A/N: I couldn't resist. I've had this chapter in the back of my mind for years, and I needed to get it out on paper. So, yes. Two updates in one day. But in fairness, over half of the last chapter was written yesterday.
Three more, three more. I see myself…potentially, possibly getting this story done by the end of the weekend, but don't quote me on that. It depends solely on my continuing to have at least 2 hours of free time not otherwise able to be spent in social activities or playing Persona 3. And then I'm taking a short break until the sequel.
HitsuKarin will be resolved next chapter, so get ready for that. And the chapter after…the squad assignments will be revealed!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.
Chapter 36: Of moral character
"Coming of age ceremony?" repeated Yuzu with a frown on her face.
"Yeah," replied Karin, walking with her twin through the Academy grounds. It was the sixteenth of April, the day before both of their interviews, and the two of them had been enjoying some time off as their classmates scrambled to get ready. Karin laced her fingers together behind her neck, staring up at the sky. "It's like the Soul Society version of Coming of Age Day back in the living world. Since age doesn't matter as much here. Masa was telling me about it."
"Sou ka…" said Yuzu, frowning. She pressed a finger to her lips, tilting her head up and looking at the sky. "So it's like…when you become a shinigami, you're considered of age?"
"Something like that," said Karin, shrugging. "Anyway, it's scheduled for the night after interview week. Apparently everyone who gets an interview is invited, and then there's some sort of tradition where we all pick our divisions. You can ask Masa if you want to know more."
"I'm sure we'll hear more about it as it gets closer," said Yuzu.
"Probably," said Karin with a shrug. The two of them entered the building, heading towards the empty classroom where the interviews were being conducted. Masaryu's was the last interview of the day, so the corridor outside the classroom was empty. As Karin watched, the door to the room opened, Byakuya stepping out. He glanced once at Karin and Yuzu, before turning the corner and walking away. Byakuya was followed by Zaraki, who gave them a shark-like grin as he walked past, Yachiru waving at them from over his shoulder. Renji followed, grinning and nodding at them as he walked out.
The next captain to make an appearance was Hitsugaya Toshiro.
Karin froze, watching as Toshiro left the interview room. His green eyes met hers for a moment, and she tensed. There was an expression in his eyes that she couldn't read. Regret? Guilt? Uncertainty?
He looked away, walking past her, and Karin slowly exhaled. From beside her, Yuzu frowned, stepping closer to her twin. Karin already knew what she wanted to say, and as much as she hated to admit it, Yuzu would be right. It was time to talk to Toshiro, and she would have to do it soon.
But not now. Not when she had an eight AM interview to prepare for. She and Yuzu stood aside, watching as Ukitake and Kyoraku left the room together, followed by Kurotsuchi Nemu. Karin glanced over at Yuzu, raising an eyebrow. Yuzu stared back at Karin with wide eyes, holding up seven fingers.
Soifon was next, followed by Sasakibe-fukutaicho of the First Division. Yuzu added another two fingers to her count and Karin's brows rose. When Komamura and Shuuhei left the room, the twins exchanged glances.
Finally, a pale-faced Masaryu appeared, Ichigo following along behind him. Karin glanced down the hall to make sure the other officers were out of earshot, before turning towards her cousin.
"Holy crap," she said. "Did everyone come out to see you?"
Masa looked like he was trying hard to stay dignified, but his face was pale and Karin could have sworn he was shaking slightly. "U-Unohana-taicho failed to make an appearance," he responded.
"No surprises there," said Karin. Masa had passed his kidou exam, but just barely.
Ichigo sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. "That's what you get for having a name like that, I guess," he said, patting Masa once on the back. "You did well, though." He glanced over at Yuzu and Karin. "You two ready for tomorrow?"
Karin shrugged. "More or less," she said.
"I think so," replied Yuzu, frowning.
"I can't wait till this crap is over with though," said Karin, stretching.
"You're telling me," said Ichigo. "Try going to twelve of these and tell me how you feel about them." He sighed, folding his arms. "Anyway, you two know I can't pick you for the Fifth, right?"
They nodded. Both of them had already heard the rules.
"I'll come by tomorrow anyway and watch," he said. "For…you know, moral support and all that."
"Thanks, Ichi-nii," said Yuzu, smiling slightly. She frowned, glancing at Masaryu. "Masa-kun…are you alright?"
Masaryu stared down at his hands. They were shaking. "I—," he began. "I think I'm just—."
Karin sighed. "Come on," she said, grabbing his wrists. "You obviously need a drink or something. See ya, Ichi-nii."
Ichigo frowned, watching as Karin dragged Masa off. He glanced over at Yuzu. "She knows she has an eight o'clock interview tomorrow, right?"
Yuzu gave her brother an apologetic smile. "I'll make sure Masa-kun is the only one drinking," she promised, running off to follow the two of them.
"Ongetsu's a scythe," said Karin, taking the scythe with both hands and swinging it experimentally. "It can use Getsuga Tenshou. That's about all there is to it."
"Is it a kidou-type?" asked Zaraki-taichou.
"Well, if it is, I'm screwed," said Karin. Her kidou grades had been less than stellar. Still, there was some consolation in that she hadn't done as badly as Masaryu. The spells she knew actually worked most of the time.
"Kurosaki-san…" said Onabara-sensei, a reprimand in his tone.
"Sorry," said Karin. "No, it's not a kidou-type, as far as I know."
She stood in front of an assembled group of captains and vice-captains, in the middle of the interview classroom. The officer interviews were held in one of the empty amphitheater-style classrooms, and Karin stood at the bottom where the teacher would normally stand, the officers sitting on the first and second row of desks.
Onabara-sensei nodded to tell her she was done, and she let Ongetsu go back to his unreleased form, sheathing the katana and turning towards the assembled group. She waited for the questions to begin, knowing that they would start with Soifon and move down the line.
It was too early in the morning for this.
"Are you capable of putting family and friends aside for the sake of a mission?" asked Soifon, looking up at her.
"I don't know," admitted Karin. Onabara-sensei had advised honesty, and that was one thing Karin could provide in spades, as long as nobody asked her about her feelings for Toshiro. "I've never had to. I don't want to ever have to, though."
Soifon nodded, writing something down. "Abarai," she said quietly.
"How would you feel about a Division kickball team?"
"Make it soccer, and I'm game," said Karin with a grin.
"We might be able to work something out," said Renji, grinning back. "Now, what's my name?"
"Abarai Renji."
"So, it's not Red Pineapple?"
"No. That's your nickname."
Renji's grin disappeared. Karin's only widened. She was definitely starting to feel more relaxed now.
"Oi, Ichigo," said Renji, scowling over at her brother.
"Got nothing," said Ichigo. "I'll pass." He nodded over towards Byakuya. Karin turned towards the Sixth Division captain.
"How important is it to you that order is maintained in Soul Society?" he asked coolly, straightening out the papers in front of him.
Karin shrugged. "Laws and stuff are kind of important," she said. "But rules and etiquette…not so much."
Byakuya frowned, writing something down. "Iba-fukutaicho?" he asked.
"Do you think the men of the shinigami should have their own association?" he asked.
"Why should I care?" asked Karin, frowning at him. "I'm not a man."
Obviously, that was not the right answer. Tetsuzaemon frowned, writing something down and glancing over at the man on his right. "Kyouraku-taicho?" he asked.
"…Eto…how much can you drink?" asked Shunsui, grinning.
"…Some," said Karin, shrugging. "Not my favorite pastime though."
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is actual work to you?"
"Maybe a 7?" asked Karin, frowning.
"Really? That high?" asked Shunsui. He sighed, writing something down before glancing over at Toshiro. "Hitsugaya-taicho?"
Karin paused, meeting Toshiro's eyes. He looked up at her from his seat between Kyoraku and Zaraki. He looked…tired, Karin realized, as he watched her. No…not tired. Resigned? "How well do you know the living world?" he asked.
"…I was there about six years ago," said Karin. "Pretty well."
Toshiro nodded, a frown on his face. "Zaraki-taicho?" he asked, leaning back in his seat.
Karin exhaled slowly, her eyes moving towards the large Eleventh Division captain. Zaraki grinned at her. "How much fighting do you wanna do?" he asked.
Karin shrugged. "Doesn't really matter to me," she said. "Don't know if I'd want to fight all the time, but I'm not afraid of a fight."
"D'you care if your Division's full of guys?"
Karin snorted. "Your fifth seat's girlier than me," she said.
Zaraki barked out a laugh. "Kurotsuchi," he said.
"How do you feel about being a test subject?" asked Mayuri with a smile, lacing his fingers together on top of the table.
"I refuse," said Karin, flatly.
Mayuri's face fell. "Ukitake-taicho," he said.
"Would you prefer a Division to be powerful, or close-knit?" asked the sickly captain, giving her a warm smile. Karin frowned, thinking this question over seriously. Out of all the captains, she found that she respected Ukitake-taicho a lot. Apparently he had that effect on people.
"…It depends," said Karin. "I mean…I'd like my Division to have some sort of strength, but it's important for people to like each other too. Both would be nice, but I think I'd rather have it close-knit. What's the point in fighting all the time if you can't even trust the people you're fighting with?"
Ukitake nodded, accepting her answer. "No further questions, Onabara-sensei," he said.
"You can go," said Onabara, turning towards her. "The next interview will be at ten o'clock. It will be of Kurosaki Yuzu, from Class 2."
Karin nodded, bowing quickly at the assembled group of captains before leaving the room. Once she was outside, she exhaled in relief, leaning against the wall.
The door opened, and Toshiro walked out. He glanced at her, and for a moment, Karin thought he was going to talk to her. The two of them stared at each other for a few long moments as Karin tried to work up the nerve to say something.
By the time she thought of something to say, though, he had started to walk, turning the corner and disappearing down the hallway.
"Your turn," Karin had told her as Furutani-sensei came out of the room to call her.
Yuzu took a deep breath, nodding at Kohaku as her friend wished her luck and stepping into the interview room. She stood at the front of the room, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves as her eyes passed over the assembled group of captains and vice-captains. They were seated in order of their Division, and she caught sight of Renji, Unohana-taicho, Ichigo, Byakuya, Nanao, Shuuhei, Hitsugaya, Mayuri, and Ukitake.
It was less than the crowd that had come out to see Masaryu, but it was still a sizable group.
She slowly let out the breath she was holding, nodding towards Furutani-sensei and bowing to the assembled group.
"State your name and class," said Furutani-sensei voice that told her he was bored with all the ceremony already.
"Kurosaki Yuzu," she said, glad that her voice didn't falter. "From Class 2."
"Kurosaki Yuzu," said Furutani-sensei. "You've achieved shikai, correct?"
She nodded. "Yes," she said. "That's correct."
"Walk us through what you know about your shikai."
Yuzu nodded, taking a deep breath and unsheathing Jungetsu. She held the blade up in front of her, resting her hand over it. She closed her eyes. "Reflect, Jungetsu," she commanded. The sword shone with a white light, forming into a fan. Yuzu caught the other end of the light as it formed a second fan, the light fading away and revealing the fan blades. Nanao frowned, pushing her glasses up.
"The sword's release command is 'reflect'?" she asked.
"Hai, Ise-fukutaicho," said Yuzu, nodding.
"Do you know why that is?" asked Nanao.
"I suspect that it may have something to do with its nature, but I'm not entirely sure," said Yuzu.
Nanao nodded, folding her hands on top of the table. Yuzu took a deep breath, before continuing. This part, she had expected, so she had had some time to go over it with Furutani-sensei and rehearse. "Jungetsu isn't a dual-type zanpakuto in the truest sense. She only has one zanpakuto spirit, but it's released into two fans."
"Like my Kazeshini," commented Hisagi, nodding.
"Hai," said Yuzu. She turned one of Jungetsu's fans around to show them the back. "The fans have iron tines, which are actually hollow on the inside. This compresses and channels my reiatsu, forming the fan blades at the end and allowing me to use Getsuga Tenshou."
"Have you learned any other techniques with your shikai?" asked Ukitake.
Yuzu shook her head. "No, Ukitake-taichou. Just that one."
The assembled group of officers wrote things down. Furutani looked over at them. "Are there any other questions?" he asked. His question was met with silence, and he nodded at Yuzu.
Yuzu nodded back, allowing Jungetsu to return to her unreleased form. She sheathed the sword, turning towards the captains and vice-captains.
Now here was the part she had no idea about, besides the fact that they would go in order. Her eyes fixed on Renji first as he turned towards her. He scratched his head, a frown on his face as he watched her, obviously not sure what he was going to ask her. "Uh…how organized do you want things at your Division to be? Do you care if you join a Division that doesn't really have a specialty?"
Yuzu frowned, thinking about the question. "I consider myself a little more organized than some people, but I don't mind if the Division doesn't have a specialty yet. I think it's fine to try new things."
Renji nodded, writing something down. "Unohana-taicho?" he asked.
Unohana gave her a warm smile. "You have clinical training, don't you, Kurosaki-san?" she asked.
"Hai, Unohana-taicho," said Yuzu, nodding. "My father ran a clinic in Karakura Town before my death. My sister and I used to work as nurses there."
"How did you find that work?"
"I enjoyed it," said Yuzu, smiling. "It was important work…and it felt good to be able to help people like that."
"Describe the nature of your duties," said Unohana, writing things down.
"I used to help clean and bandage wounds, and provide care for patients who were staying overnight."
"Tell me the proper way of healing an injury with kidou."
"First, perform a reiatsu restoration to boost the injured person's reiatsu flow," recited Yuzu. "This allows the person's reiatsu to heal their injury. In the event that the wound is too large for the person's reiatsu to heal, the healer can attempt to supplement healing with their own reiatsu, or can clean and bandage the wound in the normal fashion."
Unohana smiled, letting her know that she had given the right answer. "No further questions. Kurosaki-taicho?"
"Pass," said Ichigo with a shrug. "Byakuya?"
Byakuya frowned at her brother's casual tone of address, before looking over at her. Yuzu turned towards him, meeting his eyes. She took a nervous breath.
"…Name the four pillars of moral character," Byakuya said.
She exhaled. This was a question she knew the answer to. "Reciprocity, piety, duty, and compassion," she responded.
"Out of these four…which do you believe is the most important to a shinigami?"
Yuzu paused, looking Byakuya in the eye. He watched her expectantly, waiting for her response. She knew what answer he was expecting. He would want her to say 'duty'. Duty was the most important thing to him, and he would expect the same from any of his officers.
But honesty was important as well.
"Compassion, Kuchiki-taicho," she said.
She saw his eyes widen slightly in surprise, the frown on his face growing deeper. "…Explain your answer," he said.
"All others are outward displays," said Yuzu. "They can be faked. True compassion lies in the heart. Without compassion, the other three, including duty, are just empty shells."
Byakuya stared at her for a few long moments. She stared back, doing her best to not look away. Yuzu could hear her own heart beating in her chest as he looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time, his fingers idly curled around his pen.
"…No further questions," he finally said. "Ise-fukutaicho…"
Yuzu exhaled, turning towards Nanao as she asked her question.
In the end, Byakuya wrote nothing down. Yuzu wasn't sure what to make of that.
TO BE CONTINUED
Trivia: Renji actually did form a Sixth Division kickball team once. This is canon. XD
Note: Pillars of Moral Character
The pillars of moral character are basically the four things tied to Japanese concept of honor is drawn from. Reciprocity is the acknowledgement and repayment of debts (including debts of honor). Piety is showing allegiance to the people you owe debts to, if you can't repay them. Duty refers to the balancing and execution of all an individual's obligations (The Japanese concept of duty, or giri, is the driving force behind a lot of Byakuya's choices and actions, especially in the Soul Society arc). Finally, compassion refers to empathy for others and the recognition that all people are the same.
Note: Coming of Age Day
The coming of age day in Japan is a day in January celebrated by all the people who recently turned 20 (the age where you're considered an adult). Since age is completely relative in Soul Society, in this story this has been moved to the day you're officially recognized as a shinigami, which makes you "of age" as far as Seireitei is concerned.