glad to get back to routine. So much had, after all, been uncertain since Ichimaru's departure. Yet for the first time, Kira felt more ready to face those ghosts and tackle his position as 3-Bantai Vice Captain head on.
So long, of course, as that did not involve facing an angry Kuchiki-taichou with a released zanpakutou in hand.
"So, they're letting you back amongst the living, are they?"
As he adjusted the sash on his hakama, Kira paused at the sound of the voice, glancing up in surprise to meet the quizzical gaze of his old Academy friend. He smiled, nodding his head as he did so.
"Yes, something like that." He agreed amiably. "Why are you here, though, Abarai-kun? Don't tell me you were worrying about me?"
"Are you kidding?" Renji snorted. "Who'd worry about an idiot like you? You go and get yourself gassed, well, you deserve what you get, after all."
Kira's blue eyes glittered with amusement, not at all fooled by his friend's bravado.
"Well, I'm tougher than I look, it seems." He said matter-of-factly. "I feel all right now. A little sluggish, maybe…but more than well enough to go back to my office and deal with 3-Bantai's administration. So that's where I'm going. My squad's been abandoned long enough as it is, after all."
"You really mean that, don't you?" Renji frowned, eying his companion keenly, and Kira nodded.
"I'm not Captain material, but I'm the only person they have at the moment." He said pragmatically, reaching across to scoop up the sleeping Wabisuke from its place on the unit next to the bed. "And I suppose having me is probably better than not having anyone, so the sooner I go back the better."
"Optimistic as ever." Renji smirked. "What about what happened? You ain't worried it'll happen again?"
Kira's expression became thoughtful, and he slowly shook his head.
"They took what they wanted." He murmured. "They won't come back."
"You almost sound like you remember what happened."
Kira nodded.
"I do." He admitted. "It was blurry and hazy for a while, but the more I thought on it, the more I was able to piece together. I have a good memory after all, Abarai-kun. I notice details – you know that, because you're always ribbing me for fixating on them. But this time I think…it's proven to be a good thing. Because I remember quite clearly now, everything that happened up until the moment I blacked out."
"Everything?" Renji's eyes lit up, and Kira nodded again.
"I guess so. Pretty much, anyhow." He agreed, scooping up the tied paper report and glancing at it as he did so. "In truth, I was going to leave here earlier and go and report what I remembered to Kuchiki-taichou – after all, he did say it was my next assignment, so I thought that he should know. Bu-u-ut then I felt Senbonzakura's reiatsu and I figured there was something going on I really didn't want to be a part of. So I decided to wait here until the fuss died down, and I wrote everything down while I was waiting instead."
"Sheesh, you really are a wimp sometimes, you know that?" Renji shook his head in disbelief, and Kira looked rueful.
"Yes." He said honestly. "But sometimes that can be a good thing. Call it a survival skill, if you like. I wouldn't stand a chance against a sword like Senbonzakura. Or any Captain's, to be fair. Heck, even against you, Abarai-kun, these days. I don't have that kind of strength to call on, so there's no sense rushing into a fight I can't win. And submitting a report in writing is easier, anyhow. That way you know everything you need to say has been said, without needing to find the courage to say it out loud."
"I guess that's where you and I are different, huh." Renji lounged back against the wall, and Kira's expression became serious.
"Yes and no." He murmured. "See, in the vault…things were said and…well, it made me think, to be honest with you. I'm not 3-Bantai's Captain, but their safety is still my responsibility. Despite that, though, I wasn't strong enough to defend them. They were attacked and hurt because of that fact. Even though Kuchiki-taichou said I wasn't to blame – there should've been something I could've done. Only I didn't do it."
He sighed.
"To be honest, I didn't even draw Wabisuke from its sheath." He owned. "Even though part of me wanted to – I guess I'm still conditioned not to pull my sword on someone who ranks more highly than I do. No matter what it is they're involved in doing. You'd think I'd have learnt that lesson from Ichimaru-taichou – but I guess old habits really do die hard. That's probably why, in the end, I wrote it as a report. I don't think I could stand before Captain class Shinigami and tell tales…but if it's in ink, I can detach myself from it more easily, and worry instead about being objective and clear."
"So the one who broke into 3-Bantai and laid you all flat was that jerk Kurotsuchi after all, huh?" Renji mused, and Kira stared at him in surprise.
"You already knew that?"
"Strong suspicion, shall we say." Renji grinned. "Who else uses toxic gas to knock people out? It had his MO stamped all over it."
"But even if I had drawn Wabisuke, he would have easily killed me." Kira said regretfully. "I'm not strong enough, even if I release my sword, to win that kind of a fight."
"It ain't like it matters, now. We know he was behind it, an' that's more important. You can't kick yourself about this one too, Kira. You ain't to blame for everythin' shit that happens in 3-Bantai, you know."
"Perhaps not." Kira's acknowledged. "But I should be able to be more decisive. In a situation like that…Abarai-kun, Kurotsuchi-taichou said things about me which…which were true, I suppose, although they hurt when he said them. And some of my squad – they defended me. But I don't feel like I deserved to be defended. I couldn't stop them from getting attacked. I couldn't keep the sword safe. So…while I was thinking all that over…I came to a decision."
"Which is?"
"I need to get stronger. Whatever that means, I need to do it."
"Well, no brainer there." Renji snorted, clapping his hand down on his friend's shoulder. "I've been telling you that for years, you idiot. C'mon, huh? We're goin' for a little walk – there's someone who oughta hear all of your memories while you still got them fresh in your mind."
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, as he shot the fair-haired Shinigami a sidelong glance.
"Unless you want to say goodbye to Hinamori, before you leave…?"
"Abarai-kun!" Despite himself, Kira flushed red with embarrassment, shaking his head. "Don't be stupid! Besides…I'm on duty now, aren't I? Don't suggest silly things – I'm not going to hang around here when I've got work to do!"
"Mmhm." Renji eyed him pensively. "So you already said goodbye to her, then – is that it?"
"Abarai-kun!"
"Well…?"
Kira sighed, glancing at his hands.
"This morning, before you came." He admitted hesitantly. "Though it wasn't 'goodbye' exactly. I just wanted someone to talk out what I'd been thinking over…and I didn't want to talk it out with myself. Hinamori-kun is a good listener…that's all it was."
"Damn right she's a good listener, since she's friggin' comatose." Renji sighed, rolling his eyes heavenwards. "I hope for her sake the poor girl can't hear what's goin' on in that dream-state o'hers. God knows what drivel she's been forced to sit through otherwise…between you an' everyone else who's been fussin' over her."
"It's not like that." Kira shook his head, his cheeks still an uncomfortable red as he met his friend's gaze. "I wouldn't ever compromise our friendship by talking…like that. But I realised that I wasn't strong enough to protect her, either…not when she needed me to. So it was another reason I wanted to be stronger. I won't let her get hurt again, if I can prevent it. It's not a nice feeling, seeing her like that and knowing how much I had to do with it. So."
"I didn't realise you were the one holdin' Aizen's blade, Kira."
"I didn't mean like that." Kira shook his head, even as the two Shinigami left the small ward room, heading out across 4-Bantai's courtyard towards the entrance gate. "Just…I didn't do anything to prevent it. Because of that…it's as much my fault as it is his."
"Whatever." Renji grimaced. "You're feeling sorry for yourself again, and I'm not going to waste breath trying to talk it out of you."
"It's not that." Kira reflected. "But I am serious, Abarai-kun. Even though I've known it for a while. The thing is, Ichimaru-taichou never gave me an opportunity to be strong. He led, he gave me the chance to follow – and I just fell into that pattern without questioning it. But I didn't learn anything except how not to make decisions for myself. And the truth is…the truth is I didn't want to get much stronger. I didn't want to release Wabisuke more than I already had."
"Why the hell not?" Renji looked blank. "Wabisuke's a kickass zanpakutou. Why wouldn't you want to take it to its limits?"
Kira sighed.
"A zanpakutou comes from a Shinigami's soul." He said softly, running his finger absently along Wabisuke's hilt as he did so. "But Wabisuke's power is dark and depressing, when it comes to the final analysis. When I release him, his power knocks people to their knees. You know as well as I do what the final outcome is meant to be – what kind of a blade Wabisuke is. The thing is, though, he comes from inside of me. And that darkness and depression…is also a part of me. It must be. And the more I work with Wabisuke, the more of that I'm drawing out of myself. If I strive to make our bond stronger…I strive to make myself darker. And…and the truth is that I hate Wabisuke for those things, Abarai-kun. I hate him…as much as I hate those parts inside of me. I don't think I'm someone who...who wants to fight if there's another way to do it. But I have to fight. So...I have to face that darkness somehow and deal with it head on."
"You really, truly do think way too much about shit, you know that?" Renji groaned. "Don't be so damn stupid. Wabisuke's your sword. You take it, you fight with it, you develop it the way you want t'fight with it. You're in control of it, not the other way around. You're not that much of a hopeless case, Kira. So don't pretend that you are. Wabisuke ain't nothin' to do with it. If you're feelin' dark an' gloomy, it's all on you. Not your sword."
"It's much the same thing, in the end." Kira admitted. "Wabisuke's nature, my nature. Just like Zabimaru fights and fights and doesn't go down easily, Abarai-kun. He's just like you in that regard. Wabisuke is my curse as well as my weapon. That's how it's been since the start. After all, 3-Bantai's motif is the marigold. The flower of despair. It's just the way things are."
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Yes, but even though I'm glad you're on my side, I know that you're wrong." Kira said matter-of-factly. "But it's all right. I've made my mind up, now. 3-Bantai has noone else. We were abandoned by our Captain and left to rot. We're open to all kinds of dangers unless I get my act together and do the things I've never done. I could run away, but I don't want to. Whatever the reasons, 3-Bantai is my squad now and that's where I mean to stick it out, no matter how tough it gets to do so. Even if I'm afraid of Wabisuke, or of the things he might be able to do. I'm still going to work at developing them…and him. Just…Abarai-kun, if I go too deep…don't let me take it to extremes, all right? If I push it too far…I don't know if I'll be able to go back."
"Shit, melodrama much." Renji sighed, holding up his hands. "Fine. Whatever. You do what you gotta do with Wabisuke an' I'll back you up when you need me to. Hell, I'll get Zabimaru t'chew on you if you get too depressing, okay? Now forget about that and focus on what happened beneath your squad buildings the other night. He's not goin' to get away with it, after all. Even if, in the end, noone did get killed."
"But…are we not going to see Kuchiki-taichou?" As the two men passed 6-Bantai's gateway, Kira hesitated, casting his friend a quizzical glance. "I thought…"
"Taichou's havin' a hissy fit an' has washed his hands of the whole business." Renji shook his head. "We're goin' to see Ukitake-taichou. The Quincy boy's there, an' so are Ichigo an' Inoue."
"But…aren't you going against your Captain then, if you're still involved in this?"
"Not really. Taichou never said I couldn't speak to you about what happened, or that I couldn't talk t'Ukitake-taichou about Kurotsuchi-taichou." Renji said airily. "I'm not disobeyin' orders if I ain't been given them…am I?"
Kira blinked, staring at his friend for a moment, and Renji laughed.
"With a Captain like mine, Kira, sometimes the orders that ain't said are as important as the ones that are." He said frankly. "An' it pays to take note of it, word for word. I ain't gonna rebel against Kuchiki-taichou again any time soon. But that doesn't mean that I'm not able t'make my own decisions, too. If he doesn't like it, well, he should give me clearer orders. As it is…right now I've got somethin' important t'settle first. Kurotsuchi's games wound up knockin' out one of my buddies, an' puttin' Rukia in danger. For that reason, I ain't steppin' back an' letting him get away with it."
A faint smile touched Kira's lips at this.
"See, that's the kind of thing you'd never see me doing." He said ruefully. "I'd be too afraid of how the Captain would react."
"Ah, but right now you don't have a Captain to react." Renji's eyes glittered with amusement. "So there's no problem. You're not disobeying anyone, after all. You're just investigatin' what happened to your squad. Aren't you? Besides, Ishida has the zanpakutou that was swiped. Isn't it part of your brief to find that an' return it to the Sou Taichou's hands?"
"Is it dangerous, him having it?" Kira looked apprehensive, and Renji shrugged.
"Dunno." He admitted. "It was pretty dangerous when he went hell for leather against the Taichou this afternoon. But Ukitake-taichou seemed t'be able to calm things so…I guess not. So long as the old guy's there, it should be fine."
"Maybe he'll want to keep it, then."
"Ishida?" Renji shook his head. "Nah. He's a Quincy, not a Shinigami. He's done nothing but moan about the transformation since he got here. If y'ask me, he'll be only to glad to get rid of it an' get back to normal. An' then you can take it to the Sou Taichou an' give it to him yourself. Right? Case closed."
"And 3-Bantai's duty fully discharged." Kira murmured. "When you put it that way, I suppose you have a point."
"Of course I do." Renji said frankly. "You may be the bookworm, Kira, but I ain't stupid, you know."
"I'm not going to argue with a Vice Captain who's mastered Bankai." Kira laughed, holding up his hands in mock-surrender. "It's all right, Abarai-kun. I'll take your word for it."
Renji grinned.
"Good choice." He said evenly, as they reached the distinctive entrance to the thirteenth and final of the Gotei squad bases. "An' here we are. Be sure you got a tight hold on that report of yours, Kira…we're about to compare notes an' find a way t'flush that sadistic nutjob out from his roost!"
Author's Note:
My sincerest apologies to Kubo-sensei and the Kuchiki-ke for the artistic licence, but I find the idea of a chibi Byakuya trying to be a Captain like his Grandpa at age three or four the most endearing thing ever. I swear, if I could draw, that would be one of the first things I'd draw :S Plus who can't see Ukitake giving him candy in those circumstances??
For more Candy-Byakkun-Towel-haori-randomness, see my omake oneshot Halcyon Days. Ukitake kicks so much ass. Seriously.