A/N: I just realized that Koyanagi is a big guy with a poisoned spear. I've been planning it for months, but the timing works out, so there you go, GoT fans. You've got a cross between Oberyn and the Mountain.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.

Chapter 36: Steel where it counts

Yuzu sat on a floor cushion in the captain's quarters, her hands on her lap as she studied Byakuya. The captain had been laid out on his bed, dressed in a white robe by the healers the Fourth Division had sent. His kenseikan and gloves had been removed, set beside the futon next to his folded-up scarf. His eyes were closed, as if he was only sleeping, his breathing rose and fell steadily. The sickly pallor of his face and the beads of sweat that formed on his forehead were the only signs that things were not as they should be.

The Fourth Division healers had healed the wound, but hadn't been able to do much about the poison. Byakuya's reiatsu was too weak from the task of healing his body. They worried that forcing it to heal the poison as well might result in damages worse than the thing they were trying to save him from. They used other terms that Yuzu didn't understand, terms that she might have understood if she had taken Unohana-taicho's offer ten years ago, and joined the Fourth.

She'd never regretted not taking that offer. She didn't regret that now.

But she had to admit that sitting here, watching Byakuya struggle, feeling his reiatsu pulse and flutter weakly as it tried to gain enough strength to fight back against the poison running through his veins, she felt helpless. But there wasn't anything she could do to aid him in his fight. Besides, she had her own.

His hand lay on top of the covers, and her hand covered it for just a moment, squeezing it lightly in her grip as if by doing that she could give him some strength with which to fight back against his enemy. Words bubbled up inside of her, words that she had wanted to say for a long time, but they died in her throat.

What could she say, anyway? Would it make much of a difference now?

She exhaled, slowly uncurling her fingers and settling back into her seat. The weight of everything that had happened over the past few hours was pressing down on her. She felt drained, more tired than she had ever felt before. Facing Koyanagi had taken a lot out of her, although outside of this room, she would do her best not to show it. She wasn't cut out for fighting. Hated it, in fact. But if that was all she could do to keep this Division together, then that was what she had to do.

You'd understand that, wouldn't you? she thought, looking at Byakuya. You were the one who said that we must all do our duty.

She'd never given him an answer, she realized, to his question about duty and compassion. She wished she could now.

A flare of reiatsu from outside drew her attention, and Yuzu took a slow breath, doing her best to compose herself as she got to her feet. She didn't want to go out there and see what was happening. Not for the first time, she wished that Karin was here. Her twin would have known that Yuzu needed space, would have gone outside and yelled at everyone to stay back and deal with their problems themselves. They had always been adept at saying what the other person wanted to say but couldn't, Yuzu expressing Karin's emotions, and Karin expressing Yuzu's anger. They were, in so many ways, inverses of each other, and that was why they worked. Because together, they were a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

But no, Karin wasn't here. Yuzu could feel it, through Jungetsu and the bond she shared with Ongetsu. Karin was busy, training for bankai, gathering her own strength. And Yuzu had to find her strength as well. She couldn't hide behind her sister anymore.

She got through her feet, stepping through the door to Byakuya's quarters and immediately came to face with a pair of her shinigami, trying desperately to hold back a distraught Nishimori Azami without actually touching her.

"Nishimori-dono, please," one of them was saying. "We're in lockdown, you really shouldn't be here."

"Please go back to your estate," the other one said. "It's not safe—."

Azami ignored both of them, her eyes wide and her normally immaculate hair in slight disarray as she tried to shoulder past them into the hall. "I just want to see him," she said. "You can't stop me. It's my right!"

"Azami-dono," said Yuzu with slight surprise, walking up to her.

The two shinigami immediately sprang back as she approached, standing at attention. "Fukutaicho," one of them said. "We tried to stop her, but—."

Yuzu held up a hand, cutting short his explanation as Azami turned towards her. What she saw in the woman's eyes gave her pause. Azami was practically frantic, hiding all of that behind a mask of calm that was already breaking. She sprang forward once the shinigami were no longer in her way, coming to a stop in front of Yuzu.

"Kurosaki-san," she said. "Is it true? I'd heard, but I didn't believe—Is Byakuya alright? I want to see him, Kurosaki-san."

"It's true," said Yuzu, her expression softening. "But Azami-dono, you really shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous, and civilians aren't allowed in Gotei 13 buildings during an emergency."

"I just want to see him," Azami said. "Please."

She looked down at Yuzu, her eyes wide with a desperation Yuzu recognized, and she felt something inside of her relent. She exhaled, taking a step back, and moved aside, allowing Azami into Byakuya's quarters. The noblewoman stepped past her, and Yuzu heard her take in a soft gasp as her eyes fell on the bed. Her hand quickly went up, covering her mouth with the sleeve of her kimono. Yuzu entered the room after her, her expression solemn as she closed the door.

There were tears in Azami's eyes. She didn't speak. She just stood there, staring, as if transfixed. Yuzu found herself grateful that the Fourth had taken Byakuya's bloodied uniform off of him. She didn't think the sight of that would have helped Azami at all.

"He's…going to be okay," said Yuzu. "Probably. The wounds on his body have been healed, but he has to fight the poison on his own. I wouldn't worry, Azami-dono. Taicho is strong. I'm sure he'll pull through."

Azami made a choked noise at the back of her throat, stepping back from Byakuya and turning to Yuzu. "He shouldn't be here," she said. "He should be in his manor."

"This is the safest place for Kuchiki-taicho right now," said Yuzu. "He might still be a target, and at least, if he's here, there are people who can protect him. And Azami-dono, the safest place for you is anywhere away from here. Please go back to your estate and tell your guards to be alert. Someone will send word if he wakes up."

"Someone?" asked Azami, her brows raising as she turned towards Yuzu. "Not you?"

Yuzu fell silent, her eyes falling away from Azami's to study the floor. Azami watched her, inhaling softly as if she understood. "You're going out there, aren't you, Kurosaki-san?" she asked.

"Yes."

Azami considered this for a moment, the two women regarding each other. Then, her eyes narrowed, and she drew herself up to her full height, her eyes hard despite the moisture in them. "Make her pay," she said, as she walked past Yuzu and headed out the door.

Yuzu nodded slowly as Azami passed her, straightening up as well. She waited until the woman was gone, until the angry crackle of her reiatsu had passed and she was moving towards the exit. Only then did she take a step, turning and walking out of the door as well.

"Fukutaicho?" asked one of the shinigami that had followed Azami here.

She closed the door to Byakuya's quarters behind her.

"Gather the Division," she said. "I need to meet with everyone."

They gathered the shinigami of the Sixth in the mess hall, one of the few rooms in the Division that could hold all of them at once with such short notice. Yuzu could hear them as she approached, a low drone of noise that ran through the halls, the sound of four hundred nervous shinigami murmuring amongst themselves as they waited for instruction. Though the alarm bells had finally gone quiet, the fact that the Division was on lockdown meant that none of the shinigami of the Sixth had slept or even relaxed since the betrayal an hour earlier. While the details of Koyanagi and Okada's betrayal had been distributed among the men, there hadn't been time for an official announcement, and rumors were flying. She'd have to put those rumors to bed in this meeting, as well as explain to the Division what she meant to do.

It was a tall order, and if she was being honest with herself, not one that she was completely sure she could carry out. But she had to at least appear confident in front of the Division. If she faltered, they would falter. She knew that much.

A thought occurred to her as she drew herself up straighter, Jungetsu's words.

You always choose to become what is needed…

Yuzu frowned, taking in a breath as she approached the mess hall. She was doing it again, making a decision based on what was required of her. But what else could she do? She couldn't abandon the Sixth. Her grip tightened on Jungetsu's scabbard.

Truth, said the zanpakuto spirit, a single word scribing itself onto the glassy surface of the pond in her inner world. Yuzu held the character in her mind, exhaling slowly as she considered it. It was a familiar character to her by now, mostly because of the names she had seen it in, names that were never far from her mind these past few days.

Masaki. Hisana.

What did that even mean? What was truth at this point? She stared into the pond, her own face staring back at her.

Truth…truth was a scared little girl. One who had no idea what to do.

Truth was…

"Are you alright, fukutaicho?" asked a voice from beside her.

Yuzu tensed, looking up at Shiyougi as he approached her. The third seat had an expression of concern on his face, and he waved the three shinigami that were walking with him onward, sending them on towards the mess hall.

"Shiyougi-san…" she said.

Shiyougi waited until the shinigami were out of earshot before turning towards her, taking a step closer so that he wouldn't be overheard. His eyes moved away from her, towards the mess hall where the men were waiting. "Are you sure about this, fukutaicho?" he asked. "You don't have to do this, you know. The circumstances…"

Yuzu stared at Shiyougi as he looked away, seeming uncomfortable as he ran a hand through his hair and grasped for the words. She knew what he wanted to say, and for a moment, she was tempted to agree with her. That scared little girl stared back up at her from the surface of the pond, truth, for once, with no illusion. She was scared. In the privacy of her inner world, she could admit that.

Truth told her that she didn't want to do this, that she wasn't sure of herself, of her decision. That she was afraid. But she realized something startling as she stared into the pond, looking for the first time at her own reflection, a reflection she recognized.

Truth told her that she was going to do it anyway.

Somehow, that knowledge strengthened her, and she grabbed onto it like a lifeline as she faced him.

"Shiyougi-san," she said, making him look up at her. She shook her head, lowering her eyes to the ground as a thought occurred to her. "No. Hideki. I need to know something. Can I trust you?"

His eyes widened at the question, and he stared at her, seeming taken aback. After a moment, he recovered enough to respond, his expression softening.

"Always, fukutaicho," he said.

She believed him. After a night of betrayal, she probably shouldn't have, but she believed him.

"Alright," she said, sighing. "Then, please go ahead to the mess hall. I won't be long."

Shiyougi nodded, starting off down the hallway. Yuzu waited until he was gone, taking a moment to catch her breath before starting off down the hallway.

She had gone two steps before she was stopped by a presence in the shadows. Yuzu's eyes widened and she reached for Jungetsu, the sword sliding an inch or so out of its sheath before the newcomers addressed her.

"Yuzu-sama," one of them said.

She froze, her hand still on Jungetsu's hilt. A group of three men stepped out of the shadows of a side passage, walking towards her. Unlike the shinigami, who were dressed in shihakusho, these were dressed in robes of silver and blue, Ankoujin colors, with the family's name inscribed on a headband attached to their hoods. They wore no obvious weapons, and walked lightly towards her as she stood there, still frozen with indecision.

The three of them knelt, heads bowed and hands over their hearts.

"You're…Ankoujin guards," she said, slowly sliding Jungetsu back into its sheath.

"Yes," said the leader of the three, the one speaking to her. "Seishin-dono instructed us to come here and assist you in any way we could. There are twenty of us here at your disposal, my lady."

"I'm not a lady," Yuzu said, "Although I would very much appreciate the help. Could you set up a perimeter around the barracks while I talk to the men? I also need someone to guard Kuchiki-taicho's room, until representatives from the Kuchiki Clan can send their own guards."

"It shall be done," said the man, bowing his head. In an instant, the three of them were gone, leaving the corridor strangely empty.

I have ninja, she thought, feeling strangely giddy as she walked down the hall, like none of this was real. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe she would wake up in a few minutes and find out that this was all some sort of strange dream. The giddy feeling vanished as she opened the door to the mess hall and found over four hundred eyes on her, leaving a sinking feeling in its place.

No. This was very real. Seireitei had been attacked, and the shinigami of the Sixth expected her to know what to do.

And she would have to disappoint them.

That knowledge stuck with her as she made her way to the front of the room, the crowd of shinigami parting to give her a straight path. She felt the weight of the badge on her arm like she had never felt it, felt butterflies spring to life in her stomach that made her wonder whether or not she would be sick. She caught sight of Kawamoto Sakako watching her from within the crowd, and did her best to hold her head up as she made her way to the front of the room, feeling as though she was walking to her own execution.

She made her way to the front of the crowd, facing them.

The room went quiet, quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Yuzu didn't even have to raise her voice to be heard. "Some of you may have already heard what happened, but I'm sure all of you are wondering what this is about," she said. "First of all, the rumors you've heard are true. Former Fourth Seat Koyanagi Gorou and former Sixth Seat Okada Megumi betrayed us, along with two other shinigami. Okada is dead. She was killed in a fight with Kuchiki-taicho, in the courtyard. Koyanagi and the other attackers are in custody. Koyanagi managed to seriously injure Kuchiki-taicho with an attack from behind, with a poisoned spear. The captain is recovering, but he is still unconscious from the poison, and it's unlikely that he will be able to join us in tomorrow's battle."

Silence. Yuzu took a deep breath, her hands clasped together in front of her. This was the part she didn't like, the part that she didn't want to admit, but it was true nonetheless. "Yamagishi Kazuhiko, Fifth Seat, was killed by Okada tonight," she said. "He died trying to stop her from attacking the captain and myself. He will be missed."

That set off a wave of murmurs. Yuzu heard exclamations in the crowd, saw shinigami turn to each other for comfort, disbelieving looks on their faces. There was a young woman in the crowd, an unseated shinigami who Yuzu knew had been involved with Yamagishi at some point or another. Her friends quickly drew her into an embrace as she started shaking. Yuzu unclasped her hands, feeling them curl into fists at her side. She realized that her hands were shaking as well.

"Some of you," she said. "are wondering what we're going to do now. I spent several minutes wondering the same thing myself. I know that you're expecting me to give you orders, that you expect me to know what to do. I thought about pretending that I did, to comfort you, but the truth is, I don't know what to do right now. I have only been your vice-captain for two months, as all of you know. I'm still inexperienced, and I'm still young. I haven't been a shinigami for as long as some of you have. I haven't even been alive for as long as some of you have. At a time like this, it would be an insult to all of you to pretend that I know what I'm doing. But I do know two things for certain. The first…"

She took a breath, looking up at the sea of faces in front of her. "…The first is that the Sixth is my home," she said. "For the past ten years, I've been living here with you. All of you helped me in some way, especially the officers, who showed me what to do my first few months here as a 20th Seat. I've come to think of all of you as part of my family, and though I don't like to fight, as all of you know, I like it even less when someone comes into my home and hurts my family. So, I'm still going out there tomorrow, to meet Kyoka Suigetsu. She attacked us today to try to make us weak, but all she did was remind us how strong we are. That's the first thing I know for sure."

"I'm not going to force any of you to come with me," she said. "But those that will come are welcome. I may be young and inexperienced, and I understand if you don't want to follow a commander like me. I understand if you would rather stay here, and guard the Division. I understand if you are afraid. I am afraid. But I will be there tomorrow, with or without you. Because the second thing I know for sure is that the Sixth promised the soutaicho a vanguard, and the Sixth does not break its word."

She raised her eyes, scanning the crowd. "So decide now," she said, "Because I need to know. Who's with me?"

She expected uncertainty, expected muttering and murmuring from the group. She expected glances to be exchanged, expected a few hesitant agreements, maybe a few more.

She didn't expect them all to cheer, a resounding shout that rocked the Division as they raised their fists into the air.

Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni, Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, stood in his office, ignoring the scorch marks on the walls around him as he studied the Onmitsukido messenger kneeling on the wooden floor in front of him. It was an hour past midnight now, and the last of the rebellions had finally been quelled. Beside him, on the other side of his desk, Sasakibe Chojiro pressed a cloth against a wound on his shoulder. The handful of attackers in the First had gone straight for Sasakibe, ignoring him. It appeared Kyoka Suigetsu wasn't stupid enough to try and attack him directly.

But he hadn't been able to ignore an attack on his Division, as those traitors soon discovered.

"Soutaicho," said the messenger. "The damage report is complete."

"Very well," said Yamamoto, resting his hands on his cane. "Let's hear it."

"Soifon-taicho reports that the Second Division is well in hand," he said. "Omaeda-fukutaicho was lightly injured. Soifon-taicho is unhurt. All traitors were summarily executed."

"In the Third Division, Kira-fukutaicho took a blow meant for Abarai-taicho, by diving in front of him. He was seriously injured and has been transferred to the Fourth Division, where his condition is reported to be stable. Abarai-taicho himself is unhurt. A handful of the Third's traitors escaped in the confusion, and were captured by Kurosaki Isshin and Shiba Kukaku when they attempted to enter the Rukongai. The Second Division has them in hand."

"Kotetsu-fukutaicho reports that there was some incident in the Fourth Division, but that the traitors disappeared into a room with Unohana-taicho and were never seen again. No members of the Fourth were seriously injured, and they have since gone on to provide medical care for those injured in other Divisions."

"The Fifth Division was hardest hit, with a total of twenty-three traitors, five of them of the officer class. Five of them attempted to ambush Kurosaki-taicho in his sleep. All of them were killed, either by Kurosaki-taicho or Kuchiki-fukutaicho of the Thirteenth. Hinamori-fukutaicho exhausted herself and was injured in the attack but has since recovered. Kurosaki-taicho reports that the Fifth will still be present in tomorrow's battle. He also reports that his fourth seat, a man named Hamasaki, survived to warn him of the attack but was reported dead by the Fourth Division. He died of severe injuries, and a reiatsu depletion that the Fourth could not heal. Six other shinigami were killed, and of the three dozen injured, five are in critical condition."

"Kuchiki-taicho of the Sixth Division was injured with a poisoned blade when his fourth seat attacked him from behind. He is reported to be stable, but unconscious. Kurosaki-fukutaicho has assumed command. Their fifth seat, Hamasaki, was killed in the attack, as was one of the traitors, a woman named Okada. The other traitor is in custody. Kurosaki-fukutaicho reports that his saketsu and hakusui have been cut."

"Komamura-taicho of the Seventh was slightly injured in the attack, but all of their traitors have been dealt with. Neither Komamura-taicho or Iba-fukutaicho were injured in a way that would limit their performance tomorrow."

"Ise-fukutaicho of the Eighth was seriously injured in the attack. Kyouraku-taicho says that the traitors in the Eighth are very dead. He asked me to specifically emphasize the very. Ise-fukutaicho's condition, according to Third Seat Iemura of the Fourth Division, is currently stable, although she will not be fit for action tomorrow."

"Hisagi-fukutaicho of the Ninth Division was injured in the arm in a surprise attack. His arm is still healing, but he reports that he will still be able to command his Division should an enemy attack Seireitei tomorrow. Some other members of the Ninth were injured. He asked me to report that the next issue of Seireitei Communication may be delayed, as the printing room sustained heavy damage in the attack."

"Hitsugaya-taicho and Matsumoto-fukutaicho of the Tenth are both unhurt. Hitsugaya-taicho reports that the administrative office sustained severe structural damage in the form of an ice storm, and that after tomorrow's battle they will be resuming normal operation in a side office. The situation has been dealt with."

"Neither the Eleventh Division nor the Twelfth Division report problems with traitors. Kusajishi-fukutaicho reports an unexplained 'disturbance' that she says was easily dealt with. She expressed her regret that the battle was apparently not enjoyable, because the traitors were running away at the time. Apparently, the Twelfth did have traitors attempt to infiltrate their Division in years past, but they were discovered and dealt with. Kurotsuchi-taicho and Kurotsuchi-fukutaicho have been using them as experiments without reporting them."

"Finally, Ukitake-taicho of the Thirteenth Division took a minor injury in the arm, but a blow to the chest that aggravated his existing condition. He has been moved to Ugendo, his estate, to recover. Kuchiki-fukutaicho has assumed command."

Yamamoto listened as the messenger reported on the status of each Division, his hands clasped calmly on the top of his cane. When the messenger was finished, he looked up, his arm resting across his raised knee as he faced Yamamoto. "Soutaicho," he said. "Do you have a message you wish me to relay?"

"Yes," said Yamamoto, his eyes opening as they fixed on the messenger. "Tell the commanders of each Division this. Our plans have not changed. We attack at dawn."

Dawn that morning was an uncertain thing, a slow encroachment of red, orange and gold against a misty backdrop of gray. In the predawn light, the Gotei 13 assembled for war, the shinigami of each Division going through last minute checks, sharpening swords, and getting into positions as they prepared to leave Seireitei.

In the predawn light, Kurosaki Ichigo stood on a balcony overlooking the Fifth's courtyard, Zangetsu strapped to his back as he watched the remnants of his Division get into position on the ground below him, led by his vice-captain.

In the predawn light, Ankoujin Masaryu of the Fifth and Iwase Kohaku of the Third passed each other, exchanging a halting, awkward conversation that more or less amounted to "Stay safe and don't die", before each returning to their respective Divisions, an ocean of feeling lying untouched between them.

In the predawn light, Kuchiki Rukia stood alone in the administrative office of the Thirteenth, tugging on a pair of white fingerless gloves that her brother had given her as her third seats readied the Division for battle.

In the predawn light, Hitsugaya Toshiro and Matsumoto Rangiku assembled their Division, Toshiro's orders coming coolly and clearly as the shinigami of the Tenth assembled in formation. Rangiku watched her captain as he moved, and pretended not to notice the way his eyes occasionally glanced south, taking on the far-off expression that told her he was thinking about Karin.

In the predawn light, Kurosaki Yuzu moved across the center of the Sixth Division's training room, Jungetsu's fans in her hand as she moved through the air, flipping and turning in a series of rapid movements. Crescent-shaped blasts of blue light followed her fans through the air, a series of six Getsuga Tenshous. As she landed on the ground in the center of the room, she swept her fans through the air in front of her as though she was directing the wind, the blasts banking and changing directions as they sliced through a series of six wooden targets hung from strings in a circle surrounding her, each blast cutting straight through the middle of a diagonal black line that had been drawn on the targets beforehand, the lower halves of the targets clattering against the ground.

In the predawn light, Kuchiki Byakuya lay in bed, surrounded by guards from both the Kuchiki and Ankoujin Clans as the poison continued to run through his veins, reaching a fever pitch.

In the predawn light, Ankoujin Ryushin sat at his manor, his zanpakuto lying on the ground at his side as he turned his eyes eastward to watch the dawn.

And in the predawn light, a single dark-haired shinigami flash-stepped her way across the forests of Rukongai towards the south, where Kyoka Suigetsu was waiting. Sunlight gleamed across the edge of the scythe she held propped up against her shoulder, the light seeming to brush past the scythe's edge without really touching it. She moved through the air, forming reishi platforms beneath her feet as she watched the sun start to come up on her left.

Hang in there, everyone, Kurosaki Karin thought, her eyes narrowed as she turned her gaze southward.

I'm on my way.

A/N: For those wondering about the Ankoujin guards, remember the purple ninjas that Byakuya summoned in an omake when Nemu and…someone else tried to take pictures of him? Like that, but blue.

TO BE CONTINUED

Omake

Flashback: How Furutani pays his tab

"So, that's the story," said Furutani with a smile, standing in front of the shinigami's desk. "Anyway, I need some help covering my tab this year."

"And?" asked Byakuya, coolly, not looking up at the man as he picked up the stack of papers next to him and started shuffling through them. "What business is that of mine?"

"I need you to spot me some cash," said Furutani. "You know, for old time's sake."

"And if I refuse?" asked Byakuya, his eyes narrowing.

"Sake-soaked rat pig," reminded Furutani, folding his arms.

Byakuya sighed in resignation, opening his drawer and reaching for his account book. "How much do you need?"