Chapter Thirty Four: The Outlaw and the Clansman
"I have to admit, the Kuchiki estate is considerably more impressive than I remember."
As they made their way along one of the long and ornately carved passages that connected the many sections of the Kuchiki main estate, Kunimori lifted a casual hand to brush it against the wood panels, eying with interest the bright colours and designs that adorned the walls to either side. "It was always a fine place to come - a place of peacocks rather than power, if I recall - but they really have outdone themselves. It's become something of a maze, if not quite a fortress. I suppose being the Regental house afforded them some luxuries that most families never had."
"I thought you weren't going to hurt anyone here," Tsuneyoshi cast his companion an accusatory glance, pacing reluctantly along behind him. "You said that you wanted access to the archive, but we didn't come to harm the Kuchiki. You're going to get alerts sent out all over Seireitei at this rate. I thought this was a peaceful errand - a factfinding mission. Did you have to treat it like an act of war?"
"I don't know what you mean." Kunimori turned to meet Tsuneyoshi's dark glare with an impassive smile. "I didn't kill anyone. That's a peaceful entrance in my book. Besides, it's their own fault. They didn't want to let me in, so I had to be persuasive."
He shrugged his shoulders, reaching down to pat the hilt of his sealed sword.
"If I had been serious, I'd have brought this out," he added. "It's just kidou. They'll live. All of them. But none of them are any use to me, so why waste time? Sometimes it's better to be more direct."
Tsuneyoshi bit his lip, remembering the scene in the Kuchiki courtyard. At first, he had been afraid that Kunimori might blast his way through the phalanx of Kuchiki retainers that had barred the way, but although he had knocked out the first wave of these with a casual blast of Kidou magic, there had been no serious intent behind the attack. The enigmatic old man had held back from causing a massacre, and had even seemed willing to wait following the initial blast, in order to negotiate terms with the people on site. It had not been long before a man in Kuchiki robes had appeared, several more retainers in tow. His expression had been impassive and his demeanour had showed no sign of fear or apprehension as he had approached them. At his arrival, those Kuchiki retainers who had escaped the initial Kidou soporific had seemed both relieved and anxious, and their reaction had told Tsuneyoshi that this was indeed a member of the main Clan, with significant rank within the family. The man had been robed in the finery of green and cream that he recognised as the traditional colours of the Kuchiki, and though he had carried a walking stick in his right hand, he had made no attempt to use it, moving with slow but firm strides as if trying to conceal any physical weakness from their sight. At first glance Tsuneyoshi had understood that this man was a soldier, although the sword he carried at his side had been an asauchi, rather than a zanpakutou. He had challenged them, his voice ringing out clear and crisp in the morning air as he had demanded an explanation for the insolence of their forced entry. Still Tsuneyoshi had not suspected Kunimori's intentions, as the old man had begun with genial pleasantries, bowing his head and apologising for the unexpected onslaught of magic as though it had been an accidental whim. He had calmly introduced himself and his companion, and had waited with deference for his companion to respond. Tsuneyoshi had almost believed that they were going to actually negotiate with this stranger, and would access the Kuchiki archive without further disruption.
The moment the newcomer had given his name, however, Kunimori's demeanour changed from docile and elderly to the strategic and ruthless man of war he truly was. Before Tsuneyoshi had known what was going in, the old man had unleashed a more potent round of Kidou spells, each powerful and compelling soporifics that had laid out not only the whole of the remaining guard and reinforcements but the finely robed individual as well. He had fought against it a little longer than his low-born fellows, struggling to retain his stance, but it had been to no avail, and soon he too had dropped onto the cobbles, the stick clattering against the stone as he fell.
Kunimori had paused at the man's side for a moment, and Tsuneyoshi had known that he had debated whether or not to take further action. Ultimately, however, he had stepped over the unconscious form as though it was nothing more than a stray tree branch, beckoning for Tsuneyoshi to follow him into the now unguarded main estate. A cluster of frightened house staff that had witnessed the encounter in the front courtyard quickly fled and hid from them as they approached, and now, deep inside the Kuchiki manor, there was nobody to stop them from looking around.
"You won't kill them?" Tsuneyoshi asked now, and Kunimori sighed.
"What do you care if I do or not?" he challenged. "You're only interested in Harumizu, and I only promised not to hurt the Unohana. We have no deals about Kuchiki men, Tsuneyoshi-dono."
"No, but I won't support you in unnecessary bloodshed," Tsuneyoshi snapped back. "That man was barely armed. He had no zanpakutou, and he carried a stick. He wasn't a match for you. You could have left him without humiliating him for his lack of power."
"Ah, you noticed that too, did you?" Kunimori rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "A high ranking Kuchiki with next to nothing in the way of reiatsu. I have to admit, I was disappointed. When we arrived here, I definitely sensed spirit power of a significant level - pure and definitely from this Clan. But I don't sense it now. That one...whoever he might be in the family, he was a decoy and a distraction. Whoever was here before is not here now...and I was displeased at the level of deception involved. I decided to punish him for being useless. For a man who trains as a soldier, letting him live in such pitiful circumstances is more humiliating than a quick, clean death. He carried a sword, so deserved no civilian mercy measures, even if I believed in them. As it is, he will probably resent being spared, if and when he comes to himself. By that time, our work here will doubtless be done. You shouldn't be soft - this world is survival of the fittest."
"We don't really know what this world is," Tsuneyoshi pointed out. "Kuchiki Seiren is a name I don't know - a man born since our exile. Who knows how long we were in that place? Time moves there in strange ways. You said that Ikata told you everyone powerful was in this military central barracks. Why should we expect to find powerful people here in the outer reaches of Clan land?"
"You didn't sense anyone with power here?" Kunimori sent his companion a questioning look, and Tsuneyoshi sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Something raw and untrained, maybe. Probably a child," he admitted reluctantly. "Not someone worth pursuing, if that's what you're asking."
"Maybe, maybe not," Kunimori pursed his lips. "I grant you it was untrained, so probably wouldn't be of much use to me - but I am still displeased. That man...that Kuchiki Seiren...is far worse. To think we'd come here, and that's what we'd find. A man so weak that I can't make use of him. A Kuchiki so pitiful that he doesn't even have Knowledge to give me. I can hardly believe it...I admit, that's a possibility I didn't factor into our plans. I dislike not having all the information before I strike, but I never thought I'd see this family fallen to such a degree. However fine their house may be, it seems they've become complacent. Apparently they are no longer the austere power-mongers of the past."
"He might have had knowledge, if you'd asked him," Tsuneyoshi objected, and Kunimori sighed, leaning up against the wall and sending his companion a weary glance.
"I didn't mean that kind of Knowledge," he said softly, brushing his fingers against his sword once more. "A man with no reiatsu isn't subject to my powers of suggestion. Ironically, his lack of anything makes him immune to my sword's greater skill, which means I can learn nothing and steal nothing from him. Moreover, he's spiritually dead, so he's not the key to the archive, either. The little I know about that place is that it requires spirit power to enter the hidden realms beneath the main house. How to activate the entrance, or even where it is, I do not know. Even if we find it, I imagine we won't be able to enter easily. We may not find what we're looking for as easily as I had hoped."
"Meaning?" Tsuneyoshi frowned.
"The Kuchiki have always been an unfriendly people unwilling to share anything with anyone without due permission," Kunimori said matter-of-factly. "The most secret and secure documents have always been sealed away behind many barriers and doorways, deep in the heart of this estate. The one who has access to that is the one who leads this family. And that empty shell of a man may be in charge here right now, but he isn't the head of the family. He isn't who we're looking for. He isn't the one with the Knowledge we need to break into this archive and find what we need to know."
"Then we might as well not have come," Tsuneyoshi grimaced. Kunimori rolled his eyes.
"The one that escaped will go for help," he said simply. "That Seiren person might have tried to buy time for him to leave, but he'll go and bring back the one we seek. When that one comes, we'll have what we need."
He cast his companion a sidelong glance.
"Be glad I knocked them out, rather than killing them. I could have made you more potential warriors, but I decided to spare your sensitive soul the cries of angry Kuchiki retainers," he added coolly. "I have no use for them, but I left them alive out of deference to you. I'm interested in information, and until we have it, we won't leave here. But the one who left, he'll bring who we need right to us."
"What if that person alerts a whole army?" Tsuneyoshi demanded.
"Then I might need to create you some soldiers of your own," Kunimori smiled benignly, and Tsuneyoshi felt a cold chill in his stomach at the calmness of the other's words. "Don't worry. He won't. The Kuchiki don't ask for other people to help them. They handle their own problems. All we have to do is wait, and all the Knowledge we need will be ours."
"And in the meantime?"
"We take whatever scraps we can find," Kunimori pressed his hand against a wood panel door, sliding it carefully back to reveal a chamber beyond. It was neat, formally appointed and well lit, with shelves of books and other volumes adorning the walls each side of the window. A low-slung desk of good quality carving stood in the centre, and Kunimori stepped into the chamber proper, opening the door fully to allow his companion access. "Starting with this one."
"Why this one?" Tsuneyoshi eyed his companion suspiciously, and Kunimori laughed.
"The basic rule of dealing with the exalted noble snobbery of the Kuchiki," he said frankly. "The carving on the door indicates someone of status works in here. Whether it be that ingrate we met outside or someone of better rank I wouldn't know, but this room has books and a working desk. At the very least, we can kill time trying to find out something about this world. You are right, we know not enough about any of it. And time is ticking. However little I fear facing the current leader of a family whose best defence against attack is an aging weakling with a walking stick, we are not here to sightsee."
"I suppose that makes sense," Tsuneyoshi sighed, moving across the chamber to examine the books on the shelf. "We came for information, not to fight with the locals. Maybe, if we can find what we need in here, we can leave without the need for fighting."
"Considering the sword fate gave you, Tsuneyoshi-dono, you really are a coward," Kunimori grimaced, shaking his head slowly in defeat.
"Maybe that's why fate gave it to me," Tsuneyoshi smiled humourlessly. "Because a power like that is base and unnecessary, and only someone who understands that should ever wield it."
"Says the man who massacred his family and apparently made zombies of them, too," Kunimori returned neatly, flicking through the heavy bound volumes that lay on the desk. "I agree. You're a complete pacifist."
"Shut up," Tsuneyoshi's eyes glittered with irritation. "I'm not like you, so stop trying to make out as though I am. I didn't want to be involved in Heaven's War, or the aftermath. I just..."
"Protected your son, I know, I get it already," Kunimori cut across him. "Instead of your moral justification speech, how about you stop wasting air and come and look at this."
"It's not a moral justification speech," Tsuneyoshi muttered, nonetheless coming to stand beside the desk. "Well? What about it?"
"Ikata mentioned to me something called District One, when we were talking," Kunimori said simply. "I don't know where that is, but it's apparently where the Yamamoto are. This also talks about Districts. This volume mentions District Six. I don't know, but I'd guess that's maybe where this is. What this number system means, I don't know - but apparently this is no longer what we know as Kuchiki Province. That means the land borders and jurisdictions may be different from what we remember."
"The Council of Elders?" Tsuneyoshi moved to pick up another document. "What's that?"
"I'm not sure," Kunimori looked thoughtful. "And the date on that means nothing to me, either. I am beginning to think we have perhaps been away a considerably long time, Tsuneyoshi-dono. I had already assumed it, but in that Void place, it's hard to know one day from another. Maybe we've been away...longer than even I imagined."
"How long is that?" Tsuneyoshi paused, looking startled, and Kunimori shrugged.
"A milennia, perhaps?" he hazarded. "It's difficult to be sure. Maybe not so long as that."
"So Harumizu might not be alive still?" Tsuneyoshi's eyes became stricken, and Kunimori laughed.
"Ah, you see? You are invested enough to want to know the target of your hate is here to meet your blade," he teased. "You shouldn't worry. I felt his reiatsu, remember? He's here. Somewhere. Like you and I, he holds a Royal Sword, and they have an unmistakeable scent. They also seem able to prolong life - so I expect you'll get your chance to meet him. He may have aged, like me...but he's here."
"I'd forgotten that you sensed him," Tsuneyoshi let out his breath in a rush. "All right, then. What do we do now?"
"It seems waiting for the Kuchiki is a good idea. We can interrogate them more easily on details of the geography and time frame we've emerged into," Kunimori reflected. "Knowledge is always important in any project, and we need to be sure we get this right. I promise you not to kill any Kuchiki I don't have to, if it will keep you focused on the reasons we came here - but we do need to know where we are, and more, where we are going."
"Yes..." Tsuneyoshi looked doubtful, setting the council record aside. "In any case, this Council of Elders wasn't mentioned to you by Ikata before you killed him and his men?"
"No..." Kunimori said regretfully. "Only this Gotei thing with powerful Shinigami, operating in a central territory. I maybe should have pushed further, rather than just seeing them as a useful diversionary tactic, but I did assume that power was in the hands of the powerful. Ikata didn't strike me as important or potent enough in his spiritual aura to have that level of Knowledge to give, so I didn't bother to try. Plus, he was a Yamamoto, so I felt more obligated to kill him than I did in interrogating him. Maybe that was wrong, and I should have probed him further about the structure of government first. Maybe power is separate from politics here after all."
"Or maybe not," Tsuneyoshi's eyes narrowed, and he grabbed up the document again, his grasp so tight that the paper crinkled beneath his touch. "Kunimori-dono. Look. Look at this."
He thrust the document in his companion's direction, his hand trembling, and Kunimori took it, frowning and glancing at his companion.
"You already said this related to this Council, about which we know nothing," he objected, but Tsuneyoshi shook his head.
"We know something," he said darkly, jabbing a finger in the direction of the second paragraph, and at the sight of the characters, Kunimori's eyebrows shot up.
"Kyouraku Harumizu," he murmured, his eyes big with surprise. "Well, well. Now that's a helpful clue. Just when I thought you were starting to lose your nerve, too. I can sense it, Tsuneyoshi-dono. That killer instinct bubbling up inside of you once more."
"He's alive and he's here," Tsuneyoshi said bleakly. "Somewhere in Seireitei, he's here."
"I don't know how current this document is," Kunimori scanned the contents. "I don't understand the dating system being used and this era name means nothing to me. Ikata did mention that the head of the Yamamoto was currently someone called Yuuichi, though, and his name is mentioned here as one of the attending Clansfolk. I imagine that makes it relatively recent. It also looks like Harumizu hasn't changed much, if he's butting his nose into other people's rebellions and answering to the commands of high ranking Clansfolk from whom he can brownnose rewards and status. This report relates to a rebel against Soul Society. A man called Aizen. Aizen? Where did I hear that name before?"
"The Endou hime mentioned it to me, when I spoke to them," Tsuneyoshi took a deep breath to calm himself. "Aizen Katsura. That's what she said. They were looking for him. Maybe Ikata said it to you as well."
"Maybe I should have interrogated her and her people, too," Kunimori looked pensive. "I couldn't imagine that a slip of a girl like that would be trusted with any important information, and the Endou never were a status family, but if we've been away as long as I think, it may have changed. There's an Endou listed on this document too - Endou Hirata, perhaps the name says? That may suggest they've risen in status, and even as a girl, she might have known something useful to us - she or some of her followers."
He shrugged.
"Oh well. Never mind. We'll just have to make do with what we can find now we're here. This document doesn't go into great detail about where anything is. It just mentions the pursuit of an Aizen, and that Harumizu was involved. He appeared before this Council thing, but there's no real detail in this report and to be frank, I don't care about some minor rebel born long after we left this place."
He smiled, tossing the document back down on the desk.
"It also gives us the name of the person we probably seek here," he added. "If that report is recent enough to mention the current head of the Yamamoto, and some Endou or other, and we saw representatives of both those families in the Void World, then I imagine it's also fresh enough to tell us who is in charge here. The name of the Kuchiki listed is Guren. Kuchiki Guren. The Kuchiki have a long-standing and irritating tradition of inserting colours into the names of their important Clansfolk, and Guren is no exception to that rule...but none of the Kuchiki I ever knew bore names that carried the same character. The fact that the poor excuse for a life form we met at the Gate was called Seiren makes me think that there may be a close kinship of sorts between him and our target, perhaps even as close as twins maybe? Such similar names suggest some kind of sycophantic parenting of that nature. If so, that also explains why he was allowed to address us with such temerity, even given his complete uselessness as a living creature. That closeness has given him rank here above his ability - which may work in our favour. Perhaps leaving Seiren alive was a good idea, as it might prove a useful bartering tool if this Guren wants to be difficult."
"That's a big assumption to make," Tsuneyoshi looked doubtful. "The Kuchiki I remember saw the birth of twins as an evil omen and were well known for slaughtering the weaker child to prevent later political clashes."
"Even more reason to assume this Clan has fallen well below its ancient standards, as something as feeble as that Seiren should have been stifled at birth, not left to roam around embarrassing his family with his utter lack of power," Kunimori rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps you are right, but I suspect that what we met at the gate is proof of a sentimentality of family that demonstrates the decline of what was once a great noble house. I think that will be useful for us. It strikes me that if this Guren can keep alive such an embarrassing kinsman, he is probably not going to prove much of an opponent. Especially not if we use threats to his kinsfolk to make him comply."
"I don't want unnecessary bloodshed here," Tsuneyoshi warned, and Kunimori snorted.
"You really do annoy me, sometimes," he said wearily. "I've heard you, all right? I told you. We'll see how things pan out. I don't really want to make you delusional if it's unnecessary, since you might turn on me again, and that would be inconvenient. So I won't make you hear dead voices, so long as you stop whining about people's lives like they matter to you. It's hypocritical and, frankly, unattractive."
"There are already voices here," Tsuneyoshi muttered, rubbing his temples. "One, anyway. It's there, nagging away in the background. A woman's voice, I think. Maybe someone died here recently. It's hard to be sure, but it's there. And it's annoying."
"A woman is not a weapon, and I don't care about dead Clan hime," Kunimori looked derisive.
"If you had the recollections I do, you would," Tsuneyoshi said darkly, as an image of a dark haired woman flashed into his thoughts, hair flying loose on the wind and blood splattering her blade. "If you'd seen what I saw, you wouldn't be so casual about the power of women to do harm."
"Harm, maybe, but not wage war," Kunimori was unmoved. "If you can't shut out girlish whimperings at your age, then you really need to toughen up and stop being so easily distracted. Our business is with Harumizu and the current Yamamoto, not some dead Clan hime in some ornate crypt nearby. If you're saying this in order to make me want to leave more quickly..."
"I'm not," Tsuneyoshi sighed. "I want to know about Harumizu, too. I'm not going anywhere, Kunimori-dono. But I won't countenance you killing the weaklings outside. Whoever's voice I hear, I hear it strongly enough that I know she's not weak, and I don't want to hear her or make any kind of connection to her, not if I can avoid it. I also don't want to make fodder of the men outside, either. I can't hear their voices yet, so I know they're all still alive, but I don't want to, however feeble they might be. I came here for information. Not bloodshed."
"Well, that suits me too, here, so long as I get the Knowledge I need," Kunimori shrugged his shoulders. "So it's agreed. We'll wait for the Kuchiki to come. Once they do, we'll have all the answers we need - to avenge your grievance, and mine."
"Are you sure that it's all right for me to visit?"
Juushirou pushed open the door of the corridor, hesitating for a moment, and glancing back at Kai as if looking for confirmation. Kai grinned at the moment of doubt, flicking his fingers in the direction of the end cell. It was later the same day and, following the conversation with Kohaku and Kayashima about Katsura's letter, Juushirou had found it difficult to settle and leave everything out of his control. Worried about Enishi's fate, he had taken a walk in the direction of Second Division to ask after his Vice Captain's health and situation. There he had been met by Kai, who had greeted him warmly, assuring him that he was more than welcome to see Enishi's condition for himself. At first Juushirou had hesitated, worried that his presence might somehow compromise the investigation and inspire deeper probes into the Thirteenth Division's other activities, but Kai had seemed unconcerned, leading him personally to the hallway that led to the holding cells.
"It's fine," he agreed. "You're here with authorisation from the person in charge - that is, me. We've spoken to Houjou and to your people and taken all our statements. Nobody is going to accuse you of collusion or anything else because we already have all the material we need from them. This whole case now rests on the judgement of the Fourth and their autopsies. Till we get that, Houjou is at my pleasure - but you can visit him. You're a Captain, and you have the right to visit an incarcerated squad member."
"I don't want to do anything that will put his case in jeopardy," Juushirou sighed. "Well, I want to help him, but the Thirteenth has to come first. I understand how fine a line I have to walk right now, but rank aside, he's my friend. I don't want him to think he's been abandoned. It's been a busy day and it's getting more and more so, but it's hard to just sit still and do nothing."
"Houjou may not be the most academic shinigami ever, but he's no fool," Kai said wisely. "He knows the situation he's in and why you've taken the actions you have. In fact, I think he expected it. He's been pretty settled and he's answered anything we've asked him without any problem. I really don't think you should worry about him. He's not worried about anything. He believes in what he did, and that means he's at peace."
"It's a characteristic of his I've often envied, but never been able to quite emulate," Juushirou groaned.
"I think we all feel a bit that way," Kai reflected. "Still, I do appreciate Thirteenth's cooperation in our investigation. I know you don't like us poking around, and I know you let me speak to Kohaku even though you weren't sure he was up to it. That's the best way you can help Houjou right now, and you needn't worry about the Thirteenth. Nobody thinks there's any kind of mutinous conspiracy going on under your auspices. Whatever happened at Eleventh was an exceptional circumstance, but it won't reflect on the rest of you."
"I'm glad to hear you say it," Juushirou looked troubled. "Enishi says I'm too protective of that boy sometimes, and I am, but..."
He trailed off, and Kai clapped a reassuring hand down on his friend's shoulder.
"Kohaku has turned into a good officer," he observed. "He wanted to help his Vice Captain, which is testimony to the loyalty to the Gotei your people have instilled in him. Mind you, when I first met him five years ago before Kotetsu's trial, I felt that he had an inner steel and resolve to him when it came to something he believed in doing. You needn't worry about him, he's tougher than you think he is. And he has a good ally in that other lad. Kayashima, was it? He made a decent witness, has a good memory for detail that means it's becoming easier to put together everything that happened. I know not everyone in Seireitei gives Kohaku due credit - some of my own officers included - but I don't see him as anything but a witness in this case and you needn't worry that it's otherwise. I'm grateful for the chance to speak to him and that you allowed me to do so without sending officers to supervise, but I'm still hoping that I'll be able to build a case that doesn't need him to testify about what he saw that night. He's a tough kid, but he was pale and I saw the shadows under his eyes. I'm going to do my job properly, but I am not enough of a hardened interrogator that I can't tell that what he saw shook him up. Without your Vice Captain, the last thing you need is Kohaku's spirit power going into meltdown, and I think Seireitei could do without that drama as well. I intend to leave him alone now I've heard his statement - unless it becomes essential in framing Houjou's defence."
"I appreciate that," Juushirou sent his friend a rueful smile. "I agree, a repeat is something we don't want - in any sense."
"I think the person least troubled by what happened at Eleventh is Houjou himself," Kai reflected.
"Well, I told Naoko that I was coming to make sure Enishi was all right," Juushirou sighed, "but perhaps the opposite is more true. Maybe it's the other way around, and I came for a dose of his no-nonsense common sense. He says I overthink things and worry about stuff I shouldn't. At the moment, there's a lot to worry about...I suppose I came to make sure he wasn't one of those things, irrational as it sounds."
"I'm doing my best to get all the details together," Kai assured his friend with a wry smile. "He's my friend, too. I know what is at stake and I won't bend the rules. It's too important that I don't. But if I was to follow hunches, I'd say that the absolute conviction with which Houjou gives his case sways me to believe his side of things. He's battle smart, and he doesn't tell lies. He's not trying to hide anything, and he believes what he's saying. That makes me believe him, because I know him. And that means that I'll hold out for whatever evidence I can find before I file this case before the Council. Even if it turns out to be impossible to prove his story - I'll do what I can within the bounds of the law."
"I know, and I'm grateful," Juushirou rested a hand lightly on Kai's shoulder, offering him a sad smile. "Do you trust me to talk to him alone, or are you wanting to be present?"
"I trust you," Kai said evenly. "I know that you bend rules sometimes, Ukitake, but you don't do dishonest things. I know you're not a risk, being here. You won't break him out, and even if you tried, he wouldn't go. And I have a lot to do, so I'll leave you. Let me know when you want to leave, and I'll come and lock up the main doors behind you."
He fumbled at his belt, producing a set of keys and removing one. He tossed it towards his companion with a smile, and Juushirou caught it deftly, sending his friend a confused look.
"This is a cell key...?"
"Like I said, I trust you," Kai returned the other keys to his obi with a shrug. "Besides, I have the key to this corridor and the main door outside. You have the key to Houjou's cell. You're a smart person. I'm sure you realise that breaking into a cell when I control the building exit is not a practical escape plan."
Despite himself, Juushirou laughed.
"I suppose not," he agreed sheepishly. "All right. That makes sense."
"This is taking its toll on you, isn't it?" Kai eyed the white haired Captain keenly, and Juushirou shrugged.
"I'm a Captain without an adjutant, and ten new recruits," he said matter-of-factly. "I have good officers and we'll manage. Naoko and Kirio have been a godsend, but everyone else is realising just how much Enishi did in terms of training drills and patrols and everything else, and adjusting to his absence has hit a lot of people hard. He's popular in the Thirteenth. I feel like my behaviour really has to be absolutely firm and absolute, because otherwise you might have a mutiny of officers coming here to protest his innocence. I might not want to break him out, but I am pretty sure there are others who might, if they thought there was any indication that I doubt the court will find Enishi innocent."
"That's one reason I had people at your gate, but I have to say, the Thirteenth have behaved impeccably, so I removed them," Kai rubbed his chin pensively. "That, and Shikibu gave me a flea in my ear about the behaviour of some of my officers. Those officers won't come to Thirteenth again, by the way. They're busy cleaning out cells in the depths of the Maggots' Nest as punishment for disrespect towards another Division. I heard what they said about young Kohaku, and about you and Houjou, too. I'm sorry, Ukitake. Not all of my officers have good sense."
"You can't help what you've got, and it's fine. It's a lesson for the recruits that not everyone is going to be nice because you wear the same uniform," Juushirou said evenly. "I'd appreciate it if they weren't within my Division grounds again, those officers, but otherwise, you can let it go. I'm not making a formal complaint - I think Naoko probably handled it adequately."
"I'd rather take your formal complaint than hers," Kai said dryly. "Because of that, the officers in question are going to be on punishment detail till my ears have stopped ringing."
He raised his hand in a wave.
"I'll see you later. Tell Houjou that I'll see he's fed in an hour or two, so to sit quietly and wait."
"I'll do so," Juushirou returned the gesture, watching as Kai disappeared back down the long, narrow hallway. He gazed down at the key in his hand, his lips thinning.
To think it has come to this. A Captain visiting his Vice Captain in the Maggots' Nest because a bunch of officers came back from the Dangai dead and instead of looking into what horrific entity caused that to happen, everyone's busy looking for an easy solution. I think maybe Shunsui's right - and Koku too - about Katsura. It's an easy assumption to make...which means it's probably the wrong one, and we've lost time in chasing bad leads. It's already escalated from ancient war dead to current officers. Who knows what other things we've missed - and what greater tragedy we might be dealing with if not for Koku's foresight and Enishi's bullheaded intuition. But then there's the issue of Katsura's letter, and what to do about that and the warning it contained without getting Koku into trouble. Kai isn't suspicious of him, and I don't want to open other cans of worms. I hope Shunsui can find things out without creating a stir in our direction. I don't think Thirteenth could take another body blow right now.
He sighed, making his way down the corridor to the end cell and sliding the key into the lock. It turned easily, and he slid the door back, the sound catching the attention of the room's inhabitant. At the sight of Juushirou, Enishi was on his feet, surprise glittering in his dark eyes.
"Taichou!"
"Good afternoon," Juushirou brought himself into the room proper, closing the door behind him and turning the key in the lock once again. "Don't look so startled. Kai knows I'm here. He let me borrow this," he held up the key, "so that I could have some time to talk with you. Since all our statements are in and filed, now, I'm able to come speak to you - and I wanted to make sure you knew that we hadn't abandoned you."
"I knew that," Enishi smiled wryly at this, sitting back down on the thin wooden pallet and gesturing to Juushirou to take the room's stark metal chair. "It's not much hospitality, but you're welcome. I didn't want you to come here in a mad hurry, and I'm glad you didn't. If Shihouin has authorised it, it means that it's okay. I know you have to protect Thirteenth. I would be cross, if you didn't. They're more important."
"You're both important," Juushirou settled himself as best he could in the uncomfortable interrogation chair. "Everyone back home is worried about you."
"I'm sorry," Enishi looked sheepish. "I've caused a fuss. I would say I didn't mean to, but I don't think there was any 'meaning' about it. I did what I had to do at the time, but I'm sorry for the consequences. It's fine on me," he gestured to the cell. "This is not so bad, and I get fed, but I've left you in the lurch without warning. Especially after you entrusted Kohaku's missions to me."
"Well, it isn't like any of us planned this," Juushirou was pensive. "I believe in your judgement. Besides, if you've become reckless and impulsive about rushing to the rescue, it's probably my bad influence. Shunsui certainly thinks so, so I really can't complain."
Enishi chuckled.
"He would," he agreed appreciatively. "I'm all right, Ukitake. You can tell the folks back home that, too. And something else, if you don't mind. That if you break a rule, for whatever reason, there's a process that has to be followed. I know what situation I'm in and I knew the risks when I took them, if that makes sense. I don't want any of those bright sparks thinking it's all right to do as they please. I had to make a decision and I made it - but I know there might be consequences, and I want to make sure they know that too."
"Talking like that, you sound like a Vice Captain," Juushirou observed lightly, and Enishi grimaced.
"I know," he admitted. "Hard habit to break, even without the uniform. I guess I shouldn't even be calling you Taichou right now, should I?"
"You can call me as you please," Juushirou assured him. "This is an informal meeting, anyway. As a Captain, I can request access to an incarcerated squad member - which you are, even without your badge, until a court decides otherwise - but we're friends and no matter what happens, that doesn't change. You can decide whether you're reporting or whether we're just having a conversation. I don't mind. To be honest, I'm just glad to see you're in one piece."
"I'm probably a damn sight better than you, right now," Enishi owned. "I guess that's insubordination, but if I'm not your Vice Captain right now, I'll say it as your friend. You look worn ragged. Is that my fault? Because if it is, and I make you ill..."
"No...no," Juushirou hurried to reassure his companion. "I'm all right, really. My sleep has been a bit messed up since that night, but it's not really because of you or any of this. I'm worried about Kohaku. The violence of his vision and his episode that night was...of the same level as five years ago. He seems fine - he's recovered and bounced back and he's keen to do his bit for you as well, if he can. But I worry that your warning came a bit too late where he's concerned. Keeping him in the here and now has seemed easy for the past five years, but suddenly..."
"He wasn't right, that day we came back from patrol," Enishi mused. "I don't pretend I understand it. I just know that what he sees is true. But there was a shadow about him. I don't know how to explain it, but he wasn't right. That's why I took him seriously. I knew it wasn't just a flight of fancy."
"Koku's reiryoku can have that effect on people," Juushirou reminded him. Enishi nodded.
"I know, but I don't think so," he ruminated. "Shihouin asked me the same thing too, but I wouldn't know how to gauge it. I don't think Kohaku is the reason I went to Eleventh that night, Ukitake. If you want the honest truth, I think it was the Yamamoto blood that did it. I was slow to put it all together and I'm cross about that. I might not like Atsushi-dono very much, and I might have chosen not to stay with a Clan squad, but they're still my people and I didn't like it, the way they were attacked. If anything, I guess I found that little piece of Clan blood inside of me. I suppose it had to happen one day."
Juushirou eyed his friend thoughtfully, then shook his head.
"You'd have done the same for any other Division, if it had been them in danger," he said at length. "Ours, for sure. Shunsui's. Hirata's. Any of them. You know you would. I'm sure you did hate seeing your kinsfolk messed about like that. But I don't think it was Clan blood that did it, Enishi. I think it's just what you believed was right."
Enishi shrugged.
"True," he agreed. "In that moment, though, I was angry. And I knew, one hundred percent, that what I was doing was the only thing to be done. I understood the risks, but I didn't have time to hang around and get permission or wait for a summons. The moment Furuta came back and reported what had happened at the Gate, I understood what Koku had been trying to tell me with his damn hallucinations. It clicked together like a puzzle and I knew. And I knew if I didn't go, it would be worse. Even if I was too late to stop it all, if I didn't go...it would be worse. I really believed that, one hundred percent."
"And now?" Juushirou asked quizzically.
"Huh?" Enishi looked confused, and Juushirou smiled.
"Do you still believe that, now?" he asked again. Enishi's expression became sombre, and he nodded his head.
"I believe it," he said softly. "I didn't kill anyone that night, Ukitake. I'm certain of it. I stopped them, yes. I took my blade to them, but I wasn't the one who killed them. They were already dead. Just like Koku said. And it made me angry that they were, and that I had to be the one to do it, but there wasn't anyone else. So I did it. And that's all."
"Tsunemori said the same," Juushirou confirmed. "I don't think I have ever seen him so angry as when he came back after your arrest. He was not happy they took you in like this. He described Ikata and the others as like corpses undergoing autopsy."
"That's exactly it," Enishi's clouded expression lifted a little at this, and he nodded. "Tsukabishi is better with words than I am, but that's exactly it. When I cut them open, there wasn't blood. There wasn't anything. I bled," he touched his arm, "but they didn't. It was wrong. Totally wrong. Tsukabishi put it just right. That's how they were."
He cast his companion an anxious look.
"He's all right, isn't he? He and Kira both? I know I took them with me, but..."
"Tsunemori and Kira followed your orders," Juushirou said simply. "They didn't do anything else that Kai or anyone else can touch them for, and since disobeying you would be insubordination, it's my matter to deal with. If I think the order you gave them was a bad one, then that's for me to resolve with you - if and when that opportunity arises. Which, by the way, I won't be doing, because I believe your side of the story and I think the orders given were justified. In any case, neither Kira nor Tsunemori are in any trouble. Nor is Koku. Everyone else is fine."
"Then I guess we just wait till they set a date for the hearing," Enishi looked relieved. "I'm not afraid, Ukitake. I was risking my life, fighting Ikata and the others, and I risked it doing what I did. Shihouin is pretty sure, though, that I won't be facing sedition charges, since they can prove there was an uprising at Eleventh of some kind. I might be kicked out of the Gotei. I might even do hard labour like Tenichi did for a while. But I'll survive. If I end up losing my badge, then I want you to know, I'm glad I came with you to Thirteenth. And I'm sorry that it ended up like this."
"You can save your leaving speech," Juushirou scolded him firmly. "We're friends, but I decide when you leave my Division and when you don't. I don't intend on the Council taking away my adjutant, and I will be ready to argue your case irrespective of the evidence from the Fourth. In the circumstances, even if it's considered vigilante, your actions saved lives. And sometimes, in the field, that has to happen. I'm behaving myself right now, because I have to. But I can yell at the Council if need be. I have, before. I will again, if it's for something I believe in. I wanted to make sure you know that, and don't start making any long term retirement plans."
"Now you sound more like Ukitake," Enishi laughed, but nodded his head. "All right. I'll see what happens. To be honest, I don't fancy the Council's odds in a battle of words with you when you're in that frame of mind, so I'll wait it out and see."
Before Juushirou could respond, there was the sound of quickened footsteps in the hallway outside the small cell, and the Captain turned, surprised at the impatient rap that suddenly came at the cell door, followed by the familiar voice of the Shihouin Vice Captain.
"Ukitake? Houjou? Open up. It's Kai, and it's urgent."
"Urgent good or urgent bad?" Juushirou cast Enishi a troubled glance, nonetheless crossing the cell floor and sliding the key quickly into the lock. Almost as soon as the door was released, it swung open, revealing the slightly out of breath figure of the head of the Onmitsukidou. He ducked into the room, pushing the door to behind him.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you both," he said frankly, holding his hand out for the cell key, and Juushirou obediently handed it over. "I was going to leave you to talk, but as it happens, I can't. Saku's gone to Fourth. There's been an urgent summons from Eriko-dono. It's not confirmed at the moment, but...well, we'll see when she gets back and has all the details, but from Eriko-dono's message, two of the Eleventh Division officers Tsukabishi found collapsed outside of Minaichi's office have come to their senses. Eriko-dono has been very proactive in helping our investigation, and she sent word here right away."
"Is it so important, knowing that, that you needed to come here and tell us right away?" Enishi looked confused. "I didn't see these people, Shihouin. Tsukabishi took care of them, but I never went inside the Eleventh. They didn't see me, either, so it's not as though they can give any kind of witness statement in my case."
"On the contrary," Kai sank down on the end of Enishi's bunk, casting his friend a weary smile. "Eriko-dono's message was short and to the point, but there was enough in it to realise that at least one of these officers remembered clearly what happened before he was taken out of action. He actually asked Retsu-sama about giving a statement to us, as soon as he became aware of how the business had ended and how badly his Captain was hurt, especially as we don't know, yet, if Minaichi will even recover. This officer seemed to think that it was his duty to make sure he dispatched Minaichi's last instructions, even though it was far too late to make a difference if he did. Those last instructions might yet save you a trial, Houjou...depending on how coherent this officer's statement is, and whether we can make it stick."
"I'm confused," Juushirou admitted, and Kai's expression became rueful.
"The officer reported that Minaichi's last command before he lost consciousness was to send someone to Thirteenth," he said frankly. "He told them to, "get Enishi." That was his last order. He sent for you, Houjou. If the witness statement holds up to Saku's scrutiny, then we have someone who can testify to Minaichi's will during the attack. Minaichi's injuries mean he probably won't remember, even if he does wake up sooner rather than later. But if this can be authenticated, then it doesn't matter. I've told Saku to try and speak to the other recovering officer as well, if she can. They are all being kept in isolation from each other in order that they can heal in peace and quiet, so if he gives the same story without being prompted to, then it's likely that we can consider it fact."
"Atsushi-dono's message didn't get to me, though," Enishi pointed out. "I don't see why it matters whether he gave the order or not, since I still went of my own accord."
"You did, which we can't change," Kai said regretfully. "But as it happens, that might not matter."
"I see," Juushirou's tired eyes lit up faintly with a glimmer of hope. "If Minaichi issued an order to send word to Thirteenth, then Enishi being at Eleventh can't be considered vigilante, can it? Even if the message was never actually delivered. Thirteenth and Eleventh were involved in this together. It makes sense that Minaichi would send to us, and Enishi is his kinsman. The only thing was that we couldn't prove he'd done anything of the sort, which would make Enishi's entry to Eleventh something he did without any justification to be there. The circumstances, in my view, give a good argument as to why he was, but if Minaichi tried to send word to Thirteenth, it changes everything."
"I still don't see why," Enishi chewed on his lip, and Kai sighed.
"Minaichi wanted you at Eleventh that night," he said softly. "He might not have been able to get that message out, but he wanted you there nonetheless. Whether it was a mutiny or the attack of the walking dead is something that the Fourth need to settle still, but in the meantime, if this witness comes through, I might be able to push through a petition to dismiss or suspend charges. Yuuichi-sama has accepted Ikata was behaving in a mutinous way, which means the charges of sedition are already unlikely to be pursued. There will probably need to be further discussion about what really happened, but with this, I may be able to get the vigilante charges removed as well. And if I do that..."
"I get to go home?" Enishi's expression suddenly cleared, as though the penny had finally dropped. Kai shrugged.
"There'd still need to be a hearing," he reflected, "and an inquest of sorts before the Council or the Captains, I imagine. And I guess that could change things. I wouldn't say you'd be off the hook till all the evidence was properly heard. But it would be a good step in the right direction - and I'd be able to let you out of here, pending any new information. I think it's as good a chance as any, Houjou. We'd still need to establish the truth of the corpse theory, but Minaichi wanting you there does more or less absolve you of murder, even if the people you took out weren't dead when you fought them."
Juushirou offered Kai a pensive smile.
"We won't count on anything until you have all the information," he said softly. "I know these things can take some time to put through. But it's the first good news I've heard since Enishi was arrested. I must make sure to thank Eriko-dono for being so attentive and so willing to help the investigation. Thirteenth badly needs its Vice Captain back on site, and the sooner that happens, the better."
"Nii-chan, get off him! He's just a kid, like me. Stop scaring him!"
The young girl's voice broke the tension that had been mounting in the small copse, and at her words, Jun'ei felt the sensation of cold metal pull away from his skin. There was a sigh, and then his assailant spoke again, this time addressing the girl in tones entirely lacking the menace of a few moments before.
"He was here threatening you with a knife. Do you expect me to just sit back and let you get hurt?"
"Don't be silly," there was the sound of padded footsteps against the grass, and Jun'ei realised the child had run towards them, grabbing hold of her companion by the arm. "He was just asking me questions. He was cutting the trees with the knife. I asked him why, but he didn't want to tell me. Apparently he's a Kuchiki person, and we're not meant to talk to him without permission."
There was a moment of silence, and Jun'ei struggled to reassert himself into the conversation.
"If you know I am from the Clan, then you should fear the retribution for treating me in such a shameful manner," he managed. Instead of inspiring his companion to release his pin hold, however, to Jun'ei's mortification he heard the stranger laugh.
"I see," the man sounded amused, rather than intimidated by this threat. "I wonder what kind of retribution that will be if I'm sitting on your back. It's not very dignified, is it, Kuchiki-dono?"
"Nii-chan, stop it." the young girl sounded impatient, and Jun'ei was aware of her pulling at her companion's arm again. "You'll get into trouble!"
"That won't be anything new for me," the stranger pointed out, but apparently the child's persuasion worked where Jun'ei's own demands had failed, and at length he felt the stranger's weight lift off his body. He wriggled around into a sitting position, pulling back against the trunk of a nearby tree as he attempted to gather his composure. For the first time he saw his attacker, a young man robed in simple clothing, with a tail of dark hair and two sapphire blue eyes that were watching him intently. In his hand he still held Jun'ei's dagger, but he didn't seem inclined to use it again in an offensive way, and Jun'ei gathered his wits, debating whether it was a good idea to try and escape. He had no idea where he was, and, from the silent way his attacker had stalked him, this individual knew the forests better than he did. More, although he could see the stranger sitting across from him, Jun'ei was not able to discern the slightest trace of reiatsu. Although he was still in training, Jun'ei's senses were keen enough to recognise that there had been more than just physical force that had pinned him down, and the interloper did in fact possess spirit power. An individual used to hiding in shadows would be hard to escape...and yet Jun'ei knew that time was ticking by, and his Great Uncle's life was still at stake.
"Nii-chan, you hurt him. Look! His leg is bleeding," the young girl's touch against his skin made Jun'ei start a second time, remembering belatedly that his assailant was not alone. The young man snorted, shaking his head.
I didn't do that to him. He did that to himself," he said dismissively, passing the dagger absently between his hands as he scrutinised Jun'ei's appearance. "Homare's right, you know. You are just a kid. What is a pampered Kuchiki prince doing here, so far from his ornate stable?"
"It's none of your business, you uncivilised ingrate!" Jun'ei was well and truly incensed now, his pride driving him to his feet, but as he tried to put weight on his grazed leg, it wobbled and gave under him, causing him to stumble and reach out to grab hold of the tree trunk in order to prevent himself from falling.
"See, he really is hurt," Homare sent her companion a reproachful look, getting to her feet and coming towards Jun'ei. "You shouldn't have jumped on him, Katsu-nii. Maybe you broke his leg or something."
"I didn't do anything to him. I'm not so stupid as to maim the local nobility, but he had a knife in your face, and I wasn't going to let that pass by, either," the stranger, who now Jun'ei knew was called Katsu, or something of that nature, objected to this, indignation glittering in his expression and making him seem altogether less threatening.
"I didn't threaten her at all," Jun'ei interjected, pushing back Homare's attempts to help him and sinking back down onto the grass. "I was notching the trees to track my path. My horse was startled and it bolted, so I was walking to the nearest settlement. I was asking the child to take me to her village, so I could send a message. I have no interest in hurting common folk in the local forests."
"I said I heard a horse in the woods," Homare glanced at her companion, and Katsura's brows knitted together.
"You did," he agreed. "All right. So say I believe you. It doesn't answer my question about what a bocchan is doing in the middle of the wilderness. This is some distance from any of your fancy manors, you know. Why are you here?"
"And you shouldn't be hurting the trees, either," Homare added. "Nii-chan and I were collecting firewood, but only from broken branches. Trees are important and living things, you know. Cutting bits out of them hurts them. You should say sorry. It's a bad thing to do."
"I don't suppose Kuchiki have respect for any tree that isn't pink and flowery," Katsura said ironically.
"I was trying not to lose my way," Jun'ei said stiffly. "I have an important errand to run. I need to get to the Coastal Province. That's all. My family's business is none of yours, so I need not tell you anything else."
"You have no idea where you are going, do you?" Katsura eyed him quizzically, and Jun'ei bristled at the patronising look in the other man's eyes.
"Will you stop speaking to me so familiarly?" he snapped. "If you are aware of my family, you should know the huge degrees of status that lie between us. One day I will be the heir to the Clan, and..."
"Oh, I see," Katsura's eyes narrowed. "So if I were to take you hostage, someone would pay a decent ransom for you?"
"Hostage?" Jun'ei's eyes widened in alarm, and Homare sighed, tut-tutting under her breath.
"Nii-chan, stop it. Stop teasing him. You know you aren't going to hurt him, and even if you were, I wouldn't let you," she said matter-of-factly, trotting across the grass to take Jun'ei's blade from her companion's grip. "He's injured and he's not that old, not really. Even if he was rude and hurting the trees."
"Maybe that's true," Katsura sighed, relinquishing the weapon and sitting back on his hands. "But the fact is that he's seen me here. Both of us. And that's far too dangerous to just let go. I should kill him. It would be the safest solution, but I don't really want to go down that path."
"Kill me?" Jun'ei's dismay was growing by the second, and Katsura grimaced, then reached out two hands to take the youth by the shoulders.
"I'm not going to kill you," he said quietly. "But you need to understand something. Inside your fine castle, you might be the king. But in the forest, it's a case of survival of the fittest. You lost your horse and you're injured. You clearly have no clue where you are, and you're spouting off threats to someone you know nothing about. That's dangerous. People die for less. Kuchiki heirs have died for less. You understand my meaning?"
"I have no idea who you are, except some strange creature who likes hiding in tree-tops to ambush law-abiding citizens," Jun'ei pulled away from his grip, snatching his dagger from Homare's unsuspecting grip and thrusting it bad-temperedly into the folds of his wide obi. "If you aren't going to kill me, what are you going to do? I could as easily have you caught and killed, you know, so you should be careful about threatening me."
"If your family were capable of catching me, they would have done so by now," Katsura tilted his head on one side, eying the youngster thoughtfully. "But you mean that, don't you? You really have no idea who I am?"
"Why would I?" Jun'ei was positively insulted by the suggestion. He glanced up at the tree, then, "I don't know any people who choose to nest in trees like birds."
"Even though you heard Homare call me Katsura?"
"I am not interested in the names of common people, especially those who do not treat me with proper respect." Jun'ei snapped back. "Although I grant you, Katsura is an appropriate name for a heathen who drops out of a tree."
He pulled himself to his feet once more, leaning up against the tree trunk as he tentatively put his injured leg down on the ground. "And the girl is right. I was quite able to walk on this leg after the horse threw me, but I twisted it when you decided to launch yourself at me. This injury is your fault. If you are not intending to kill me or take me hostage, then you can serve me instead."
"Serve...you?" Katsura blinked, then smirked. "Did you not understand what I said? You might be a Kuchiki, but that doesn't mean you can give orders. Homare and I can just leave you here. We know where we're going - but who knows what the forest is like when it gets dark. You're injured, and there are wild creatures. Maybe Hollows. You have reiatsu - you'd be a prime target."
"Will you stop baiting me!" This was the last straw for Jun'ei, and he glared at his companion, putting his hands on his hips and doing his level best to imitate his Great Uncle Guren's best intimidating Kuchiki stare. "I have to ride to the Coastal Province immediately, maybe before! Some foreign shinigami invaded my home and people there may still be killed! I have to go get help from the Coast, or...or..."
His indignant speech fragmented as the emotion of the situation overwhelmed him, and he sank back to the ground. To his dismay and mortification, he felt tears begin to trickle down his cheeks. His humiliation was only completed when Homare settled herself down next to him, patting him reassuringly on the knee.
"Katsu-nii, stop picking on him," she begged. "I don't know anything about Kuchiki, or any Clans, not really. But I know that something bad has happened. He was looking for help. Maybe we can help him."
"Helping a Clansman is a pretty big risk, Homare," Katsura looked doubtful, "as is getting involved in shinigami squabbles. You know how I feel about coming in contact with the Gotei."
Homare shook her head, glancing at Jun'ei.
"Someone is trying to hurt the people you love, aren't they?" she asked softly. "I know what that's like, because I get scared that people will hurt Niichan. I didn't know there were so many scary things in Seireitei until I came here, but now I know that there are."
Katsura sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Fine," he said reluctantly. "But it's not really up to me. If the young Prince over there can't bear to accept the help of tree-dwelling commoners..."
"My Great Uncle may be slain. He may already be dead, I don't know," Jun'ei raised his gaze to Katsura's, all sense of Clan pride and defiance gone as he admitted his fear. "I promised to go to the Coast and alert my kinsman, Kinnya-sama, and summon help, but it may already be too late. My Great Uncle Seiren has no spirit power. He is brave and smart, but he is no shinigami, and cannot defend himself from this enemy. I did not see them, but I sensed their reiatsu when they arrived. I have never felt such terrifying spirit power in my life before. My Great Uncle's servant, Shibata, said that they were shinigami, but none like any ever known here before. I do not think they were Gotei. One of them had the scent of death in his aura. I can't explain it any other way, but it was as though his soul had been dragged up from Hell itself, as though he were walking death, stepping into the Kuchiki Manor to bring about destruction."
"A reiatsu that felt like death? Like being dragged back from the grave, perhaps?" Katsura's eyes had changed, and in a moment he was on his feet, reaching across to haul Jun'ei back to his. At the sudden change in his demeanour, Jun'ei shot him a startled look, wariness in his grey gaze.
"Yes? What about it? Do you know who these people are?"
"No..." Katsura pressed his lips together tightly. "No, but I have sensed something similar, recently. I've heard rumours...about dead people walking around forests in Sixth District."
"My father sent my mother and siblings away from the central manor for their safety following such an incident, in the memorial grove," Jun'ei agreed. "I do not know the details of it, and did not see it myself, but whoever attacked my home, those people weren't dead. It's just that one of them felt...like he was...bringing Death to the Kuchiki manor."
Katsura was silent for a moment. Then he frowned.
"You should have said so sooner," he murmured. "I've seen them - the undead people, in other places. I had even thought they might be controlled by a shinigami sword. But I haven't heard about this shinigami with an aura of death before. If you're right, then this...suggests something new has happened. And I need to find out what, before someone I care about gets hurt."
"What has it to do with you? This is clearly a shinigami problem!" Jun'ei was confused.
"My brother is a shinigami," Katsura said simply. "I don't much trust the Clans or their stranglehold over the Gotei, but I don't want to see my brother lose his life because he chose a different path to me. I guess that's enough to be going on with, isn't it? You want to protect your family - is it so unreasonable that I want to protect mine?"
"I suppose it isn't," Jun'ei admitted. "I'm sorry. I did not think about that possibility...that ordinary people can be shinigami too. Father always tells me not to ignore the knowledge of the Districts. Perhaps I was hasty - but you did jump on me, and that was unpleasant."
"Well, I thought you were hurting Homare, which is unforgivable to me," Katsura said matter-of-factly. Jun'ei shook his head.
"I merely sought information from her on how to leave this accursed forest," he owned, and Katsura laughed.
"Tell me your name," he said frankly. "If I'm going to help you, I need to trust you. And we need to make an agreement. I can't do that if I don't know who you are."
"My name is Jun'ei. Kuchiki Jun'ei." Jun'ei slipped the Kuchiki pendant from around his throat, holding it up so it glinted in the light. "This is the proof of my heritage. It contains the crest of my father's line of the Kuchiki main house."
"Well, I don't know anything about sparkly emblems, and I have no intention of pandering to Kuchiki pride," Katsura told his young companion matter-of-factly. "I am also not willing to take you right to the door of your kinsman's manor. It's dangerous for me to go there. I don't like shinigami, and I avoid them when I can. But this is already the edge of the Coastal Province, and I can get you close enough to make contact with his people there. In return, I ask of you only two things."
"What things?" Jun'ei looked suspicious, and Katsura smiled.
"One, the moment we part, you forget that you ever met me," he said softly. "And two, you take Homare with you, when you go."
"Nii-chan!" Homare's eyes widened with dismay at this, and Katsura patted her on the head.
"I will come back for you. I promise," he said gently. "But what Jun'ei-dono's said has me worried. I think I might have to go back and check something dangerous - and I don't want you to be hurt. I promised not to take you back into the Gate again, and so I won't risk your safety by making you come with me."
"But...if it's dangerous...Niichan..." Homare faltered, and Jun'ei sent Katsura a curious look.
"Who are you, that you talk so knowledgeably about shinigami and Gates and yet carry no sword and want noone to know your name?" he demanded. Katsura grinned.
"Sometimes it's better not to know the answers to all questions," he said vaguely. "If I help you get to your kinsman's land, I expect you to keep those two promises. Well? Do we have a deal?"
He held out his hand, and, after a moment of hesitation, Jun'ei slipped his fingers into Katsura's, grasping them and shaking his agreement.
"I don't understand your terms, but I am a man of honour and I will keep to them," he said firmly. "If I cannot talk of your involvement, you will surely not expect any reward for your actions, but that is your choice. My Great Uncle's life and other lives are in the balance, so I have no choice but to accept."
"I don't want anything from you or the shinigami," Katsura admitted, "but I do want to stop anyone else dying unnecessarily. And if what you said is happening at the Kuchiki manor relates to what I think it does, then something much bigger is going on than just a few dead people coming out of broken gates. So I'll get you to the Coastal Province, but then I'm going to do some investigating of my own."