Chapter Twenty Seven: Kohaku's Omen

The upper level of the strange, empty world was totally different from the claustrophobic Hollow forest, and wherever Kikyue looked she could see an expanse of white stretching out in all directions. The sky overhead was black as night, but the gleam of an eerily pale crescent moon illuminated the landscape as though it were day. Occasionally, a branch of a crystal tree poked through the sand, but the whole area was like a huge, snowy desert.

It would not be hard to lose bearings in a place like this.

They had been walking through the sand for some time before, in the distance, the Dome that Kunimori had mentioned began to loom into view. It was a strange structure, built in a white-grey sandstone and, as the name suggested, it arched up into a dome-like ceiling over the top. It looked like a fortress of some kind, Kikyue decided, but not one like she had ever seen before, and, as they drew closer to it, she began to feel more and more uneasy about where they were and whether it was a good idea to follow a stranger inside what could easily be a trap.

Kunimori's movement across the landscape had been nimble despite his apparent age, and, as they had walked, he had kept up a merry conversation with Ikata, talking about the Yamamoto Clan and exclaiming about the various different anecdotes the Eleventh's Vice Captain had chosen to share. Ikata liked to talk about himself, but Kikyue had never seen anyone listen with such rapt attention to obvious bragging, and it put her on edge. Was this old man really so senile or lonely that he would welcome any company, or was there more going on here that she and her companions did not yet understand?

"Kikyue-hime?" Takasugi drew alongside her, and Kikyue glanced across, a frown marring her young features.

"Doesn't this feel wrong to you?" she murmured. "We're in a strange place, populated by Hollows. Into the midst of this comes an unknown shinigami. A stranger who saves us without knowing who we are. On the contrary, he knew we were from the Gotei...from Seireitei...but he hasn't asked us why we have come. Don't you think that's strange? He's more interested in talking about the Yamamoto than he is in finding out why we are here."

"Or, asking us to take him back with us," Hashimori interjected from the other side, and Kikyue nodded her head.

"You see it too?" she asked, and Hashimori inclined his head in confirmation.

"He used a powerful Kidou spell, without a full incantation," he said bleakly. "I don't even know the incantation for that spell, and I consider myself fond of Kidou. He's an old man, but I don't believe he's frail. That spell took out a good number of Hollows, but it's not really that which bothers me. It's the way the Hollows reacted to him. Did you see? They crowded around us all right, but the moment he appeared, it changed. Hollows that run from a shinigami...a particular shinigami, when moments earlier they had been gearing up to kill us. Those Hollows are sentient...sentient enough to know the danger of being near that blade."

"So what's his story?" Takasugi mused. "Hime, what do you want us to do? Ikata and his men are one thing, but we're here to find Katsura, and on your orders. This isn't Katsura, but it is suspicious."

"Well, one thing is for sure," Kikyue reflected. "His sword didn't cause the damage in the tunnel. The dark aura we felt down there came from somewhere else. His reiatsu isn't particularly dark or malevolent. He has good spell-casting skills and I expect he's still more of a warrior than he admitted, but he hasn't done anything hostile to suggest he means us harm. He mentioned others, though...I don't know, but it strikes me that maybe there's more to this than we've really taken into account. Something is missing from this picture. I just don't know what it is."

"Aizen Katsura?" Hashimori asked, and Kikyue shook her head.

"No," she said regretfully. "To begin with, I thought so, but the marks in the tunnel were made by a zanpakutou. And now we know this place, wherever it is, is an oasis for shinigami stranded here from the Dangai for one reason or another. Hashimori, Takasugi, think about that for a minute. What tunnel did we enter here through? Not a Senkaimon, no. Not something authorised by the Gotei. But..."

"The Zaimon tunnel," Takasugi faltered, his expression becoming pale as he glanced up towards Kunimori's retreating figure. "Oh, is that what you think? That the shinigami who came here..."

"Are potentially criminals from the Punishment Gates. Yes," Kikyue agreed darkly. "Including Kunimori-dono. He said he was stranded here by a broken Gate, and maybe he was. But no Senkaimon leads to this place. We don't even know what this place is. All we do know is that Hollows live beneath the surface, and there are shinigami here who shouldn't be...shinigami we know nothing about. Shinigami..."

"Who must have been here a damn long time, if they came in through those Gates," Takasugi murmured. "I'm no expert, Hime, but what kind of life force would you have to have to survive thousands of years in a place like this without resources?"

"I think the more pertinent question is, what kind of anger or resentment has time to build during that long exile?" Hashimori muttered, and Kikyue's heart clenched in her chest at this thought. She nodded slowly.

"Kunimori-dono doesn't appear hostile, and we've no reason to believe he is," she said softly. "But I don't like it. I don't like this at all."

"Oi! Are you Endou coming, or are you going to rot out here on the sands all day long?" Ikata interrupted the conversation at that juncture, and Kikyue glanced up, seeing that they had all but reached the Dome and the Eleventh Vice Captain was waiting impatiently for them to catch up. "I know your people have a reputation for savagery, but we are here for a reason, and we have a job to do."

"It's quite all right, Ikata-dono," Kunimori held up his hand, offering Kikyue a benign smile. "The Endou and the Yamamoto have not, in my memory, been particularly close allies. You and I have the bonds of kinship, but I won't force your companions to follow suit. There is nothing to hide in this place, but I imagine your comrades seek to take a look around. We can wait for them inside, though I don't advise returning to the Hollow Forest alone," he added, glancing at Kikyue. "It's not a safe place for shinigami who do not know their way about."

"Thank you, Kunimori-dono. We'd like to take a sweep of the desert, if we may," Kikyue was surprised, but she nodded, offering the old man a faint smile. "We came seeking a particular individual - a young man called Aizen Katsura. I don't know if you have ever heard that name, but our orders to find him supersede common manners and Clan hospitality. My Clan Leader is very determined to find this man, and so we must put that first."

"Aizen Katsura," Ikata snorted, but Kunimori smiled.

"I do not know this name," he said honestly. "If you came into the Dangai seeking him, then I fancy you had a wasted trip, for I remember the names of everyone I meet, and I have never met this person. Still, you must follow your orders, and I will not try to prevent you. The Dome is here, whenever you wish to come inside. I shall leave the door unlocked. The Hollows never come here. They haven't yet worked out how."

He winked at Kikyue, then turned, his fingers glittering as he unsealed the entrance of the chamber. He bowed his head to Ikata, gesturing for the other man to follow him inside, and Ikata barked out orders to his men to follow them into the Dome. Kikyue and her companions watched the Eleventh Division officers disappear into the strange building, one by one. Soon they were alone in the bleak, sandy landscape, and she let out a heavy sigh.

"If he's such a bad guy, wouldn't he have forced us to go with him?" Hashimori looked doubtful for the first time, and Kikyue shrugged.

"Maybe there just isn't anything here to hide," she reflected. "It certainly doesn't look like there are many rocks to stuff secrets underneath. I believed him, though, when he said he didn't know Katsura. If he's been here a long time, and Katsura hasn't, then it suggests this place has nothing to do with Keitarou at all. Whether Kunimori-dono is an innocent shinigami trapped here by a failed pathway or a criminal thrown into the Dangai, it's impossible to tell - but he doesn't seem threatened by our being here, and if he says he doesn't mind us looking around, then I guess that's what we do. And, since Ikata's left us alone, we can do so without idiot Eleventh breathing down our necks."

She offered Takasugi a grin.

"Takasugi, I want you to take a walk out towards the south, where those two tree branches pop up through the sand," she added, pointing across the sandy horizon. "See whether there's anything else to be seen that way. I want to spend more time in the Hollow Forest, but I don't suppose it's a good idea with so few of us, so we should map this area and go back with information. It might have nothing to do with what we were sent here to investigate, but I have a feeling it does."

"Either way, people are going to want to know about it," As Takasugi saluted, disappearing off in the direction she had indicated with a smooth and perfectly executed shunpo, Hashimori turned to gaze up at the dome with a pensive expression. "This isn't part of the Dangai, but a whole other spiritual plane. The air feels like home, but at the same time, totally different. It's a reishi world, but not as we know it. As a child, I remember hearing stories - myths - about a land where the Hollows lived. Do you think..."

"This is that place? The so-called Void World?" Kikyue looked startled, and Hashimori shrugged.

"We came through a Hollow nest to get here," he pointed out. "Maybe it is. Maybe Keitarou's tampering with tunnels linked the Hollows to the Dangai."

"What we came here through was not the Dangai. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't the kind of spirit space we're trained to navigate," Kikyue shook her head. "Keitarou used the Zaimon to create new tunnels, though, and maybe you're right. Perhaps he did link them. But if shinigami were sent here through the Zaimon...and ended up in this place...some of the tunnels must have been here already. Someone else must have made them...and we just don't have records relating to it."

"Hime, someone's coming!" Hashimori's hand went to the zanpakutou at his waist, and Kikyue turned, her own sword sweeping free from its scabbard as she realised her companion was right. Although at first she did not see him, the seeping sensation of a dark, penetrating aura was unmistakeable and, as the figure hazed into her line of sight, Kikyue felt a chill grip hold of her heart. Kunimori had not been the owner of the sinister reiryoku that had scorched the tunnel, leaving deep spiritual scars, but this newcomer's reiatsu was eerily familiar, and she knew that, this time, the person who approached was the same one whose sword had done that damage. The sensation was unmistakeable. It was the sensation of walking death.

"You really shouldn't be here."

The newcomer materialised not three feet from where Kikyue stood, causing her to step back, and Hashimori was immediately between them, his zanpakutou raised as though preparing to release and attack. This stranger appeared younger than Kunimori, with dark hair and soft eyes that seemed somehow melancholy. His robes were old-fashioned warrior hitatare, like those worn by Kunimori, but in different colours, and the pattern woven into the fabric was a flower, but Kikyue did not know what flower it might be. A sword hung at his waist, and although it was clearly sleeping, Kikyue felt a great sense of inner unease as she glanced at it, suddenly even more certain that this weapon was the origin of the death scent that had pervaded the tunnel. In spite of this, though, the sword's owner had nothing hostile in his demeanour, and Kikyue was struck by the contrast between the sinister blade at his waist and the apparent sadness in the man's expression and stance. At the sight of Hashimori's challenge, the newcomer raised his hands to indicate he was not about to draw his own weapon, offering a troubled smile and shaking his head.

"I don't think you want to fight with me," he said softly. "This isn't a place you want to be. I advise you to leave it, otherwise perhaps you never will."

"Are you threatening us?" Hashimori demanded, and the individual sighed.

"Who are you?" he asked evenly. "You can't possibly know who I am or where you are, or you wouldn't be so keen to issue a challenge. This place isn't safe for youngsters like you. It's not somewhere shinigami belong. You shouldn't have come here. I don't have any interest in you."

"Well, we have some in you, sir, because you shouldn't be here, either," Kikyue decided to take charge of the situation, indicating for Hashimori to stand aside. "It's all right, Hashimori. I'll deal with this. My name is Endou Kikyue, and my Clan Leader sent me here hunting a rebel called Aizen Katsura. I have the power to arrest you - unless you can prove you have reason to be here, too."

"Endou?" The man's eyes flickered with recognition at the name, and he smiled faintly. "I remember your family. You had a kinsman...a great man, called Hiromu. He served my Clan closely for many years. I thought well of him. The Endou were a loyal people. I have no fight with you or your kind."

His smile faded, and he looked sad.

"I do not know your missing rebel," he added. "My name is Tokitori Tsuneyoshi, but in this place, such things don't matter. I was sent here..."

He trailed off, gazing up at the moon.

"On the surface, it seems peaceful," he added pensively. "But truthfully, there is no peace when inside it hides such turmoil."

"You were exiled here, weren't you?" Hashimori demanded, and Tsuneyoshi shrugged.

"Whatever such things mean," he said flatly. "I suffered an injustice and its an injustice that I intend to right. But not with you," he added, glancing at Kikyue. "I have no grievance against the Endou. On the contrary, I remember them with great fondness...always loyal, always men on whom I could rely. You aren't my enemies, but I am not the only one here. I won't kill you, Endou Kikyue - but I suggest you keep out of sight, and don't give your name so freely to strangers. Names are precious. They are the keys to your very soul."

"Kunimori-dono said that too. About names being precious," Kikyue frowned, and Tsuneyoshi's features went white at her words.

"You have spoken to Kunimori already?" he whispered, and Kikyue cast him an odd look.

"Why is that such a problem? Are you afraid of him?" she challenged, and Tsuneyoshi laughed, a hollow, empty laugh. He shook his head.

"No, but you should be," he said matter-of-factly. "Tell me, Kikyue-dono. Did you give that man your name?"

"No..." Kikyue was confused. "Why? Why would it matter, if I did?"

"It doesn't matter," Tsuneyoshi shook his head. "If you haven't, then no harm is done. But you should leave here. It isn't safe, in this place."

"We can't. Our companions are inside there, " Hashimori gestured towards the Dome. "They are with Kunimori-dono, and if there's danger, we can't rightly leave them behind."

"Even if they are a bunch of idiots," Kikyue added. Tsuneyoshi frowned.

"You came with others?"

"Yes. Yamamoto shinigami from the Eleventh Division." Kikyue agreed. Tsuneyoshi's expression changed at this.

"Yamamoto?" he echoed. "But...you left them? Alone? With Kunimori?"

"Yes," Kikyue agreed. "They were getting on famously, as it happened. What of it?"

"If Kunimori's already made his move, then it's probably too late for me to be making warnings," Tsuneyoshi glanced up at the Dome. "Too late for you to be returning home from here, either. I'm sorry, but I'll have to take you with me. If Kunimori has already seen you, and has taken your friends within the Dome, then I'm afraid it's already too late."

His fingers glimmered with a strange, eerie light, and with a jolt, Kikyue realised it was a Kidou spell. As Tsuneyoshi murmured the words of the incantation, she grabbed Hashimori by the hakamashita, hoping to shunpo cleanly from the scene, but Tsuneyoshi seemed to have read her intentions, and, as the hazy energy engulfed them, Kikyue felt the world around her blurring and spinning until she no longer knew which was the sky and which was the sand beneath her feet. Her sword slipped from her grip, falling soundlessly onto the ground beneath her feet. Something soft came up to meet her, and then, as darkness rushed in from every corner of her senses, she felt someone grab hold of her, bundling her up in their arms.

"I don't wage war on women, and I have no quarrel with the Endou. I would like to let you go, but it's too late. I can't send you home," she heard Tsuneyoshi's words, full of regret and apology. "I'm sorry, Kikyue-hime. You should not have come here...but now there's no way that I can let you or your companions leave."


Eighth District had the warmest climate of any of the eight Districts, and, as Enishi's patrol weaved their way between the villages that led back towards Inner Seireitei, Kohaku paused to admire the bright coloured blossoms that were already beginning to open across across bushes and fields. All around his feet, tiny daisies and bulb plants broke up the sea of verdant green, and the sounds of bird-song pierced the air as the courting season got under-way. In other parts of Seireitei, late frosts still kept the tree branches barren, but not here, where the snows had melted a good few months before. If you didn't know what time of year it was, you could be forgiven for thinking that Summer was on the approach, and the bright shades and mild temperatures had attracted traders to market from the neighbouring Districts of First and Seventh. In the past, the border with Seventh had been closed and strictly guarded but, since the overthrow of the previous despotic regime, trade links between the two regions had flourished, and so sales of Eighth District blades and Seventh District sekkiseki stone could be found side by side at the bigger town markets.

For Kohaku, who, even after five years, had not tired of visiting different parts of Seireitei, the peace and prosperity he saw on the streets of the Kyouraku district made his heart swell with warmth. His parents had come from Third and Seventh respectively, but, perhaps because of the nature of his spirit power and its apparent Kyouraku roots, it was here that he felt most at home. Each time he visited, he found something new to marvel at - a fresh insect, or a different blossom - and more than once over the past few years he and friends had attended some of the local flower matsuri that were uniquely part of Eighth's flamboyant culture.

The patrol had been a quiet one, for no Hollows had been reported, and although Enishi and Kirio had asked questions along the way, there had been no witness sightings of Katsura. Kohaku did not know where his brother was, only that he had been planning to leave Fourth after their meeting, and so it had been with some relief that he heard the Vice Captain declare that there was no sign of the fugitive here. With Katsura off the radar, he had been more able to enjoy the chance to go out and experience the beauty of Eighth in the spring and, after the border camp and his images of Keitarou's corpse, he felt that it was a patrol that he had badly needed.

Thank you, Taichou. Fukutaichou.

He gazed up at the sky, taking in the rich blueness marred only by wisps of fluffy cloud.

I don't think I realised how caught up I was getting in things. I needed this. Maybe Kyouka and I both did. I feel better, somehow, out in the real Districts seeing real people and not thinking about dead ones lurking in dark tunnels. It's so easy for me to get distracted and bogged down in stuff like that - but it helps nobody. And it's not as though there's anything for me to do, right now. Katsu-nii was worried about the Dangai and what was going on there, but Eleventh and Seventh have already sent searches inside it. So I probably don't even need to mention seeing my brother to anyone. They're already looking into the things he was worried about...and he's good at hiding, so I doubt they're easily going to find him. I'm glad he made it clear he was moving on. It means I genuinely don't know where he is, even if I have seen him recently.

"Kohaku-san?"

The voice of Morata, one of the three recruits Enishi had chosen to join the patrol jerked him back to reality, and he turned, looking sheepish as he realised he had stopped dead.

"Is something wrong?" Morata asked, and Kohaku shook his head.

"No. I was just enjoying the day," he said honestly. "Eighth District is really pretty at this time of the year. I like coming here, when it's like this. It's full of life and colour and...well, I just like it."

"I've not been to Eighth before," Morata admitted, falling into step with his companion as they quickened their pace to catch up with the rest of the patrol group. "I'm from Third, originally, and it's a very long way across Districts. Third in Spring isn't that much to speak about," he added pensively. "It takes a while for everything to dry out after ice and snow and usually a fair bit of fog, especially near the river estuaries and the delta. I can't imagine it being this warm at this time of the year - no wonder Eighth is seen as a thriving District."

"I grew up in Rukongai," Kohaku said dryly. "There wasn't really any...well, anything, there. No sun, no moon, no blue sky. No flowers. Grass was mostly dead, and a bare trickle of water, if you were lucky. Coming to Seireitei for the first time was a revelation. I think that's why I love this place so much," he added. "It's so completely opposite of where I grew up."

"It must've been hard, growing up in Rukongai," as they joined the pack, Takahashi overheard the end of Kohaku's comment, moving to join them. "I never really thought about it, but I suppose I thought you were born there but grew up here."

"No," Kohaku shook his head. "So everything in Seireitei is still very much a novelty, even now. I never get tired of going on patrol to places. Even if I've been there before."

"Have you been to Eighth, Yatsubashi?" Morata asked the final recruit, who cast Kohaku a thoughtful glance, then offered his friend a grin. He nodded.

"Once, as a small boy," he agreed. "My family have a long history of working for the Endou family, in the military and as bodyguards and so on. One of my uncles was rewarded for good service with a bonus one year, and he has no children of his own, so he decided to treat me, my brother, my sister and my other cousins to a special trip. There was a famous border matsuri being held that year in one of the Eighth District provinces that border Seventh's land, and there was a big market there, too, with lots of different food specialities from across Eighth. I was about eight or nine at the time, I think. It was a fun experience. I've never forgotten it."

"The Kyouraku sponsor a lot of festivals, I think," Kohaku said thoughtfully. "I've heard something about them, from Shizuka-san - a friend of mine from Eighth Division. She grew up there, and she told me about them all once. I've been to a few, when I've been able to get a day off to go, but it sounds as though every region of Eighth has its own special matsuri - and I haven't been to all of them."

"Seventh isn't big on matsuri," Shinobu admitted. "Things are still economically difficult, so aside from Tanabata and New Year, we don't really do anything special. Seeing the matsuri in Eighth was like a dream. It's hard to believe places so close together can be so different."

"The Kuchiki have their sakura festivals, in the spring," Takahashi remembered. "I've heard about them. I haven't had a chance to patrol in Sixth yet, though. It's a pity. I'd like to see if it's as they say."

"It was certainly beautiful when we were there the other day," Shinobu reflected. "We were at the coast, and the view was amazing."

"Clouds of pink, everywhere," Kohaku nodded, his eyes becoming faintly dreamy at the recollection. "The coast is the prettiest part, too. I recruited at Thirteenth in the summer, so I missed the spring that year, but the next year, I went there with Taichou and some of the other officers."

"With Taichou?" Shinobu asked sharply, looking surprised. "The Captain himself, on patrol?"

"I doubt the Captain sits in the office all the time giving orders, Yatsubashi," Morata looked amused. "Why shouldn't he go on a patrol somewhere? It's his Division so it's up to him."

"It wasn't really a patrol," Kohaku said thoughtfully. "We were carrying out an errand to the Coastal Province, which is where Taichou is from, and we spent some time with his family."

"With his..." Shinobu's eyes could not become any bigger, and Kohaku smiled.

"He has a lot of kin in the Coastal Province, and it was really a private errand," he reflected pensively, "but he took me along because there was a relative of his who wanted to meet me, and he thought it would be a good idea for both of us. It was his grandfather. Apparently I'd come up in conversation between them, which prompted the invitation."

"You went and paid a house visit to the Captain's grandfather?" Shinobu still looked pussy-struck by this revelation. "He invited you to? Does he do that a lot with people?"

"Taichou's grandfather? No, I don't think so," Kohaku pursed his lips. "He's a kind man, but I got the feeling he'd like to keep out of military and political matters, if he could."

"Why would he be involved in military and political matters?" Takahashi looked confused. "Taichou's from the Districts...unless...is his family like Yatsubashi's? Do they work in the Kuchiki retinue?"

"No..." Kohaku said slowly. "Taichou's grandfather is Kuchiki Kinnya-sama. He's a noble lord, and he has control of the Coastal Province."

"That would make Taichou Clan, though," Shinobu objected. "He's not. He's District. Like us. That's why he's such a revelation."

"He is," Kohaku agreed, "but his Grandfather isn't. Taichou doesn't make a secret of it; they're very close. Taichou's mother was born illegitimate. She married a District landholder, and Taichou was born. So Taichou is District, but Kinnya-sama isn't. And it's not like Taichou uses Kinnya-sama's influence. It's a family bond, not a political one, so I suppose it doesn't matter much who his grandfather is, in the bigger Gotei picture."

"A Kuchiki Clansman, and he invited you to his house, anyway?" Morata let out a low whistle. "As a recruit? That must've been some conversation with the Taichou, to make him want to invite you to visit a Kuchiki manor."

"I didn't know Taichou had a Clan kinsman," Shinobu admitted.

"Well, Kinnya-sama doesn't seem to like Clan stuff very much," Kohaku said with a wry smile. "He's much happier dealing with the Coastal Province and the District people there. He considers Taichou's wider District family like his own blood kin, and takes an active interest in promoting Seireitei equality in his own lands."

"That's probably why he was curious to meet you, then," Takahashi reflected. "I mean, if you grew up in Rukongai, he must have been interested."

"I wonder if it was that kind of curiosity," Kohaku admitted. "I think he was interested in me because Taichou had taken me in like he did. I liked him, though. I've never met my grandparents, although my mother's parents are still both alive, I think. It was a bit complicated, with my family, so I suppose it was interesting to me, too, meeting someone else's. If that makes sense...I suppose it sounds a little bit strange, but I learned that family - something to call a real family - is a rare thing, and precious, too."

"I guess you really are like kin to the Captain, aren't you?" Takahashi asked. Kohaku shrugged.

"He's been very good to me," he agreed honestly, "but I don't know if it's quite...like that. I mean, Thirteenth is a sort of family, and it's not like I'm the only person in the squad who has ever visited his home."

"Come to think of it, Yatsubashi, you were there the other day, in that area, weren't you?" Morata remembered glancing at Shinobu, who had apparently recovered himself, nodding his head.

"Fukutaichou said that he'd been there quite a few times," he agreed. "I suppose Taichou really means it, then. He sees all of the Division - maybe even us - as part of a wider family."

"He really does, it's not a cliche," Kohaku assured him. "He's not someone you'd want as an enemy, but if you're his squad member, he'll go above and beyond and he'll put his full faith in you no matter what. That's what I've learned in the five years I've been here. And, going back to the original topic, he does patrol in person. It's just that, with everything so peaceful, it's not been so necessary. Taichou's sword is really very powerful. There's nothing for him to use it on, at the moment, so there's no reason for him to waste his time and energy doing a job that we can benefit from far more. We need the experience, not him - but if there was a dangerous situation, or a crisis, he'd be there in a flash. That's the kind of Captain he is."

"Spoken like a true Thirteenther," Enishi's voice came from behind the group at that juncture, making them all jump and Kohaku turned, sending the Vice Captain a rueful look.

"I was just telling the recruits about Ukitake-taichou, because they asked about him leading his own patrols," he explained, and Enishi grinned.

"He'd probably like to do it more, but then we'd be out of a job," he said wisely. "In peacetime, it unsettles the Districts to see a man in a haori roaming around the villages. Taichou cares about the people in those villages, so he sends other officers. You know I'm your Vice Captain," he added, slapping Morata warmly on the back and making the young man cough, "but they just see shihakushou. The haori, though, they know that all right. They know that's a symbol of our leadership, and when a Captain's on the roam, it means bad things are afoot someplace."

"I suppose I didn't think of it like that," Shinobu looked startled. "There are a lot of things a Captain has to think of, aren't there? I mean, beyond the obvious. Even little things like not scaring the local population by deploying himself directly into a battle scene."

"Captains often have a hard job, if y'ask me," Enishi said frankly. "I don't know if I could do it, being stuck behind base lines waiting for news. A Captain's job is to watch and wait for the troops to return and report, but sometimes I think it's the hardest thing to do. I'd rather be in the field and in the thick of battle. I know what to do, there."

"Have you see Taichou's sword in action, Fukutaichou?" Takahashi asked eagerly. "Kohaku-san said it was powerful - and something to do with fish, the other day," he added, casting Kohaku a grin, "but I don't really know much about it."

"I heard it was a storm sword," Shinobu added. "Is that true?"

"I went to school with him. Of course I've seen it. Many times, in various different stages of training," Enishi laughed. "Sougyo no Kotowari, it's called, and yes, Yatsubashi - storm and sea, to be correct. But it's not my place to gossip about my leader's weapon. Suffice it to say there aren't many in the Gotei that can beat it, when Taichou is serious. He's not often, by the way," he added, "but it's nice to know he can be, if the need arises."

"Maybe that's why the Council of Elders listen to him, then," Morata mused. Enishi shook his head.

"No. That's just Ukitake," he reflected. "But when you've been here a while longer, you'll probably learn for yourselves. If Taichou thinks you're good enough, he might even train you himself. He does, sometimes - he enjoys it - but not usually with recruits."

He thumped Kohaku's shoulder lightly.

"Koku here was an exception," he added, winking at the Twelfth seat, who reddened at being so singled out. "Well, I s'pose that goes without saying. We rather tore up the rule book for this one - but it's worked out all right, so no complaints."

He grinned at the recruits.

"Well? Are you done with the questions? We're finished with the proper patrol work for this morning. We're heading back to Inner Seireitei, now, so if there's anything you want to pick up before we do, the next village over the rise is your last chance," he told them warmly. "Koku, I'm putting you in charge of making sure these three don't dally and don't get lost on the way back to barracks. Hikifune's gone on ahead with the others; she's got a supply detail from Shikibu and she's taken the others to collect the bits and pieces we're missing. I'm here, of course, but I want to speak to a few of the Eighth officers on duty at the border, so I'm trusting you to take charge of the recruits for me and I'll see you there."

"Yes, sir," Kohaku looked surprised, but nodded, saluting, and Enishi winked at him before disappearing into a smooth shunpo that left the Twelfth Seat highly envious. He sighed, then turned to glance at his companions.

"You heard Fukutaichou. Is there anything you want to pick up from the local village? We won't have much time, not if Kirio-san has gone on ahead, but if you need any bits and pieces..."

"I don't need anything," Shinobu shook his head. "Morata? Takahashi? What about you?"

"No, but I'd like to walk through the village, if we can," Takahashi admitted. "I like the way the Eighth markets are."

"I noticed that every single town we've been through has a swordsmith and blades on sale at market," Morata observed, as the four officers made their way down towards the final village that flanked the barrier between Inner and Outer Seireitei. "I heard Eighth specialised in blades - I guess that's true, huh?"

"I'm pretty sure the Endou get a lot of their retinue swords from District Eight trading," Shinobu looked thoughtful. "I've heard something of it from my cousin - they're meant to be very good quality. The Kyouraku have some kind of deeply rooted military history, and maybe that's where it comes from. I don't know. Kohaku-san, do you?"

Although the question was posed entirely innocently, there was something reserved in Shinobu's expression that seemed at odds with his even tone, and Kohaku felt a faint flaring of his companion's reiatsu, as though the younger officer was fighting to keep either his emotions or his temper in check. He frowned, racking his brains for anything that had been said which could have possibly upset the other shinigami, but he came up blank and, giving it up as his imagination, he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not from here, so I don't know," he answered honestly. "I've read some stories, and legends, and things like that, but I don't know if they're true. Kyouraku-taichou has said before that his family have a proper warrior history - but I don't know anything about it. There are a lot more books in the archive than I have time to read, unfortunately. I'd like to know more about a lot of things, including Seireitei history."

"You've met Kyouraku-taichou, too? I mean, to talk to?" Takahashi looked startled, and as Kohaku nodded, Shinobu frowned.

"Well, he is a friend of our Captain, so I suppose that's not strange," he said slowly. Kohaku's expression became sad.

"No. Not strange at all," he said softly. "He comes to Thirteenth a lot. I'm surprised you haven't seen him. He visits the Captain all the time. And he doesn't have airs and graces or anything. I mean, even though he's a Clan Captain, he doesn't act like it. He knows a lot of people at Thirteenth, and he often stops to chat."

"I've been too busy with chores to notice," Morata laughed, and Takahashi chuckled, nodding his head.

"I admit, I don't pay attention to who comes visiting or when," he admitted. "I did hear that Kyouraku-taichou went to school with our Captain, though. At the Academy, remember?" he glanced at his friends. "It came up, that day Ukitake-taichou came to see us about recruitment. So I suppose it makes sense. I mean, we're friends," he looped an arm around Shinobu's shoulders and one around Morata's, "and we're still constantly in each other's pockets. Fukutaichou just said he'd known Taichou since Academy days, too. I'd like to think that, when we rank up, we'll still be pals. Why wouldn't they spend time hanging out? I guess it works best for Seireitei if Captains are on good terms."

"Isn't that awkward for you, though, Kohaku-san?" Shinobu's gaze bored into Kohaku's for a moment, and Kohaku frowned, looking confused.

"Awkward? I don't understand. Why...?"

"Well, because..." Shinobu paused, glancing at Takahashi and Morata as though remembering that both were present, and he sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I suppose it's not something you want to talk about. I mean, Taichou said it wasn't a secret, but...I..."

"Is this about my father?" Kohaku asked quietly, and Shinobu looked uncomfortable, then shrugged his shoulders.

"I spoke without thinking," he owned. "I didn't mean...if it's awkward..."

"It's not awkward," Kohaku realised with a jolt that his earlier impression of Shinobu's mindset had not been his imagination at all, and that something in the earlier conversation had bothered the young recruit enough for him to forget himself and ask such a loaded question. Hoping that it was no more than carelessness on Shinobu's part, he pushed aside his own misgivings, squaring himself to deal with the conversation ahead as he knew Juushirou would want him to react. "If you want to ask about my father, I don't mind. I'm assuming you were wondering if it bothered me, that the person who killed him is so closely associated with my Captain. It's not a hard question to answer. The answer is no, so it's not a problem for me at all."

"Woah, wait a minute," Morata's eyes bugged out of his head, and he stared at Kohaku in confusion. "Wait, Kohaku-san - Kyouraku-taichou killed your father? What now?"

"I'm sure Yatsubashi-kun will fill you in on all the details, as he's heard them from the Captain directly, but it's not a secret," Kohaku said evenly. "You know my name is Aizen. Aizen Keitarou was my father. Kyouraku-taichou killed him, at Third Division, five years ago. After that, I was taken in by Ukitake-taichou and he trained me so that I could recruit and join the Gotei. Fukutaichou said I was an exception, and that's what he meant. Everyone else in Thirteenth knows about Father, and about me," he added, glancing at Shinobu, "so you shouldn't feel odd about it. I don't. It's the truth, but it's also the past, and I don't have any issues with Kyouraku-taichou at all."

"Wow," Takahashi swallowed hard, then, "Okay, that was something I didn't expect. I thought maybe your folks messed up when on location in the Rukon or something, but not that..."

"I'm sorry," Shinobu dropped his gaze, and Kohaku had the impression that his junior was inwardly berating himself for getting carried away with the conversation. "I knew Hiroshi knew about it, so I assumed...I mean...I didn't intend to bring it up. The question...kind of came out before I thought about it, and...I shouldn't have said anything at all."

"And as I said, it isn't a secret," Kohaku reiterated firmly. "When Father died, it was a state of war. A lot of people died. I don't like war, so I didn't get involved in it. And now it's the past, like I said. And we've stopped dead in the middle of nowhere. We won't have time to go to the village, now - I suggest we head straight back to Inner Seireitei if nobody has anything they need to get. Fukutaichou is trusting me not to lag behind, and I don't want to betray that trust."

He turned on his heel, leading purposefully off in the direction of the Inner Seireitei border gate, and, as he did so, he was aware of Morata hissing in Shinobu's ear.

"You're a tactless idiot. I think you made him cross. He's our superior officer. You can't just go poking around in his family history like that."

"Like it's any of our business, anyway," that was Takahashi. "Come on. Let's do as he says. He's right. We'll all get in trouble if we lag, but Kohaku-san will take the worst hit if we're late, because Fukutaichou put him in charge. Let's not make the situation worse."

"Well, he said it didn't matter. I didn't mean it but it's done now," Shinobu's response was defensive. "Drop it, will you? Come on, or he'll leave us behind."

"Hiroshi will brain you," Morata added. "He likes Kohaku-san and he'll be mad at you if he thinks you've been trying to wind up a seated officer."

"I wasn't trying to wind him up!" now Shinobu sounded indignant. "It wasn't on purpose! It just came out...I didn't think about it, that's all!"

"I hope you all know that I can hear every word of your conversation. What I don't hear are your footsteps in this direction," Kohaku had had enough, and he wheeled around on the hapless trio, glaring at them with the righteous frustration of a ranked officer whose orders were being ignored. "I don't remember giving you permission to gossip in whispers behind my back, and you don't seem to be obeying instructions. If you don't want to be reported for insubordination, I suggest you get here," he pointed to the ground at his side, "now, and stop being stupid. You're not at the Academy any more. This is the Gotei, and in the Gotei, when you're given orders, you obey them."

A flicker of angry reiryoku hummed and glimmered around his body for a moment, threatening to flare out and engulf the three recruits but, as he took in the stricken expressions on the faces of his young companions, Kohaku reined in his temper, pulling back his rebellious spirit power and waiting impatiently as they hurried to join him. Once they had, he nodded his head, turning and gesturing at the road ahead.

"No more distractions," he said firmly. "Yatsubashi, if you want to know about my father, then I'm more than happy to tell you about it. But I don't think that Taichou spoke to you about my background in order for you to make a scene about it. Learn to hold your tongue. In a military operation, when you rank at the bottom, you shouldn't expect to automatically be included in every loop."

Shinobu flinched at the edge in Kohaku's words, but the seated officer wasn't done, for he turned his attention to the remaining two recruits.

"Morata, Takahashi, the same goes for you." he said evenly. "Fukutaichou put me in charge of you. When you ignore my orders to whisper among yourselves, you lay yourself open to disciplinary reports. Insubordination against me is also insubordination against Fukutaichou, and that means against the Captain, too, because he authorised this patrol. Orders are not for negotiation, they are for following."

His eyes darkened

"If you have a problem with being given orders by an Aizen, I suggest you speak to the Captain about it directly," he added coldly. "If not, then maybe you should do as you're told without the fuss."

"We're sorry," Takahashi said, exchanging glances with Morata, who nodded. "I guess we forgot ourselves for a moment, there. You're right, sir. It's not our business."

"We have no problems taking your orders, sir," Morata added contritely. "We didn't mean to be insubordinate. We all got carried away. That's all."

Kohaku glanced at Shinobu, who kept his gaze trained on the ground. He made no attempt to speak at first, and Kohaku could feel swirls of indignant anger biting against the young man's reiryoku. There was a pause, as the recruit fought to get his temper under control and then, at length, he lifted his gaze, inclining his head slightly in Kohaku's direction.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said flatly. "I was out of line. It won't happen again."

Kohaku gazed at the younger man for a moment, sensing the flickers of wounded pride and resentment that still filled Shinobu's aura, and inwardly he sighed. Whatever had upset his companion, it had clearly not been helped by such a brusque scolding, but Kohaku was not a confrontational person by nature, and he realised that, if he pursued it now, he would probably just create a bigger scene.

I'm meant to be keeping order, not starting a fight. Least said, soonest mended. At least, I hope so. I guess they are still all raw recruits. It takes a while to shake down. I should know. It took me longer than anyone to learn how to deal with hierarchy and following orders.

"Let's get back to barracks," he said aloud, and the three recruits saluted, Shinobu slightly later than the others, before falling into line with him as they made their descent to the barrier. Although Kohaku had kept his words even and strong, inside his heart was pounding, and he knew that, if they had resisted his command, he would probably have struggled to reassert himself a second time. It had been hard, too, keeping his reiryoku in check, for Kyouka Raigen's pride had flared up in indignation at both the questions and the lack of immediate obedience, and it had been all he could manage to keep the flickers of raw, dark energy inside of his own body. Kyouka Raigen was an unforgiving master at times, and Kohaku knew that elements of his zanpakutou's own frustration had seeped through into his reaction. Taking the lead was a difficult proposition for someone who had grown up isolated from other people, but it had been the mention of his father which had truly unsettled him. The trip to Eighth District had freed his spirit, but the mention of Shunsui and Keitarou's fight had stirred up negative memories of the hallucination at the border camp once more, and, at the same time, that horrible moment five years before when he had known his father was dead.

He glanced across at Shinobu, whose expression was clouded, not giving anything away, and he stifled a sigh.

Maybe it was an innocent question. I suppose it does make sense, to wonder, when you know bits and pieces. I'm not going to hide it or keep it a secret. People misunderstand more the less they know, so I have to be ready to talk about it - I think I knew that, when Taichou decided I would work with the recruits this year. But the truth is, Yatsubashi-kun, I don't blame Kyouraku-taichou for Father's death. I don't feel any grudge against him, because I know what really happened. The one who killed Father, that's me. The son who betrayed his trust, and told Kyouraku-taichou how and where to do it. I incited Kyouraku-taichou to do what he did. I made him feel there was no choice but to, because if he didn't, Juushirou-dono would have died. Nothing I told him was a lie, and nothing I did was wrong...but I killed my father, not him. It's me I hold responsible, and so there's nobody else to blame. I don't have a problem seeing or speaking to Kyouraku-taichou, but I'm not over being the cause of Father's death, and maybe I won't ever be.

Enishi was waiting for them as they reached the Inner Seireitei barrier, and he cast them a warm grin, thumping Kohaku approvingly on the back.

"You made good time," he remarked, and something in his words told Kohaku that the Vice Captain had had no additional errand, but had deliberately left him alone with the recruits in order to see whether he could make them follow his orders. This realisation at first made him feel a little giddy, knowing how close it might have come to going wrong but, as he met Enishi's gaze, Kohaku knew that the Vice Captain had factored in this risk when he had sent them off together.

But I passed the test. We got here, and quickly. And they listened to what I said. I told them off, and they responded to it. Even after knowing who my father was, they obeyed me and accepted my command.

He drew a heavy breath into his lungs.

This time. I just wish I didn't feel so emotionally exhausted by the experience.

"We'll head back to barracks," Enishi was still speaking. "Hikifune's gone on ahead there so there's no need for us to hang around. Follow me, all of you. It's almost lunchtime, and I don't know about you, but I'm hungry enough to eat a horse."

Something in Enishi's matter-of-fact humour settled the uncertain tension between the other four officers and, as the Vice Captain cleared their way through the border checks, Kohaku let out his breath in a rush, relieved that the morning's errand was finally over.

I thought maybe Taichou would keep me away from patrolling in case of Katsu-nii, but I was wrong. The opposite, in fact. Fukutaichou took me out and left me in charge of recruits. He wasn't worried about my loyalty or that Katsu-nii might appear. True, they dropped me into the middle of a potential bonfire, but still, it means something that they'd test me in that way. They aren't looking at me any differently because the Gotei are on alert. I'm just one of the officers, doing my duty...progressing as scheduled. He...they...trusted me. They've always trusted me.

He frowned, feeling a pang of guilt for not having disclosed the meeting with Katsura to his senior officers.

Are they wrong to? Was that betrayal on my part? I wish I knew. It's all so complicated. But I know my brother isn't involved in what's been going on...and I don't know how to explain that without making the whole business a lot worse. Maybe when the officers come back from the Dangai, maybe then they'll have proof and we'll know more. Maybe...

As that thought crossed his mind, they passed the stretch of thoroughfare that led to the Senkaimon that stood near the Twelfth Division barracks. Once retired from the system, it had been reconnected to the main Seireitei network following Keitarou's insurrection, and it was a well-used and busy Gate which, in times when the Dangai was not off-limits, would have probably been used to effect a quicker patrol arrival in Eighth District that morning. Today, though, it stood still and quiet, under the same lock-down embargo as all the other Gates while the investigations into the Dangai were under-way.

There was nothing remarkable about this Gate, but, as Kohaku and his companions approached it, the Twelfth Seated officer felt a sense of deep unease nestling in the bottom of his heart. At first sure that his unsettled emotions were a hangover from the clash of wills on the path home, he tried to push the feeling aside but, as they drew closer to the Gate, the sensation only became stronger. As he gazed at it, tendrils of dark, cold fear began to wrap themselves around his heart and his lungs, squeezing them tightly and making it hard for him to breathe. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he reached up to rub at his chest, trying to free himself from the invisible shackles, but as he fought to bring air into his body, he saw the Gate suddenly haze and break apart within the wooden frame, ripping a hole in the atmosphere that yawned into a sinister black tunnel leading into the beyond. He let out a little gasp, glancing around him to see whether anyone else had noticed the Gate's apparent self-activation, but to his dismay, the three recruits and Enishi appeared oblivious, laughing at some comment Morata had made. Deeply unsettled now, Kohaku turned his gaze back to the Gate, hoping he had imagined it, or that it had been a trick of the light that would pass as they moved forward.

But the Gate still appeared open, and Kohaku felt Kyouka Raigen's spirit rippling and surging within him as though preparing to protect him from some unseen threat.

Kyouka, you feel it too, don't you?

Instinctively he moved his hand to the hilt of his sword, looking for comfort and reassurance from the enigmatic mirror blade.

Yes, Kohaku. I feel it. Whatever it is, it isn't right.

Nobody else sees it.

Because it hasn't happened yet. But it will happen. I don't know what, or why, but that Gate has the stench of death.

It hasn't happened yet?

Kohaku's heart constricted in his chest, then,

Then this is...future? But I haven't...not since Father died. I've not seen...


That doesn't mean you can't, won't, or never will again. This is something beyond my ken, Kohaku. I don't know what it is. All I know is that the Gate may look shut, but it's not. It's leaking reishi into the atmosphere. It's leaking through the seal and polluting the air...polluting your thoughts with things yet to come. Just because the Gates here seem all right doesn't mean that they are. Something dark is inside, fighting to get out. Something beyond the seal of the Gotei.

Almost before Kyouka Raigen had finished speaking, Kohaku felt a pulse of bleak energy wash over him, and he stumbled, tripping over his feet and falling with a thud onto the cobbles below. Around him, the exclamations of his colleagues seemed very far away. The questions they were asking sounded as though they were being spoken in a foreign language, sounds and patterns but not coherent words that Kohaku could answer. The Thirteenth Division, the beauty of Eighth and even the cobbles of the thoroughfare seemed part of a different world, for, as Kohaku watched with growing trepidation, the Gate shimmered, and from its depths, a grotesque form began to emerge.

Kohaku swallowed hard, bile surging into his gullet and it was all he could do not to be physically sick as the powerful. intense waves of hallucinogenic reiatsu continued to pummel at his body, sending his entire being into a state of shock. The individual that had stepped from the Gate was robed in the uniform of the Gotei, but it was not this that had alarmed the young Twelfth Seated officer so much. The leading figure paused to glance at him, sending a jolt of fear pulsing through his entire body, for the eyes that locked into his were no more than hollow sockets, and the figure was little more than skin and bone, a skeletal frame wrapped in the black and white of a shihakushou shroud. Behind this horrific figure came more, other skeletons with empty eyes and bony feet rammed into white tabi and wooden sandals. Each one of them bore a sword at his waist, weapons that even from here Kohaku knew were zanpakutou, but the usual hum of spiritual energy he sensed from such blades was entire absent, and the hollow emptiness only added to his fear. Slowly and almost mechanically he counted them.

There were eight in all.

Irrational panic ruled his body and, had he been able to remember how to scramble to his feet, he knew that he would have taken to his heels, running far away to a place where he could no longer see or feel this terrible, macabre scene.

Kohaku, get a grip on yourself! Don't let it swallow you up inside!

Kyouka Raigen's words brought him back to his wits a moment before he thought he might lose himself in panicked hysteria.

Get a grip and focus. Think about what you're seeing. It hasn't happened yet. Think about it. What you're seeing...think about what it means. Don't focus on the fear. Focus on the message...isn't that what we've been working on from the start? You need to control it. You need to let it tell you what you need to know. Stop trying to run from it. Let it tell you what you need to know.

They're all dead.

Kohaku wetted his lips, his gaze following the spectral entities across the stone cobbles towards the Gate of the Eleventh Division. As each apparition passed over the threshold, they disappeared into dust. From somewhere deep within his soul there was a blood-curdling, agonised scream, and then a wave of spiritual silence that was somehow more deafening to his senses than the cry of moments before. Although he knew he should be glad that the spectral entities had vanished from his line of sight, Kohaku suddenly felt a deep curl of foreboding which, no matter what he did, refused to go away. He had seen the monstrosities and they had terrified him, but Kyouka Raigen had been right. In his terror, he had sought to escape them, but in that instinct to flee, he felt certain he had not seen something - something he should have seen, and something that he would regret not understanding later. He glanced at the entrance to the Eleventh Division, suddenly aware of how much the shadow cast by the Division insignia appeared like a stain of blood against the stone. He shivered, blinking and rubbing his eyes, and the illusion was gone.

I'm sorry, Kyouka. I'm still not good at this. Whatever it was I needed to understand...I didn't.

The sword remained silent, and Kohaku did not know whether his blade was judging him, or had forgiven his lack of composure. He drew a shaky breath into his lungs as the world began to return to normal. The Gate was no longer an open Gate but a static entity, untouched and still, as though nothing had ever happened. There were no corpses, and there were no screams. But although nothing had happened, he knew that what he had seen was not going to be so easily pushed aside, and he shivered, wrapping his arms around his body in an attempt to find some warmth.

"They were all dead." he whispered, and strong hands hauled him to his feet, giving him a little shake.

"Kohaku? Snap out of it. You fell over - are you okay?"

That was Enishi, and Kohaku focused his attention on the Vice Captain's brusque, anxious tones, swallowing hard against the nausea.

"I saw something," he whispered, "something at the Gate." He pointed, then, "They were all dead, but I don't understand...why."

"Saw something?" Enishi frowned, releasing his hold on the younger officer. "You've gone white and you look about to hurl. I sent the recruits on inside, since I didn't think you looked right and didn't like to worry them, but if it's something serious, its probably outside of my expertise, too."

"I'm all right," with a tremendous effort, Kohaku pulled himself together, facing his senior officer bravely. "It just took me by surprise. I haven't...not like that. Not for a while."

Enishi sighed, leaning back against the wall that divided the inner barracks from the world outside. He gazed at Kohaku in resignation.

"I thought taking you along on the patrol might clear your head. Guess not," he said frankly. "Are you all right, now? I can take you to Fourth, if you're not, but Edogawa's not there, and she's the one who seems to know best where you're concerned. It's been a while, and she's in Fourth District, so..."

"No, it's not necessary, sir," Kohaku shook his head. "I'm not ill. I mean, I feel shaky, but I'm not going to be sick or pass out or anything like that. I'm calmer, now. I'm sorry. I caused a disturbance. I didn't...mean to."

"You saw something we didn't see, didn't you?" Enishi asked bluntly, and Kohaku nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Something that has happened? Or something that hasn't happened yet?"

"I...think the latter, sir. I'm not sure, but Kyouka..." Kohaku touched a finger to his sword hilt, then, "Kyouka said it hadn't happened yet."

"Something to do with that Gate?" Enishi's gaze flitted to the closed Gate, and Kohaku followed his glance, a shiver running down his spine at the memory. He nodded.

"Yes, sir. When we were approaching it, I saw it...it opened. And...something came out. Something..."

He trailed off, struggling to know how to explain what he had seen, and Enishi groaned.

"I don't pretend I understand what you do, or how," he owned. "I believe you, but I'm damned if I know what to do about it. Go to Ukitake, I suppose...though I said I'd take charge of your patrols and such for him while he was dealing with other business. You're serious though, aren't you? This is something...we shouldn't ignore?"

"I don't know, sir," Kohaku said honestly, raising his gaze to the older officer. "I haven't seen the future for a while. I've been training to control that - to only use it to predict moves in battle, and I haven't had any stray visions of the future since Father died. I wasn't expecting it...it took me off guard, and I don't think I understood whatever it was I was meant to learn from it. But..."

He swallowed hard.

"I don't think this was something I could guard against," he admitted. "It was too much. The Gate...something from that Gate...made me see it. Something beyond my control."

"Can you tell me what came out of the Gate?" Enishi asked, and Kohaku hesitated, feeling the deep grip of unease encircling his soul once more. He gulped, grabbing hold of Enishi's sleeve before he knew what he was doing.

"They were all dead," he whispered. "All of them, like skeletons in uniform. They were shinigami, but they were dead, sir. There were eight of them, I counted. And then it was like...that whole shadow was blood," he pointed at the Eleventh Division's barracks, and closed his eyes. "I don't know why I saw it. But that's what I saw, sir. Skeletons coming from the Gate. Skeletons in shihakushou."

"And they went to the Eleventh?" Enishi looked thoughtful. "You're sure? Positive?"

"Yes, sir. That's where they went. When they got there, they disappeared. There was a scream and blood. Then nothing. Then everything was quiet and normal again, and I didn't see any more."

"More corpses, huh." Enishi pressed his lips together. "All right. Then I guess I know how we act. The Gate isn't open right now, but I'll send a message to Eleventh and we'll put someone out tonight to monitor it. Maybe I'll ask Atsushi-dono to do the same, just for safety. I'll tell them that we've had intel of a likely corpse attack through that Gate, and that all officers should be on their guard. That way, if it happens here in Seireitei, we'll be ready. These corpses aren't meant to be that strong. So long as we're prepared, there's no problem...so that's what I think we should do."

Kohaku glanced back at the Gate, frowning.

"Yes, sir," he said softly. "I hope that's all it is. I mean, that's what I saw, but...I can't help thinking there's something...really wrong. Something different, this time. It was wrong enough to make me pick up the vibes and see it...and I feel like it's something I should be trying to stop, but I don't know how."

"You can't be responsible for everything, you know," Enishi told him categorically. "You can only say what you see, and we're here to help, too. I know you're worried, and I won't pretend it doesn't bother me, too, when spiritual hoodoo is on the cards, but if these are corpses like the ones in Sixth, we'll take them out. You said they disappeared when they reached Eleventh, right?"

"Yes, sir, but..."

"Well, I'm a mite biased, being Yamamoto-born, but I'd say that's a bad Division for anything to choose to ambush," Enishi offered Kohaku a grin. "They like fighting, there. Proper military code, thanks to Ikata's drill and Minaichi-taichou's pride. You said they vanished. Probably that means Eleventh will take them out. The scream and the blood is probably all about that, too. Corpses being returned to being corpses. Nothing for you to worry about."

He tapped Kohaku reassuringly on the shoulder.

"I'll go and send messages now. You go back to barracks and try not to worry. I'll report what you said to Ukitake and if he wants you, he'll call you - but in the meantime, go take a bath, relax and calm down. We've seen the end of the world and overcome it, once. Don't think we can't do it again."


Author's Note:

And that's your lot for this Christmas time. As you guys have probably realised, my schedule is a bit crazy at the moment and I don't have time to write about Koku and company much for now :( I do have more chapters of this written, but I miss dumping you people with some questions and cliffhangers, so I'm ending my update here for now. See you in a few months for the next installment no doubt...have a good break and see you in 2018 :)

Cookies to my long term readers and reviewers in particular 3. Juu's spirit still lives through you :)