Chapter 19: Quickening
As Toshiro wandered back towards the Tenth Division, a jigokucho fluttered over to him. The message was hardly finished before the white haired captain was racing towards the First Division Assembly Hall.
His thoughts were rushing through his head almost as fast as he was moving through the air.
More information? Wouldn't that be nice for a chance, frown deepening as he recalled the last time Kurotsuchi had said he had more information of the cloud disturbances in mild disgust.
A flash of white to his left made him turn slightly, as Ukitake appeared beside him. The man's face had lost all of its cheerfulness and his eyes were completely serious. Neither of them spoke as they arrived at the Hall and entered. There would be time for talking soon enough.
'This meeting is to further discuss the cloud disturbances over Karakura Town,' Yamamoto was pleased that everyone had arrived so quickly, despite the fact that he'd heard they were all gathered at the Fifth Division, 'Captain Kurotsuchi,'
'Those creatures live in another dimension,' Mayuri began speaking and, for once, arrived immediately at his point, 'One that can only be accessed from the World of the Living,'
'Another dimension?' Soifon spoke, her tone was serious. She, like everyone else, had been informed of the lethality of the men who'd fought with the shinigami in the Human World, and she wasn't happy about them always getting away.
'That's right,' the Twelfth Division captain nodded, 'A new dimension, it's not very old at all. There should be a gateway to get there, somewhere in Karakura Town,'
'How do we find it?' Ukitake sounded concerned, thinking about all the humans, and human children, that might be at risk.
'We look,' there was no joke in Mayuri's tone, although he smiled his wide golden smile, 'We look and search until we find it,'
'Is it permanently opened?' Unohana knew that if it wasn't, then it would need to be opened somehow, 'How would we get through?'
'I do not know the answer to that,' there was a slightly annoyed note in his harsh voice, 'But there's always a way to open these things,'
'It doesn't sound like we have very much information,' Kanashimi knew you had to be careful when dealing with Kurotsuchi, but it was a truth and she wasn't afraid to say it, 'Wouldn't it be like stumbling around in a dark room looking for a door?' she paused, 'Or at least a light switch,'
'That's just about right,' Mayuri's tone was tight, 'But this is a threat and that's the best we can do,'
Everyone else had the strong suspicion that the man really just wanted to get research subjects and collect specimens from the new dimension. That would, at least, explain his impatience.
'So, what are the orders?' Soifon was always one to stick to her commands, no matter what.
Toshiro glanced at Kanashimi. It seemed that, more often than not, her reiatsu was unstable while they were having captains meetings. There was some sort of deep unrest in the dark spiritual pressure and he wondered what was causing it.
Yamamoto spoke suddenly and the room was completely silent apart from his voice, 'I would like this threat dealt with as soon as possible. If casting around is what we must do to achieve that, then that is what we will do,' he opened his eyes slightly, 'I will select a group of captains and lieutenants to go to the World of the Living to accomplish this mission,' there was a pause, 'Soifon, Kanashimi, Unohana, Ukitake, you will go to the Human World and leave your subordinates in charge of your Divisions. Kuchiki, Kyoraku, Hitsugaya, Kenpachi, you will take your Lieutenants with you,' he turned his head, 'Kurotsuchi, you and your Lieutenant shall go briefly into the other dimension in order to take samples, and then you will return,'
'I'm taking my Third and Fifth Seats along,' Zaraki interrupted whatever the Head Captain had been about to say, 'These guys sound strong, and we want good fights, '
'Very well,' Yuki thought she could sense some kind of annoyance in the old man's voice, 'Now, Ukitake, inform Kuchiki Rukia that she must journey immediately to the World of the Living to inform the substitute shinigami of the current circumstances. Does everyone understand?'
'Yes sir!' the acknowledgement was strong.
They were the captains of the Gotei 13, and, as such, it was one of their duties to protect the human souls in the World of the Living.
Standing outside the First Division, Toshiro paused. They had their orders, they would be leaving the next day. But to do what exactly? Sure, it was all good to say that they were off to deal with some new threat, but how were they supposed to do that? Kurotsuchi didn't know where the gate was, or if they would even be able to get through it. It seemed like a waste of time.
'It's not as hopeless as you think,' Yuki appeared at his side, 'The gateway isn't so hard to find,'
'What do you mean?' it certainly sounded like it was going to be a difficult job, so Toshiro couldn't work out what the other captain meant.
'I don't know,' she shook her head, fringe half hiding her eyes, as usual, 'But that's the feeling I get, that's all,'
'Oh,' nodding, the white haired captain found his thoughts drifting.
The morning had seemed so cheerful, with Hinamori's party, and the light conversations that had occurred. But now everyone was tense. They had orders and they were eager to fulfil them. For everyone's sake, shinigami or human.
Rukia leapt from building top to rooftop, shihakusho whipping around her in the fierce wind that was being created by her movement. She'd contacted Urahara as soon as she'd exited the Senkaimon, and now she was racing towards Urahara Shoten. The shinigami hoped that the shopkeeper had already gathered everyone together as she wasn't in the best of moods to wait.
A movement to her side made her blink, and, turning, she watched as Ichigo fell in step beside her. He was frowning, a sure sign he was concerned about something, and his whole body looked tense.
'Ichigo,' Rukia said his name in way of greeting, and then turned back to the task at hand. She had to get there fast to tell everyone else what was about to happen. The captains and lieutenants would be following tomorrow morning and they all needed to be ready. She couldn't bear the thought of failing such a simple job and making Ukitake or her Nii-sama think she was incompetent.
'Down,' as the roof of the shop came into sight, she ordered Ichigo to descend with her, needing to say something despite the fact that it was obvious.
'Right,' his tone was serious and there was a smouldering fire in his eyes. There was no doubt that Kurosaki Ichigo wanted some revenge for what those men had done to his friends.
'Welcome,' as the shinigami alighted at his door, Urahara smiled widely, masking his own concern with his usual innocent act, 'Please come inside,'
'Are the others here?' Rukia's tone was short, and she tried to sense the presences of her friends.
'They're waiting in here,' nodding, the shopkeeper led the pair into one of the rooms, gesturing to the three sitting at the table, 'Go in,'
Not needing any further encouragement, Rukia darted through the door, sat down, and immediately began speaking, 'Okay everyone, here's what's happening,' she had their undivided attention, 'Tomorrow, a group of captains and lieutenants are coming to the World of the Living. There's a gate to a new dimension, the one where those guys came from, and we've got to find it. Once we do, we go through and deal with the threat inside,'
As she paused, scribbling, Ichigo suddenly interrupted, 'That sounds too easy,'
'Not really,' Rukia shot a glare at him, holding up her sketch pad, 'You see, we don't have a clue where the gate is, only that it's in Karakura,'
'Oh,' Orihime, who knew that there was a threat, and was working out that she had probably actually been attacked by those men, 'I see,'
'How are we supposed to find something like that?' Ichigo was getting anxious again, having only just relaxed a bit with the first part of Rukia's message.
The petite shinigami looked a bit annoyed when she said, 'We look. Captain Kurotsuchi said the only way we're going to find it is look,'
'What if it's invisible?' for some reason, Orihime sounded excited at the thought.
'Then we have to sense it,' Uryu spoke in way of reply, he pushed up his glasses, 'Although those men seem to suppress their reiatsu, there should still be a way to trace it to wherever they come from,'
'Right,' nodding, Rukia continued, 'The gate will take us to a new dimension, one that's not supposed to be that old, and then, hopefully, those guys will be there and we can fight them and tidy up the whole matter,'
'You really make it sound too easy,' Ichigo stared at the rabbit-ised drawings of a group of shinigami walking through an iron gate and using little swords to slash up bad rabbits. The next one was of more shinigami using brooms to, well, 'tidy up the whole matter', Ichigo supposed, eyes locked on a trash can.
'And your drawings suck as usual,' he raised his hand fast enough to block the drawing book, but then he got stabbed with the pens instead, 'Hey, that was a good shirt,'
The dots of ink made a rather odd pattern, and Rukia couldn't help but smirk, 'Well then, you shouldn't insult my masterpieces,'
'Back to the point-,' Uryu tried to bring the conversation back on topic, but he was ignored as Rukia and Ichigo began yelling at each other. Glancing at Chad and Orihime, who were watching the fist fight avidly, the Quincy couldn't help but sigh.
Author's Note:
So things are beginning to move along . . . although maybe not as fast as Uryu would like
