Chapter Thirty Six: Izumi
"Ketsui-kun, when you've done eating, the Taichou's looking for you."
Ketsui gulped down his mouthful of green tea, turning to stare at the speaker with a look of apprehensive confusion. It was early morning in the Thirteenth Division barracks and all members, bar those on patrol duty were at breakfast - all, that is, except for Naoko, Atsudane and Kira, who had not yet returned from their top secret mission to the Rukon. It was a top secret mission, at least officially, but unofficially everyone in Thirteenth knew about it and Ketsui was no exception, so it was with any amount of consternation that he met Tsunemori's gaze.
"Me? Right now? Are you sure?"
"As soon as possible, that's what he said," Tsunemori nodded his head, offering the boy a grin as he seemed to understand his companion's concern. "I know, being summoned these days has all kinds of undertones, doesn't it? But I don't think it's anything bad. In fact, I think it's the opposite. Taichou said he had a training assignment for you and I was to send you to his office right away."
"A training assignment?" Ketsui set down his chopsticks, placing his mug on his tray and getting to his feet. "I'm about done now, so I'll go right there. Did he say anything about what kind of assignment? I mean, I'll do it, if he wants me to, but..."
"You need to have more faith in yourself," Tsunemori told him firmly, resting a hand lightly on his subordinate's shoulder. "You're Tenth seat - there's no reason why you can't take on training with a lower ranked member. Besides, Kira-san said yesterday before he left that he'd heard Naoko-san and Fukutaichou talking about us taking in a new recruit out of the normal timetable. Probably it's about that. With everything else going on, Taichou probably doesn't have time to see to them himself. It's a good chance for you, if I'm right...you haven't trained a recruit before, have you?"
"No," Ketsui agreed slowly, stacking his tray with the others to be cleared and following the skinny Ninth Seated officer out of the mess hall and along the corridor that led towards the Captain's Ugendou. "A recruit out of season? I remember. Kira-san said he didn't know the circumstances, but that it sounded like a special case - someone who would benefit more from squad placement now than waiting the year through. That kind of thing doesn't happen very often, does it? And if they came here, it must be a District student - so even less so."
"True, but I suppose it can happen," Tsunemori reflected. "What a time to join a division, though. Being a recruit is intimidating enough, but to come at such an unusual time, and in the midst of all this chaos..."
"Hopefully nobody's told the kid that one of the Gotei's higher officers just got murdered," Ketsui said darkly. "If I was recruiting, and someone told me that, I'd run a mile. Seriously. It'd be the first thing to put me off."
Tsunemori grinned, shaking his head.
"I don't think so," he reflected. "I think I know you quite well now, Ketsui-kun. We share quarters, so it's easier to get someone's measure when you spend so much time together. I don't think you'd have run away from the Thirteenth - not then and not now."
"Not now, certainly," Ketsui ran his fingers through his messy blond hair, eying his companion anxiously. "Do I look all right? I haven't really time to go upstairs and smarten up, not if Taichou sent a direct message...but I want to make a good impression. There was a time, though, when I really didn't think I'd make it as a shinigami."
"Likewise," Tsunemori mused, and Ketsui's eyes widened in surprise.
"You?" he demanded. "Ever since I've know you, you've been one of the most level-headed, settled people in the division! All right, maybe you don't shout at everyone..."
He paused, reddening as he realised how cheeky his words might sound, and Tsunemori laughed, nodding his head.
"Thirteenth is my family," he said frankly. "Ukitake-taichou and Houjou-fukutaichou were the first two people in that family that I knew and trusted, back when they were my senpai at school. When I began at the Academy, though, I couldn't even read, and could barely manage to speak two words together, even when people were being kind to me. My mother had died, and I was all by myself in the world for the first time, with no place to go but the school. I tried once to run away. Between the two of them, Taichou and Fukutaichou helped me out a whole lot. I don't know if I decided then that I could be a shinigami, but I definitely decided somehow I was going to repay them for being so kind to me. So I worked hard, and as I did, I realised that I was starting to really like what I was doing. I'd never go anywhere other than Thirteenth Division, now...not even if it was dangerous to be here. Being on your own is more frightening to me...and I think you feel that too, don't you?"
"Mm," Ketsui reddened, nodding his head. "It's silly, really. Tenichi-nii is the one in the family with the courage, the drive, the determination. He's the one with the plaudits, the former Anideshi, the one people talk about maybe being a division adjutant at some point in the future. My name might be Ketsui - resolve - but I don't think I have all that much of it. I like being a shinigami, but I don't always think I'm very good at it. And when something like this comes up...do you really think it will be all right, if Taichou really does hand me a recruit?"
"I don't see why he wouldn't," Tsunemori reflected. "I've trained you in Kidou and I've done some training work with Kuyashima and a couple of the others, and I only rank up on you by one place."
"I guess I'm still not confident of Tenth seat," Ketsui admitted, "but I don't want to let anyone down, so I'm doing my best. I know Ten-nii left Thirteenth so I could do that, and he's dealing with a whole lot more than I am right now, with Seventh in the state it is - so I don't want to create any trouble for him, either. Maybe...I suppose if it's a recruit, maybe I will be able to teach them something. My sword skills are quite good, and you said my Kidou was getting better."
"There," Tsunemori grinned at him. "And here's where I have to leave you. I promised to relieve Hikifune-san so she could get her breakfast and she's been with our mystery patient since before dawn."
"All right," Ketsui returned the grin. "Thank you for bringing the message and for walking this far with me, Tsunemori-san. I'm sure you're right - I'm sure it'll be fine, else Taichou wouldn't have asked for me, would he?"
"Right," Tsunemori agreed. "I'll see you later. Try and make a good impression!"
With that the Ninth Seat was gone, disappearing along the twisting, turning passageways towards the side room which had become Koku's sickroom since his arrival at Thirteenth Division, and, left alone, Ketsui once more attempted to smooth his hair, pulling his hakamashita as straight as he could manage and checking the knot on his obito make sure it was not squint. Once reassured that he had spilled none of his morning meal across the crisp black fabric, he pushed open the sliding door that led out onto the planked walkway over the koi pond to the Ugendou, striding more purposefully than he felt across the slatted wood and raising a clenched fist to rap three times sharply on the bamboo divide.
Juushirou's voice called him in, and he obediently pushed the door back, stepping into the office-cum-living quarters and bowing his head properly towards his senior officer.
"You sent for me, sir?" he said evenly.
"I did," Juushirou's voice sounded part relieved, part harried, and as Ketsui raised his head, he realised that his Captain was not alone, but in the company of a tall, gangly man of about his own age, with a shock of red hair, robed in the plain browns and beiges of a District settlement. For a moment the two men gazed at one another, Ketsui curious and the man clearly wary, then the stranger spoke, bowing his head curtly towards Juushirou and taking a step back.
"I'll leave Izumi-hime in your hands, then, Ukitake-sama," he said softly.
Izumi...hime?
For the first time, Ketsui caught a glimpse of a third person, standing silent and almost completely hidden behind her taller companion. This one, he realised with a jolt, was neatly robed in black, albeit not the normal regulation shihakushou of the Gotei. Her obi was also a strip of ebony cloth, neatly knotted, and the whole apparel made a stark contrast with the girl's silverish fair hair, which fell mostly loose down her back, aside from a few beaded strands that strayed carelessly over her shoulders. She was tiny in stature, her full height not even reaching to Juushirou's shoulder, but as the redhead turned to glance at her, she merely nodded her head, as if she was unaffected by his clear unease of the entire situation. Her lashes were lowered demurely, the picture of a porcelain doll, but as she raised her head to meet his quizzical stare, Ketsui was struck by the vivid light that lurked in the depths of equally argent eyes. She was robed in common clothing, but as they locked gazes, Ketsui had the sudden impression that he really was looking at a 'hime', and that the redhead's term of address had not been exaggerated.
A District hime? That doesn't make sense, but even so, it's the only way I know how to describe her.
The redhead bowed his head in Ketsui's direction, a sombre, troubled look on his features, and then, with a backward glance at the young girl, he left the room, leaving a confused Tenth Seated officer alone with Juushirou and the silver-haired sprite. He eyed her critically, unable to take his gaze off the ghostlike delicacy of her countenance and the shrewd, intelligent contradiction that lurked deep within that deceptively innocent gaze. She could not be more than eighteen or nineteen at the very most, yet despite her elfin frame, Ketsui did not think that she was weak. In fact, unlike the troubled redhead and the harried Juushirou, the young woman seemed perfectly calm and composed, as if being there, in the middle of the Thirteenth Division's Captain's office at a time of year when new recruits were rare, was the most normal and natural thing in the world.
She met his gaze again, a faint smile touching her lips at his attention, and he reddened, suddenly discomfitted about how much he had been staring. She lowered her lashes once more, tilting her head forward in perfect imitation of a Clan hime, and Ketsui had that strange sense of the surreal once more - the princess in rags, surveying her new dominion.
"Hiko-kun will return safely, I'm sure," Juushirou cast the young woman a fleeting glance. "In the meantime, this is Kotetsu Ketsui, our Tenth seated officer. He will take care of you and show you around the division. He's been with us a long time, and will know all the things you'll need, so you can trust him to help you settle in. Ketsui," he turned to his subordinate, "this is Ichimaru Izumi. She is a recruit with the Thirteenth Division starting today. It's an unusual time of year for her to join us, and as you're aware, we've been very busy, so I'm going to be relying on you to mentor her and show her the ropes. When Naoko comes back, you must ask her for a proper uniform for the girl and of course, for her to be shown the female quarters and her sleeping arrangements - but for the time being, I would like to put her under your mentorship."
"Yes, sir," Ketsui forcibly tore his gaze from Izumi, nodding his head. "I can try, sir. I mean, I'm not a girl, but..."
"No, you are not," despite his weariness, a faint smile glimmered at the corners of Juushirou's mouth, and Ketsui was mortified to see it mirrored on Izumi's delicate features. "However, with Kirio engaged with looking after our patient, and Naoko in the field, there are no female officers I can entrust Izumi's induction to. You don't mind going with Ketsui, do you, Izumi?"
The girl shook her head, offering Juushirou a reassuring smile. Juushirou returned it with a relieved one, patting her companionably on the shoulder, and nodding.
"Then I'll ask you to step outside for a moment, while I speak to Ketsui alone," he said lightly. "Don't go far - just on the walkway. The ponds are quite pretty in this light, and there are quite a lot of fish in them at this time of the year."
Izumi bowed her head respectfully, then, without making a sound, she picked her way daintily across the tatami mat floor, slipping the door open and disappearing outside. Juushirou waited until the divide closed, then turned his gaze on his Tenth seat with a rueful grin.
"You don't mind, do you, that I've asked you to do this?" he asked softly, and Ketsui faltered, then shook his head.
"It's a big responsibility. I've never had a recruit before, and, well, with her being a girl...but Tsunemori-san said that with everyone so busy...I want to be helpful too. And well, it won't be...hard, will it? I mean, just showing her where to go, what to do, and things like that...? I can manage basic drill training and stuff, too...I think. And, well, I want you to think I've earned being Tenth Seat, so I...I will try."
"Mm," Juushirou hesitated for a moment, then crossed the floor, resting his hands on the younger man's shoulders.
"I know you're worried about Tenichi. I am too, but there's nothing for us to do there," he said solemnly. "Your brother's division is in a bad state and he has to work out for himself how to deal with that. I want to give you this responsibility for that reason, too. That, and I know you're kind. You won't be impatient or judgemental with the girl - which I think is important. She's not like any recruit we've had before, so..."
"In what way, sir?" Ketsui's curiosity was piqued, but Juushirou shook his head.
"It's complicated," he said vaguely, and Ketsui had the impression his Captain was keeping something back. "Izumi is not yet formally in adult years, but it isn't possible for her to remain with her family, nor with the Academy. Her...gifts...are not compatible with her being in either place, and it's hoped she'll find a better niche here. I want to give her that chance."
"I see," Ketsui absorbed this thoughtfully. "The man who was here...he called her 'hime'...?"
"I would rather you didn't ask me too many questions," Juushirou admitted. "As I said, it's complicated. Izumi might be...in danger if I were to try and tell you any more, and so might you. Remember, we are in a high-tension situation, and a dangerous killer is on the loose. I want you to give your attention to Izumi's well-being as a mentor and a senpai within the division. I'd rather you just absorbed that and took it forward, even if it's not a satisfactory answer."
"Are you asking me to train Ichimaru-san, or are you asking me to protect her?" Ketsui's eyes widened, and Juushirou sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Training is a form of self-protection," he answered at length. "I want you to be of help to her in whatever way you're able. I trust you, Ketsui-kun. I know you won't repeat anything I've said to you here outside this room, as some things are sacred to individual people and their privacy. I just wanted to give you some background, even a very little, so that if things she does seem at odds with you, you'll understand it's because her situation is different, and will, I hope, make allowances to compensate for them. I believe, for example, that she has excellent kidou and shunpo, but her sword skills are poor at best. You'll understand too if I say that she has some connections that she would rather didn't become public knowledge, because you do too - and for that reason, I think you will realise best how you can help her fit in."
"Well, I'll try," Ketsui's eyes burned with curiosity, but he nodded his head. "I won't ask any more, Taichou, and I won't ask her, either, I promise. If it's an order, then I'll carry it out as best I can. And if it turns out that it's sword training she wants or needs from me, well, I could do that, I think. I'm quite confident of my skills in that discipline at least."
"Good lad," Juushirou grinned. "That's what I knew you'd say. Although...there is one other thing I ought to tell you, before you take her off to show her the division. Something quite important, that I didn't know till she and her escort arrived here."
"Taichou?" Ketsui looked quizzical, and Juushirou's pursed his lips together.
"Izumi doesn't appear to have the power of speech," he admitted at length. "I know," as Ketsui looked startled, "it makes communication interesting, if not highly difficult. I understand she communicates using a sophisticated form of sign language, but outside of her family circle, that is difficult to comprehend. You may have to be considerably patient. I am assured - no, I know for a fact that she is an extremely intelligent young woman, and will be a great asset to us here at Thirteenth. But we will have to make...adjustments to fit her needs. I want you to protect her in that regard, at the very least - try and make her feel welcome in a place that is, almost certainly, very foreign to her at present."
"It's the same for all of us, when we recruit, even if we recruit in numbers," Ketsui said wisely. "When Shizu-chan and I first came here, sir, I remember wishing we were both in the same Division, because I was terrified of coming into Thirteenth without her. I relied on Ten-nii too much, and forced him to feel he should move elsewhere, but everyone was kind to me, so now it's my turn. I'll do my best to make Ichimaru-san feel like this can be a second family to her - I promise."
"Then you're dismissed," Juushirou indicated the door. "Take her and show her the...what now?" as there was a hurried pounding at the divide, followed by the rough sound of the wood being forced back to reveal the broad frame of the Thirteenth's hefty Vice Captain, his face red as if he had been running.
"Taichou! I'm sorry to burst in like this, so early in the morning, but Shikibu and the others have returned from the Rukon, just!" he exclaimed breathlessly. "Shikibu's wanted by the Third - something to do with her sword and reiatsu detection - but Kira and Atsudane are back at base and I've taken a brief..."
He paused, glancing at Ketsui as if seeing him for the first time, and Juushirou grinned.
"Go on, Ketsui. Enishi, it's fine. If they're back, I'll see them myself."
"Well, that's the other thing," As Ketsui bowed, moving to excuse himself from the office, Enishi continued earnestly. "Kyouraku...Kyouraku-taichou's here, too. I mean, he wants to see you. Here. In Ugendou, now. That's what I came to tell you - he said that even if you were undressed, he was coming, so make sure you had the sake ready."
Ketsui did not hear his Captain's response to this startling demand, closing the door hastily and turning to search for the division's mysterious new recruit. She stood a few feet away, resting her hands against the bamboo railing as she gazed down into the clear blue waters below, apparently unconcerned by the fact her new Vice Captain had just thundered past her across the wooden walkway. At his approach, she glanced up, meeting his gaze briefly, before bowing very properly towards him.
Ketsui swallowed hard, gathering his courage, then offering her what he hoped was a professional grin.
I dunno how we'll talk, though, if she doesn't speak. I don't like awkward silences, and I don't know the first thing about hand signals. Oh well. I guess we have to begin somewhere.
"I'm Kotetsu Ketsui, like Taichou said," he said firmly. "It sounds like our Third Seat is back from her mission, so later I'll introduce you and she can help you find where you sleep and change into proper shihakushouand things like that - but for now, shall I show you around the Thirteenth Division? I can introduce you to people - some of the other recruits are bound to be around, and, well, even though they're all guys at the moment, they're nice enough."
Izumi tilted her head on one side, considering his words, then greeting them with a smile and a nod of approval, and Ketsui let out an inward sigh of relief.
Here goes. My first recruit to mentor...and I hope to God with everything else going on I don't screw it up. Taichou made it sound like this girl was someone important, but not in a necessarily good way - and a way I don't need or want to know about. I only hope I'm not taking on more than I can handle, agreeing to take her on.
"You know, I didn't expect the first place for you to call would be Ugendou, following your return from the Rukon."
Juushirou poured the last of the green tea into the second cream ceramic mug, pushing it across the low slung table towards his companion before taking his own and putting it contemplatively to his lips. "I would've thought Eighth were eager to speak to you, not to mention your official debrief."
"I've left Sora to debrief Hanako and Kaoru on the important things, and no doubt Naoko will speak to you herself later, when she's finished talking to Nagesu-sama about the things her sword picked up on the other side," Shunsui sat back against the wall of the small hut, taking a gulp of his own tea and letting out a heavy sigh. "No sake, not even for a weary traveller? You're a hard taskmaster, Juushirou - I've been seeing and sensing horrors unimaginable and all you can manage is tea?"
"We have no sake. You drank the last of it, and there's been no time to order fresh," Juushirou said unsympathetically. "Besides, you might want to drink it away, but I'd rather have you clear headed. You obviously came here for a reason. Enishi spoke to Kira and Atsudane and they apparently gave him a brisk appraisal of the searches they carried out and so on - but your appearance makes me think there's more to it than what they encountered. You only drop in on me like this when something's on your mind - so spill."
"If I did that, your nice clean table would get ruined and Naoko-chan would scold me," Shunsui said lightly, offering his friend a benign smile, and Juushirou sighed, shaking his head in defeat.
"What's on your mind, not what's in your mug," he said wearily. "Now I know something's wrong. You're only this infuriating when you're dancing around a subject and the more irritating you become, the more serious it obviously is. What happened in the Rukon, Shunsui? What did you see there that's brought you to my door so soon?"
"Mm," Shunsui took another slurp of tea, setting the mug down on the table with a grimace. "You always did read right through me, and you are again. Though I think it's extremely hurtful of you to suggest I only come here when something's on my mind. I assure you that quite often nothing is on my mind, and I still come by to say hi, see how you are and play shougi."
"You come here to hide from Sora when your paperwork is due, or to coerce me into drinking the latest sake you've received from your brother, you mean," Juushirou corrected, and Shunsui beamed.
"Yes! I'm such a good friend that I bring and share my gifts! You shouldn't doubt my generosity, and..."
"Sora doesn't like you drinking sake in the office when she's trying to work, and you stop changing the subject. It isn't going to work so you might as well save your breath," Juushirou cut across him, holding up his hands. "I have a lot of things of my own to do, so I don't have time to play games with you. Much as I welcome your company - at times like this I'd rather you got to the point."
"Fine," Shunsui let out a gusty sigh, but nodded his head, folding his arms across his chest pensively. "I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things, but first of all, about the Kitsune."
"Kitsune?" Juushirou's eyes narrowed, and Shunsui nodded.
"I'm not asking detailed questions," he assured his friend, "but I know that you got the data you produced at the meeting from them. Did Hirata put them in touch with you, or was it all on your side?"
"Neither. It was theirs," Juushirou shook his head. "I can't really tell even you that much. Honestly, I'm not sure what I even know. But yes, the data did come from them."
He lowered his voice, glancing around him as if expecting someone to be eavesdropping from the shadows, then,
"Enishi and I met with one of them. He came to us, and offered us his help," he said quietly. "If I tell you any more, then it could put them at risk, since I can't guarantee what techniques Keitarou has at his disposal. If he's corrupted a former Onmitsukidou, anything is possible, so I'll play safe. They're willing to continue cooperating with us, though - so if that's what you want to know, you can consider them an ally in the shadows."
"Good. That's what I hoped," Shunsui admitted. "The coordinates Nagesu-sama pulled from the data you gave was very accurate. Strikes me we'd never have landed in such close proximity to Keitarou's former base if not for their work, so if there's any more where that came from, make sure you bring it forth. Does Hirata know you're in touch with them?"
"No, but when he returns to the Council and meetings proper, I'll tell him," Juushirou responded. "They're his people, so it's only right."
"Understood. As far as I'm concerned, this conversation didn't happen," Shunsui grinned, but Juushirou could see the clouding in his dark eyes and frowned.
"And?" he pressed. "You said Keitarou's former base. He'd upped and left?"
"Are you surprised?" Shunsui snorted. "A wounded victim escaped back to Seireitei. His location was bound to be discovered. Nagesu-sama found a locked and barred Senkaimonthat seems to lead to the Real World. Naoko-chan's sword confirmed that Keitarou's reiatsu was all over it. Third and Twelfth are taking apart the science of it now, trying to pinpoint a new set of coordinates to open a door there and extend their search - but the Real World is huge, so doing so might take some time. I'm leaving that to him, although it bothers me a little."
"Too obvious for Keitarou? You think it's a red herring and he's still in Rukongai?" Juushirou questioned. Shunsui shrugged.
"All I know is that he's not in the bit we searched, but was till recently. And he definitely opened a gate to the Real World, but a shinigami with a Bankai sword doesn't leave traces of himself on a gate unless he wants to be followed. He might be there, but I'm not sure if he'll stay. The thing is, I don't know where else he might have gone. The camp in the Rukon is cleared out. There's evidence of people living there, Juu - not much, but enough to theorise that there was a settlement and Keitarou was at the heart of it. Wherever he's gone, he's taken them with him. Naoko-chan called it an army...maybe she's right."
"Including children we know very little about," Juushirou murmured. Shunsui nodded.
"I have some problems on that score, too," he admitted. "Naoko-chan detected the same reiatsu over there as she picked up here at Thirteenth and controlling the Hollows in District Seireitei. She thinks the person who did that is one of Keitarou's agents, which fits in with your own suspicions, doesn't it?"
"Yes, sadly," Juushirou agreed, "but it's not the Onmitsukidou?"
"No. Naoko-chan didn't think that the reiatsu felt right. It wasn't controlled enough, or something...very raw, very undermanaged. Onmitsukidou are the opposite - even ones like your corpse in the forest."
"Then we have someone else? Do you think Mitsuki is in danger?" Juushirou's eyes widened with horror, and Shunsui shook his head.
"I think where she is now is probably too close to the heart of things here to be a viable target. Since that person, whoever they are, came here once and then never again since, I imagine they were scouting out possibilities, decided it was too great a risk and left. That would suggest they wanted to finish the job begun in the Spiritless Zone, but didn't think it worth risking their own safety just to finalise their tally. Especially now Seireitei is on high alert."
"Mitsuki didn't see the killer of the healers, though. Madeki-dono did, but Mitsuki was across the other side of the area," Juushirou protested.
"Well, I'm thinking maybe that Hollow was also being controlled. Perhaps those deaths were murder too - no, in fact, I'm certain of it, though I can't prove it and nobody's really bothering to investigate with so many other things going on," Shunsui responded. "If the young lad hadn't stepped in and rescued your Mitsuki, who knows what might have happened?"
"You think I should stop being suspicious of him?"
"No, I think being suspicious of anyone is a good thing in this climate," Shunsui responded. "Whoever he was, and whyever he was there, I think we can rule out his intent to hurt Mitsuki if he helped her escape and then someone came after her here. What other reason he might have had for being there I don't know...yet. It might not be important, but I hate discarding detail. Still, for now, we'll let that rest on your lovesick paranoia and move on to more tangible things. The long and the short of it is, Hollow manipulation bears a spooky resemblance to soul manipulation, which we know is one of Keitarou's party tricks. That suggests to me..."
"This is Aizen Kohaku?" Juushirou's brows furrowed. "But what about what the Onmitsukidou said? Should we discard that as nonsense, or designed to lead us off track?"
"Goodness knows, but I think whoever is controlling those creatures is probably a child of Keitarou's," Shunsui replied matter-of-factly. "It's not the girl, because she has no reiatsu presence. That leaves...either Kohaku, or..."
"Or?"
"Character X," Shunsui sketched out the characters for unknown on the table with his index finger. "If the Onmitsukidou is telling the truth, but if the person controlling the Hollows is Keitarou's child, and if we know the girl with the sword is not either one of those, then is it not possible Keitarou has more children than we've assumed? There's not much to do in the Rukon. It's more than possible he's been keeping Eiraki-hime busy by populating that world with his willing servants."
"Oh lord," Juushirou whitened, his throat tightening as he realised the truth of Shunsui's words. "We've assumed that what Souja said was complete, but you're right. We've jumped to that conclusion but have no basis for it. It's possible Keitarou has other children. The Kitsune who came to see me intimated that a child of Keitarou's could claim the Endou Clan legitimately by challenging Hirata in battle. He thought that Keitarou might be keeping his son's hands clean of blood so that he would be prepared for such an eventuality. Apparently he warned Souja of that fact, too - but Souja didn't heed it as carefully as he should've done, and we both know the end result. If you're right, and there's Kohaku controlling the Hollows and this Sakaki girl slicing up shinigami...maybe there's a third in the shadows, waiting for a time to strike."
"Ugly thought, but very possible," Shunsui agreed. "Let's not share that one with Hirata just yet, though. In his current mood, he'd vaporise anyone who dared challenge him before they'd even uttered their name, so I don't think we're in imminent danger of any such attack."
"The Onmitsukidou definitely referred to Aizen Kohaku, though," Juushirou rubbed his chin. "A smokescreen? Good grief, how many of them are there?"
"Like I said, Rukongai's a boring place to be stuck for the best part of thirty years," Shunsui said darkly. "Eiraki-hime was pregnant when they crossed over there. Who knows how many they've spawned since?"
"Not good news for us," Juushirou finished his tea with a sigh. "All right, I can see your line of thought more clearly now."
"There is one other thing," Shunsui eyed Juushirou hesitantly, and Juushirou furrowed his brow in consternation.
"Yet more? Isn't this enough for one session? At this rate I'm going to be the one needing sake!"
"I told you that tea wasn't a strong enough drink," Shunsui reminded him, then sighed, shaking his head. "No, it's no good. The jokes just don't flow without the right spiritual lubrication. I shall have to give it up as a bad job and go back to my main subject - which is, I'm afraid, your waif and stray, Koku."
"Koku?" Juushirou's lips pursed thoughtfully. "What about him?"
"Well, I was hoping you'd tell me," Shunsui admitted. "You must've spoken to him yourself by now - what are your impressions of him?"
"Scared, lonely, young and a little feral," Juushirou looked pensive. "Wary of me, definitely holding things back...I don't know. He was a little like I expected and a little different. You remember I told you Kirio had mentioned him identifying Kikyue as a kestrel, among other things?"
"Yes," Shunsui confirmed. "What of it?"
"Well, we didn't discuss that, particularly, and he didn't say it to me, but he did...when he was caught off guard, he said things that gave away more than he meant to. He was very unwilling to talk about Rukongai, but ended up admitting that he came from there completely by accident. I'm doing nothing about it - that's my decision and you won't change my mind," as Shunsui opened his lips, "so if you do, I'll be very cross with you. I made him a promise not to report it and I need to win his trust."
"Even if his coming from Rukongai is important?"
"I think it probably is important," Juushirou admitted. "But if I want him to tell me the things he's still keeping a secret..."
"You think he is definitely covering something up?"
"Mm," Juushirou nodded. "I'm not quite sure of why, yet, but I'm pretty sure there's something. I can't read people in the same way you do, and my instinct is to help him, not manipulate him, but there's something there all right."
"I see," Shunsui stretched his arms up over his head contemplatively. "Well, if you think like that, what I have to say might shock you or it might vindicate you. Either way, I have a theory. You know the hut that Souja mentioned?"
"Yes," Juushirou agreed. "What about it?"
"Well, we found it. It was empty. Any sword, or anything else that was there was long gone," Shunsui recounted with a grimace. "It had a horrible, Hollowish atmosphere over it - dark, cloying...Kaoru and Kira were very unwilling to go near it and I couldn't blame them. Inside, it looked like someone had been held captive."
"Captive?" Juushirou's expression became one of dismay, and Shunsui nodded.
"I wondered if Keitarou might've been using people in the Rukon for his reidoku experiments," he admitted, "just like he was in District Seven when you first got entangled with him. I wasn't privy to that atmosphere, but I couldn't shake the feeling once I saw the restraints and felt the aura. Then it occurred to me that when Souja talked about his killer, he said that someone had calledher Sakaki. Not that she'd identified herself, but that somene else had identified her."
"How did you know what Souja said? You weren't even in the room!" Juushirou objected, and Shunsui offered him a benign smile.
"I was outside with Tenichi, making sure he understood his duty to stand guard and be at your beck and call," he said blithely. "I happened to overhear bits."
"Well, I don't remember exact grammar constructions, so I'm amazed you did," Juushirou retorted. Shunsui shrugged.
"I didn't, not until I really thought about it. I was trying to remember what I'd heard him say about the hut, and it just popped in there. It sounded odd, and then I realised why. What if the person who called her Sakaki was your Koku?"
"You think he's Keitarou's spy?" Juushirou immediately tensed, and Shunsui sighed, shaking his head.
"I think he's involved with Keitarou, certainly," he said matter-of-factly, "at least to the point he knows the man and probably this Sakaki girl too. The odds are that if someone else was at the scene other than Souja and his killer, it was your unexpected guest, which means he must know something. But hear me out before you savage me. I can see in your eyes that you're already thinking of Koku as your latest waif and stray to protect against all logic and reason, but just hear what I have to say. It occurred to me that if Koku was one of those Rukon people, and Keitarou took him prisoner to experiment on him, maybe Souja rescued him from the hut. And then, in return, Koku helped Souja to come back home. How he escaped Sakaki's blade is another question entirely, but if Sakaki knew he was one of Keitarou's specimens, perhaps she chose not to hurt him. Maybe Koku did also want to escape Keitarou, so took the gamble. Who knows?"
"No...I don't think he wanted to come here. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was homesick," Juushirou relaxed, tucking a wisp of pale hair behind his ear as he considered his friend's theory. "At the very least, completely out of his depth. I'm quite sure he's never been in Seireitei before, nor really knows a damn thing about it or about us. But the rest, I suppose makes sense. If Keitarou was experimenting, Koku's the kind of person he'd pick. He has reiatsu, and it's uneven, but substantial from what I can tell. It would also explain why Souja was so adamant about protecting him, if he was Keitarou's prisoner. Koku's not ready to talk to me fully yet, though. What he told me about Souja's death doesn't contradict anything you've suggested, but I had a feeling it wasn't the whole story. Even if you find an injured man and want to help him, I wonder if it's normal to plunge into the unknown and risk your own neck to save him when you don't know who he is or whether you'll be arrested the moment you step down on the other side. It was pretty clear Souja's chances of survival were low...do you normally do that? But if Koku had a debt to Souja as well..."
"Then it would make sense to try and repay it. Yes," Shunsui agreed. "But if I am right - and I have no evidence for any of it - we need his testimony."
"Which means my winning his trust?" Juushirou sighed. "I intended on doing that already, like I told you."
"To solve the murder case, Juu. Not to take him under your wing," Shunsui warned. "I know you, and it worries me how much you might end up risking if you decide to protect him from the Council and from full interrogation without knowing all of his thoughts and motivations. I don't want you in trouble for this...so be careful, all right?"
"If there's a storm, like I said, I'll ride it out," Juushirou said comfortably. "It's all right. But you mustn't speak about his Rukon links. Even if it seems like a clue, and even if you think its important, right now if he knows something about Keitarou, we need him to tell us in his own words. If you're right, I want him to want to tell us."
"Rather than us pressing it on him, in case he decides to use it as an excuse or explanation," Shunsui muttered. Juushirou frowned.
"Do you think Koku's more involved with Keitarou than you just suggested?" he asked sharply, and Shunsui shrugged.
"The only thing Keitarou has taught me is not to trust anyone I know nothing about, and especially not to take them at their word," he said frankly. "As for your stray, we'll see how and where his position is. If he's an innocent victim, I will do everything I can to help back you up in protecting him from the Rukon Execution law - but if he's not..."
He shrugged.
"I'll be protecting you, at his expense if need be."
It was cold and damp in the depths of the Real World mountain, and the air was musty and heavy with the scent of mildew. Keitarou coughed, reaching down to pull a strip of fabric from his obi and wrapping it firmly over the lower half of his mouth in order to prevent him from inhaling any unsuspecting Real World spores. The atmosphere was weak and devoid of spiritual life, but that did not mean that it could not harm him, and his brows knitted together as he contemplated what he might find in this cavern deep within the bowels of the earth.
Kusakawa Daigo, huh. That name brings back memories.
His lips pressed together beneath the folds of fabric as he made his way over an uneven curve of land, negotiating with a little difficulty the sloping steps that had been hewn into the volcanic rock with more haste than careful accuracy. As he reached the bottom he paused, resting his hand against the wall of the cavern and bending to rub his aching leg with his other hand. Damp weather was never good for his rheumatic bones, he mused darkly to himself, and doubtless he would pay dearly for this trip when he returned to the Rukon.
Reidoku might have saved my life and bolstered my arsenal, but it couldn't heal all of my physical ills. Much as I patched myself back together, there are still scars left from that Kuchiki's cursed storm sword. And yet I can't do anything about it. Not this time. Kuchiki Kinnya may still live or he may have died - but courting his anger is not on my agenda. The targets I seek are all gathered conveniently in one place, now. Inner Seireitei is the only place I'm interested in - a place where geriatric relics of the Kuchiki past do not tend to tread.
His eyes became grim as he rolled down the leg of his clothing, setting off ahead once more. The Real World was a place he knew well, for he and Eiraki had hidden here several times during their initial flight from Seventh District, yet all the same he disliked it. Though the Rukon was wretched, he mused bleakly to himself, it was at least a world in which he existed and had purpose. Here, in a place where the native citizens paid him not the slightest bit of notice, he could not help but feel severed.
You should be glad of that anonymity. You don't want to be noticed here - or had you forgotten?
Chudokuga's voice cut acerbically through his thoughts, causing a wry smile to twitch at the scientist's lips.
True enough. I can't argue with that. I suppose that it's not a case of wanting to be acknowledged, or even to be noticed. It's the overwhelming emptiness of this world...the dullness of its life-forms, and the pointlessness of its entire construction. It depresses me to know that I'm nothing more than a ghost here. Superior knowledge could transform this savage land into a place worth calling a domain - and yet there is no way to break through their thick skulls and reach them. Why their dead fascinate the shinigami so much I'm loath to understand. True, the Plus Souls have their uses, but only once their auras become tainted do they have any real worth to a scientist.
You include your daughter in that assessment?
No.
Keitarou pursed his lips, shaking his head.
No, Sakaki has plenty of worth, if not much perception to political danger. She is reckless and often foolish, but she has proven herself useful. Besides, she is not a Plus soul. Perhaps she is similar to them - but she is my daughter, and so she is not the same.
Mm.
Chudokuga's grunt was somewhat derisive, but he did not push the point, and Keitarou felt the spider's essence scuttle back into the recesses of his brain. He sighed, reaching up to tighten the knot of his makeshift facemask before ducking down into a narrower tunnel with jagged, uneven walls and a ceiling that bowed and rose at random intervals.
I must focus on the matter at hand. Koku is in Inner Seireitei, so I must go there...but it's not safe to go there yet. I have to be patient a little while longer, and hope that no harm befalls him in the meantime. I have to make sure all angles are carefully taken care of...which means coming here, even after I swore I never would.
At that point he reached a heavy stone door, thick with cobwebs, and he spread his hands, allowing them to light up with the gentle hum of a Kidou flame. Searing through the ancient remains of dessicated spider legs and severed fly wings that littered the greyish net-like web, he fumbled at his belt for the small, silver disk that he had brought so carefully through the Senkaimonand down into the depths of the earth.
Well, lets see if the rumours were true. Let's see if the things you brought me as surety when you promised to be my eyes and ears on the other side of the wall were as important as you said they were. A place you never saw, notes you couldn't read, information you couldn't validate or even really explain...yet on studying them, I knew what they were right away. Kusakawa Daigo's legacy to Soul Society - written in the shorthand taught him by my father, before he decided to go his own way. I thought your science had died when you did, Daigo-dono...until that point, I hadn't known that, like my father, you had a son and heir to continue your work on the other side of the divide. The only difference was, I had to work in exile, whilst you did not. I had to barter, beg and cheat for my study materials...whereas if those notes are truly accurate, you had something far, far more interesting at your disposal.
A derisive smile touched his lips.
You'd squirm in your grave if you knew I was treading your hallowed ground like this, wouldn't you, Daigo-dono? You, who escaped being tainted by the reidoku scandal. You, who erased all your history with Father after his downfall, in order to ingratiate yourself with powerful figures. You would hate to know that a son of Keitsune stood here, about to break into your world...but then, you should have expected it.
His eyes narrowed, the muddy orbs becoming suddenly cold.
Had you bothered to tell me about this place when we met in District Seven, I might have spared your life. Unfortunately, I didn't know you'd left anything so valuable in a place such as this one, and so I allowed my personal feelings to overstep my rationality. You were the first test of my Bankai's technique - proof that I had fully mastered its manipulative power - but had I known...oh well. They say you live and learn, and it might well be that the information falling into my hands when it did will prove opportune.
Who knows? Perhaps your son believed you were killed by the ruthless antics of the Endou Clan. Certainly he never thought to come after me. Not that it matters. Dead lips do not tell secrets...and nobody else will ever come here, save for me. I didn't intend to ever need to fall back on the work of someone I eliminated, but this is not the time to be squeamish. It is here, and I can use it. More, I must use it...to even the score.
He ran his fingers along the smooth surface of the stone door until he found the almost imperceptable circle shaped dent, and carefully he slid the disk into it, placing the palm of his right hand over it and closing his eyes as he summoned the words to the correct kidou spell. Muttering the incantation, he felt his reiryoku swell up inside of him, and then there was a creaking, splitting sound as the heavy door cracked across the middle, shattering as if made of no more than glass. As he stepped over the debris, Keitarou realised that it had not been stone at all, but a powerful kidou barrier set in place by someone who knew their magic, and he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in approval.
Nicely done. To all outside observers in this spiritually dead place, a heavy rock that refused to move would be an adequate deterrent. I understand now why it was buried here...though what I might find in the chamber beyond makes me wary. I feel I am stepping over the enemy divide.
He paused, remembering the hooded, cloaked figure who had first approached him, speaking Kusakawa's name, and bringing the silver seal and the wadge of documents written in the almost unintelligible shorthand scrawl. Keitarou had not known, then, whether to believe it. He had not known whether it was a trap, or whether he had found an alliance that he had not expected to encounter. But at the time, he had not been in a position to be choosy. They had found him, and they could betray him. He would have to trust them, and hope for the best.
And now, more than twenty years on, he had entered into that trust once again.
"Why bring it to me?" he had asked. "You must know that Kusakawa had no regard for me, nor I for him. You too - you must look at me with doubt and revulsion - why come here, and expect me to believe you seek my alliance?"
At this the figure had bowed its head, as if trying to hide the glitter of emotion that reflected in their gaze.
"The words you say are true," it had admitted in a low murmur, "but the things I have always trusted in have been shown to me to be false. I cannot read these documents, but he always treated them as though precious. He always said they were the work of his father, and the prelude to genius. He always promised to teach me, but it turned out there wasn't time. Now there is only me...and when I heard that you'd escaped the Kuchiki lord, I came here."
"How did you find me?"
"I know this land better than you do," came the wry response, "and I have clearance to be here. Nobody would be suspicious, no matter how long it took me to find you. Here or the Real World - I would have tracked you down. You were the only one I thought might be able to do what I never will - take the vengeance I'm not able to take, and put things to rights."
"You realise I won't stop at just taking your vengeance?" Keitarou's question had been acerbic, and the hooded figure had nodded once more.
"The world I thought I believed in has been turned on its head for me," the voice had whispered, trembling slightly as those emotions threatened to seep through again. "I've lost my faith in it and all the things I was ever taught. If that's the case, maybe your way of seeing things is the right one. So I'll help you, and in the process, you'll help me find a world in which I can once more put my faith. The enemy of my enemy is my ally, and the ally of my enemy is my enemy. Need there be an explanation greater than that?"
And then, in short, uneven phrases, the truth had spilled out, and Keitarou had come to understand the full extent of his visitor's bitter emotions.
But to think I'd really come to Kusakawa's vault. I thought to use you only as a spy and a contact, but to think I'd be forced to use the work of someone like that to further my cause. Sakaki's careless blade and Koku's naive judgement have created a lot of extra work.
Keitarou sighed, glancing up at the smaller, wooden door that now blocked his path, a distinctive crest adorning the criss-crossed beams. Beneath it he could make out the two characters for 'grass' and 'river' that spelt out the name Kusakawa, and then, beneath it, the ones for 'great' and 'enlightenment' that inscribed the name Daigo. Placing his hands against the wood, Keitarou frowned, trying to draw an image of the man into his mind's eye, but despite the fact they had met face to face not so many decades ago, he found the recollection blurry, cloaked by his obsessive excitement over perfecting his zanpakutou's ultimate skill.
You were no friend of my Father's. You studied under him then sought to overreach him, mocked his theories and argued with his science in public on more than one occasion. Mother would say so - that you were a hateful, arrogant man who smarmed his way to favour and who never had half of the talent Father did. She said that she hoped you'd come to a bad end, and so, for her sake, I made sure you did, just so that I could be sure her spirit was put to rest.
His eyes narrowed.
But at least I can say one thing for you. Your name was not included on the list of those who testified in my Father's hearing. Your name was not listed among those who spoke to condemn Father's work. Maybe now I understand exactly why.
He flexed his fingers, and a neat burst of kidou flame engulfed the wooden divide, turning it immediately to ash.
Because you knew about it, didn't you? The reidoku - just like everyone else. But you didn't betray Father...was it because Father could betray you, too? You wrote your notes in a shorthand Father developed - is that because he knew about this project in the Real World - your vault, your experiments? Maybe Mother was wrong about your talent, if that's the case. Perhaps Father knew you were trying to do what he was trying to do - to increase and stabilise spirit power. Maybe he even knew you were experimenting on the criminals that were sentenced to execution in the Urahara cells - the ones your family were put in charge of dispatching. Perhaps Father felt forced to bring reidoku to light because of you - but maybe also you kept quiet because he knew about your work. Father never betrayed you though, Daigo-dono. Perhaps I did, when I used you to test my sword, but father didn't. And now I intend on putting that work of yours to good use - building on all the things I learned from watching that fool Kuchiki Seiren break the divide between shinigami soul and Hollow monstrosity without needing to ingest reidoku at all.
He dusted the ash from his fingers, stepping forward into the gloom and absently activating the kidou lamps set deep into the carved wall alcoves as he walked. The discomfort in his rheumatic leg slipped his mind as for the first time he surveyed the underground chamber - more of a laboratory than a vault, he decided, though one that had not seen active use for some time.
Twenty or more years, if my information is correct. To think this was here when Eiraki and I hid in the Real World, and I was unaware. I'm losing my touch - it seems even a scientist of my calibre has things yet to be discovered.
He ran his fingers along the shelves of dusty books, recognising the titles of some and not of others. Alongside the shelves on one wall of the squarely cut, stark chamber there were a series of wooden units small enough to hold animals or small children, but not great enough to hold an adult, and, after ascertaining that all were empty, Keitarou chose to ignore them, moving further into the lab. On the opposite side was a stone unit, cut into the wall of the mountain, its surface thick with volcanic dust, and Keitarou knew this had once been a work-surface, though it too was now devoid of any tools or equipment. The remains of a broken vessel lay scattered across the top, a deep, seeping stain colouring the charcoal surface in a sticky residue, but on closer examination Keitarou realised it was nothing more than a discarded drink vessel that had corroded from age and shattered, depositing its congealed contents across the unit. Above the unit was another shelf, this one containing a number of small boxes just big enough to house paper scrolls, and Keitarou manoeuvred himself into a position where he could reach them, bringing down a cloud of dust on himself as he finally managed to dislodge them from their resting place.
The first box was empty, but, as he prised up the lid on the second, he realised that his hunch had been correct. Neatly bound within were the unmistakeable traces of ancient scientific notes, and, as Keitarou unrolled the first one, he found that these too were written in the convoluted shorthand script that his father had devised. It was more of a code than a script, really, he reflected absently, running his finger down the side of the columns as he absorbed the contents. It relied on logic and understanding to break it, and Keitarou had spend his teenage years working hard to do so, buoyed by scraps of cipher and the incomplete memories of those who had managed to flee into exile with them. Eventually he had succeeded, and as he read through the second scroll, he felt a sense of smugness that although Daigo had imitated Keitsune's writing style, he had not employed in it as well thought out a manner.
Reidoku notes were far harder to crack than these. Perhaps you didn't learn everything from my father.
Most of the scrolls related to more mundane scientific premises, none of which were of particular interest to Keitarou, but as he dug down more deeply into the bottom of the box, he found a scroll tied with newer lengths of ribbon, suggesting it had been written or rebound within recent memory. Unknotting the ties, he carefully smoothed the document out on the work surface, being careful not to contaminate it with the sticky remains of the drink.
The hand was the same, but, as Keitarou's gaze roved over the document more carefully, he realised that at a point in the middle the writing changed, a younger, more elongated script writing in darker ink. Though it too was written in the shorthand, Keitarou understood that this was the proof he had looked for - the evidence of Daigo's work being continued by his only son - and his heart skipped a beat with excitement.
Well well. Even without knowing what you were giving me, it seems you were right. Kusakawa's son was working on things his father began, and, judging by this, perhaps he finalised them, too.
"Kamen no Gunzei," he spoke the words aloud, re-tying the scroll and sliding it into the rough sash at his waist. "The Masked Militia. Such a grandiose name for such a small scale experiment. According to these notes, only three specimens remain. Perhaps originally there were more...but it looks like I'm missing some data. Militia for what purpose, I wonder? Was Daigo planning a hostile takeover of the Clan? Was his son? Either way, I suppose we'll never know, Chudokuga. All we can do is benefit from what they left behind."
All you have found so far is a single scroll, from which you draw such grandiose dreams. Besides, have you learned from your encounter with Kuchiki Seiren? Monsters lose all reason and simply kill. If you believe such things are in existence somewhere within this laboratory, do you not think you ought to be careful how you proceed? You are not their Master, nor their Creator...they will see you as prey and savage you the moment they meet your gaze.
It sounds like you're worried about me.
Keitarou's lips twitched into a smile of amusement.
Surely you don't think that I'm going to be killed by a few experimental subjects? I'm not the person I was when I encountered Kuchiki Seiren in all his monstrous glory - and he would never have made a good subject, anyhow. His power was too unstable, and he wasn't designed to be useful. It was a simple biological flaw that made him that way - I capitalised on it, but this is not the same.
He patted his waist.
Kusakawa's document indicates that there is a chamber beyond this one, and all I must do now is find the door. Within that place are sealed the experiments that I need to occupy the Gotei and throw them properly off my scent. There is really no need to worry...if they prove violent, then we shall have to use our particular talents of persuasion and convince them otherwise. I could not control Kuchiki Seiren - but things are different now. We...are different now.
As usual, you'll get your way.
Chudokuga sighed, but Keitarou could tell that the spider's senses too were tingling with anticipation.
If it's that way, you know I'll help. At least you're thinking constructively, rather than worrying about the pointless satellites that serve you.
You should be more respectful towards my wife and children.
Keitarou chided lightly.
They are family to me, as you are.
No, I am not family.
Chudokuga's eyes bored briefly into Keitarou's mind.
I am you. I am part of you, all the more now than I ever was before. Find your monsters, Keitarou, and use them to kill the obstacles in your way. But never forget that your true weapon lies within you - within both of us, and it is that weapon and no other which will being Seireitei to its knees!
Author's Note: Formatting
Okay, for some reason FFnet keeps taking out random sections of my italics and moving my bolded text around. I have no idea why...but please don't think I don't bother to proofread things like that. I do. Honest. I think this chapter is sound, but I've had to fiddle with others recently and I'm sure there are other bits I've missed...