Chapter Fourteen: Enishi's Fury
There was a gentle breeze in the gardens today.
The slender young woman walked slowly between the rows of vines and bushes, pausing at each one for a short time as she fingered this blossom or that, a bittersweet sensation curling inside her young heart. Their beauty was reflected in a thousand vibrant colours, yet somehow she felt they were the walls of her cage, their gentle appearance belying the dangers that lay beyond their reach.
This was her paradise, but it was also her prison.
She sighed, dropping down onto the grass and leaning back on her hands as she gazed up at the cloud-dotted sky over her head. It was going to be another hot, tropical day in District Seven, with humidity already beginning to rise as the sun climbed higher in the sky above. Such a wild, savage region did not suit her ordered personality one bit, and the insects and creatures the warm weather drew out of hiding both disgusted and annoyed her with their persistent calls and irritating bites.
So this was the nature and abundance of District Seven, was it? Well, so far as she was concerned, they could keep it to themselves.
Still, at least she had been left to herself these past few days. She sighed, running her fingers though the long, wild blades of grass that softened the ground beneath her, tapping her sandalled feet idly against the greenery. She had never minded being alone, and since she had arrived in Seventh District, she had found herself becoming more and more solitary, keeping to her quarters as much as she could manage when members of the Family were around outside.
Of course, at the moment, Seimaru was away from the estate.
Her lip curled at the thought of her brash, twisted fiance. He was handsome, perhaps, and powerful enough to raise her perceived status to a level above what it currently was. But even so, she looked down on him. He was cold to the core, greedy, grasping and completely unaware of how best to treat the bride-to-be that had been handed to him on a plate. She was, after all, the beauty of the Shihouin, with an outstanding academic record, her skills and knowledge unmatched by any other female member of the Clan. Many of the family considered her a jewel in their crown, on account of her striking appearance, and she alone of the girls of her generation had inherited the ability which passed exclusively through the female line from one great Shihouin woman to another. She was the shadow-cat; the one with the senses and stealth to mark her out as exceptional in every regard. Like her younger brother, she was considered special among the Shihouin for the power she had inherited.
In comparison, he was dull and uninteresting - a man with blood on his hands, yet without any of the finesse or style of an assassin's training. He was a rogue - a selfish murderer who talked down to women and who therefore underestimated their potential. Though he bragged and threatened, his reiatsu was no more significant than half a dozen other Clansfolk she had met in her lifetime, and for that reason she derided him, knowing that although he bore the mantle of the Endou-ke, there were even within his own family those with greater wits and spiritual potential. Seimaru knew nothing, either, of the Shihouin's deep respect for their women kin, nor the arts and abilities possessed only through the female line. He did not know that when her mother had passed away, her life had been celebrated with all the fervour and devotion that befitted a goddess rather than one who had walked among men. The strongest reiatsu in the Shihouin-ke was often concealed in the heart of a woman, not in the sword of a man - and her mother before her, as Shihouin as her father with the purest of Clan blood had passed all of her attributes to her wilful, proud only daughter.
No, Seimaru did not understand this. He did not know that the creature he caged was a wild animal with a dignity and ability that far outweighed his expectations. She hated him on all levels. And every day her hatred of him grew stronger.
Yet she had not resisted her family's wishes, nor tried to escape her confinement. Much as it brought her no pleasure to be here, she was smart enough to realise how much danger was involved for her Father and siblings if she was to somehow displease her hosts. She was, after all, a Shihouin. She was capable of sacrifice. And if she was the sacrifice, so be it.
At first, yes, she had cried. But now her heart was settled - in the name of her Clan, she knew what she must do.
"Midori-sama?"
The voice of her lady in waiting and companion drew her from her reverie, and she sat up, neatening her appearance as the slender form of the young girl appeared between the trees at the furthest end of the gardens. She was as perfectly turned out as ever, her thick ebony hair pulled back beneath the delicate bonnet that the female Endou-ke servants used to protect their heads from the heat of the midday sun. It did not suit her, somehow, Midori decided absently, eying her servant critically as she ran forward, dropping immediately into her customary curtsey then raising her head to her mistress's. Yet this woman, low-born and insignificant as she was, had become Midori's one unlikely ally in this labyrinth of darkness that had become her home. For, unlike all the others who served the Endou-ke, this girl also came from outside. And Midori, despite her deep-rooted Clan pride, had often found it comforting to hear the unfamiliar lilt of her accent, and know she wasn't the only one far from home.
"Midori-sama, beg my pardon for interrupting your thoughts, but I bring a message from the main house." The girl said anxiously, and for the first time Midori saw a glitter of consternation in the servant's dark eyes. "Seimaru-sama has returned home, and asks to see you at once."
"Seimaru is?" Despite herself, Midori's heart clenched briefly with fear and then with derision at her own instinctive reaction. "I see. Then he comes directly to intrude on my peace and quiet, does he?"
"I believe his intentions are so, mistress, yes." The girl nodded her head, and Midori sighed resignedly.
"Then I suppose, prisoner that I am, I have no choice but to receive him with an adequate pretence of warmth." She said sadly. "Thank you, at least, for giving me prior warning. You must've run all the way here to beat him, after all."
"I thought you'd want to know, Midori-sama." The girl said honestly, and Midori nodded, getting languidly to her feet.
"I suppose I should go and see what the fool wants." She said with a frown. "Will you accompany me, please? I would rather not be alone with my future husband at any time, but especially not before we are married."
The maid bowed her head in acquiescence, falling into step just behind her mistress as the two of them made their way back towards the annexe building itself. As they drew closer, Midori was able to see her fiance, two or three of his retainers in tow, and she took a deep breath, composing herself to greet him.
"Well, Midori-dono, so you are here after all." Seimaru eyed her up and down for a moment, then offered her a cool, derisive smile. "I hadn't realised that shadow people spent so much time prowling in the gardens - but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You're a hunter, after all, aren't you? And these grounds are teeming with insignificant prey."
He glanced at the maidservant for a moment, then, "Do you seek a chaperone, then, for our conversation? I'm hurt. I've only just returned from my long and dangerous trip, and this is how I am greeted?"
"We are not yet wed, Seimaru-dono." Midori said evenly. "I am a daughter of an honourable man, and I will keep the traditions of my family where unmarried women are concerned. I am not to be treated as a common town whore, after all, surely? I am Shihouin, just as you are Endou. In this, you must be able to understand my feelings. After all, our match is an alliance between our families, as well as between us. You would not want it said that I was treated badly, would you, by the Endou-ke?"
"Perish the thought." Seimaru looked amused. "That's what I like about you, Midori-chan. You're so elegantly proud and distant and you hold your head up high. It piques my interest, knowing you aren't a woman to be easily trampled into the ground. No, it serves me well, that haughtiness you possess. And I am glad to see you in good health. You want for nothing, I presume?"
"I am quite well, thank you." Midori agreed. "I trust your visit to District One went well?"
"Yes. Yes, it did." Seimaru's eyes twinkled. "In fact, I managed to find time to meet with your young brother while I was there, too. He's quite the young Clansman now, isn't he? Almost an adult in his own right. I was very impressed by him - he does true justice to your Father with his devotion to his Clan."
Despite herself, Midori flinched at this, biting her lip.
"Kai is a loyal member of the family, just as I and my older brother are." She said quietly. "Though I hope you did not inconvenience him too greatly. He is, after all, in District One on Clan business...and to have that business revealed would not help you, either."
"True enough, but you needn't worry. I think Kai is more than smart enough to keep out of trouble." Seimaru reached across to touch Midori's cheek, and she jerked back from his touch, holding up her hands.
"I am your companion in words only, Seimaru-dono, until the day we are wed." She said, censure in her tones. "A Shihouin woman will not be touched in any other way by a man who seriously seeks to wed her until the day the ceremony is made official before witnesses of both Clans. That is the law our family subscribe to. You are bound to obey it also, as you promised my Father and my Uncle when the contract was set."
"Tsch." Seimaru lowered his hands, letting out a rueful chuckle. "You really are determined to be austere, aren't you? Still, little matter. I have plenty of time to play with you later, don't I? For now, things go according to plan. You will soon discover, Midori-chan, that this is a safer place to be than anywhere else, after all. You should be grateful that I've chosen to accept your hand in marriage. You will do well, after all, as the mother of my children."
He bowed his head mockingly towards her, then gestured to his retainers, withdrawing from the grounds. As the gate was once more locked behind them, Midori sighed, shaking her head as if to clear it.
"How I despise that man." She murmured. "How I despise him with every inch of my body...and how he delights in knowing it, too! And to taunt me with mention of Kai - does that mean that my brother is intertwined more deeply than I realised in this? But if it's Uncle's orders, how could he not obey? I thought he was only to spy on the District children, and yet..."
She rubbed her temples.
"I'm tired." She admitted, turning to glance at her maid. "I'm going to go to my room and lie down."
"Yes, Mistress." The girl bowed her head in acknowledgement. "Is there anything I can bring you in the meantime?"
"Just a drink of water will suffice." Midori managed a faint smile. "Unfortunately, Saku, you can't bring to me my freedom."
Saku eyed her for a moment, a sad look in her own dark eyes. Then, very slowly, she nodded her head.
"Yes, Midori-sama." She said softly. "I'll do so right away."
"It's funny, you know, but ever since you and Ukitake went playing with Hollows in the forest, the whole atmosphere's been weird and different round here, don't you think?"
Thus Enishi as he and Shunsui left the Kidou Arena, making their way along the halls towards the big dining hall before the bell chimed for lunch. The two boys had spent an hour with Kazoe on their practical spell casting, and although he had been a month behind his classmates, Shunsui's natural aptitude for the skill had soon meant he was moving past Enishi's own stuttering progress, casting shakka-hou with confidence. That morning he had even tried a trick shot, aiming to split his spell either side of the target - a tactic which had brought him a fierce scolding from the horrified instructor.
"Different?" He said now, glancing at his fingers and brushing the faint traces of ash from their tips. "How so? We weren't killed. There's no reason to think anything has changed."
"Hrm." Enishi pursed his lips, shaking his head. "You don't fool me, you know, Kyouraku. Kuchiki and Hirata have both said about your reiatsu changing since that night, and I've noticed it too. You're trying to be the same as before, coasting along and whatever - but that girl's death's really bothered you, hasn't it? And since Ukitake was locked up in the Healing Bay, you've suddenly been taking classes seriously. It's weird. I don't know what to think about it. Did Sensei really rip into you that badly, or what?"
"Congratulations, Enishi-kun." Shunsui's lips twitched into a rueful smile as he raised his gaze to the bigger boy's dark eyes. "You're starting to pick things up more quickly - I guess being here is doing you good after all."
"Hey, I'm not an idiot." Enishi protested good-naturedly. "I may be a hulking brute in your eyes, Kyouraku, but I'm not completely oblivious to what goes on around me. I'm not as sensitive to reiatsu as Kuchiki or Hirata, true enough - but I don't need to do that to notice changes. And you're different. And, last night, when I went to see Ukitake, I think he was too. More serious, somehow. Like he was thinking about something very deeply. He didn't tell me what, but I figure it had something to do with Megumi's death too."
"Megumi's been buried, now." Shunsui said evenly. "It bothers me that it might not be resolved, and yes, I'm sad that she's dead. No...angry. Angry that she is. But there's not much I can do to change the fact. So I have to just let it lie."
He smiled sadly.
"As for coming to class and paying attention, it wasn't anything Sensei said, exactly." He reflected. "Though there were a few things I've thought over. He told me this was my last chance, and I'm taking him at his word, because I'm coming to realise I don't really want to be sent home to an angry brother and the threat of an arranged marriage just yet. But it's more...in the forest, I was pretty helpless. Against the Hollow, and then to help Juushirou, too. I couldn't do anything and it bothers me that he probably got hurt worse because of it. And that makes me angriest of all. Because I like Juu-kun. And I don't want my idiocy to be the reason he's ill ever again, if I can help it."
Enishi's expression softened at this.
"You know, he doesn't blame you for anything." He said gently, and Shunsui nodded.
"I know." He agreed. "But I'm not stupid either, sadly. I know what part of it is my bad."
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm not good at all this paying attention stuff." He added. "But I suppose I see a little bit more the point in learning these things."
"Well, you're already running rings around me in Kidou, and you're a month behind the rest of the class." Enishi said ruefully, and Shunsui chuckled.
"Shakka-hou is an easy spell, and Juu-kun taught it me, so I'm not ever going to forget it." He said simply. "But its boring, once you've got it down, just doing it the same way every time. Kazoe wasn't amused, was he, when I tried to split it? But I thought it'd be a nice change. And it wasn't like I was really out of control. I was aiming for the adjacent targets - it didn't quite hit perfectly, that's all."
Enishi laughed.
"Kidou is really not my thing." He admitted. "But I hope you'll come to a few more supplementary classes with me, Kyouraku. It's more fun with a friend."
"A lot of things are." Shunsui said wisely. "You have no objections, then, to my tagging along with you people like I have been?"
"I hadn't thought of it as tagging along." Enishi looked surprised. "I figured that you were simply part of the group now - you and Kuchiki, like I said the other day. That conversation seems a year ago now - but it hasn't changed anything. It's Ukitake, after all, isn't it? He's the one who's clever at bringing people together and making them a team. So I just figured it was another sign of that. That's all."
Shunsui's eyes narrowed.
"You are much smarter than you look, that's for sure." He said at length, giving his companion a playful nudge, and Enishi grinned.
"Somehow, when you insult me, it doesn't seem to be as barbed as some people's tongues." He reflected.
"Well, you know I don't mean anything by it." Shunsui said casually. "It's just how I am. Lazy, rude and annoying. You've known me long enough to realise that now."
"You said it. Not me." Enishi reminded him. "Well? Are we heading to the Dining Hall or are we going to go meet Hirata at the Healing Bay? He probably won't mind if he misses the start of lunch, since he's finally got to go see Ukitake on his own - but even so..."
"If he shows up late, he might get scolded." Shunsui sighed. "Maybe we should go get him. Kuchiki can take care of himself, but Hirata's such a delicate little flower, isn't he?"
He laughed.
"You and he couldn't be more different, in fact." He reflected. "You amuse me, you two, with Juushirou in the middle."
"It is an interesting combination, I suppose." Enishi shrugged good-naturedly. "But I'm fond of the little tyke now, too. I don't know - it is like having a little brother or something. Don't you think?"
"Or a well trained lap dog, at times." Shunsui said wryly. "But he is coming out of his shell more. And I like to see it."
"That's Ukitake too, though." Enishi said frankly. "If Kidou is your gift, Shunsui – reaching out to people is his."
"...And that's what it looks like to me. That's all I'm saying."
As they rounded the corner, they encountered two of the students from Class Two, and at the sight of their approach, the taller of the two boys stepped forward, a faint, slightly smug smile on his face. At his expression, Shunsui pursed his lips, taking in the self-satisfied flickering of the other boy's aura.
Onoe Tomoyuki. Shihouin Kai's cousin who had been displaced into the second class by Genryuusai's decision to admit District students to the Academy.
"Hey, Houjou, Kyouraku, good timing." He said now, and the swagger in his affected tones jarred against Shunsui's ears.
Kai may be arrogant and idiotic, but I'd take him five times a day over one moment with this one. He's as twisted as Aitori - and half as smart. And he really thinks he belongs in Class One instead of Juushirou? He must be deluded.
"Good timing?" He said now. "For what, exactly? The lunch bell is about to chime - surely it would be better timing if we'd reached the door of the Dining Hall...?"
"No, not that." Onoe sounded impatient. "About the Hollow in the forest. Is it true that Ukitake blazed the creature back with some kind of massive reiatsu blast?"
"Why?" Enishi looked surprised. "What does it have to do with you, what Ukitake did or didn't do in the forest? The matter's closed and Sensei's let it drop. It's not nice to gossip about things after the fact."
"Which is why we're asking, Houjou-kun." His companion, Kamitani Jun put in sensibly. "Kyouraku was there, after all. We just want to know what's true and what isn't. Rumours have been flying since that night, after all - lots of them, and they're getting crazier at every step. So we figured, if we asked someone who knew..."
"It's crazy because a kid from the District can't fire reiatsu of the level people are talking about, no matter how 'gifted' he might be." Onoe said frankly. "Don't say it so casually, Kamitani. You're an Urahara. You know that it's scientifically illogical for anyone with below-Clan bloodline to produce the kind of thing people have been saying."
"Yes...maybe." Kamitani said slowly. "But...the fact of it is, Onoe, several of us felt it. I did. Iwai did, too. And so..."
"You're wasting time." Shunsui cut across the conversation, casting Kamitani a benign smile. "And Houjou and I are hungry, so if you're just going to babble among yourselves..."
"Just tell us if it's true or not, that's all." Onoe said curtly, an annoyed look in his golden eyes. "What happened, in the forest, that night?"
"What you heard." Shunsui shrugged. "Juushirou used his spirit power to help me out. And he has a fair amount of it - as you're probably aware."
He grinned, revealing a neat row of perfect white teeth.
"That's why he's in Class One, after all." He said innocently, and Onoe bristled.
"Don't give me that." he said coldly. "Ukitake's District. Like Kira. And Kira's nothing special. But at least he doesn't pretend to be. He ranks second bottom for a reason, after all. It's not possible for a District born brat to rank above the Clans."
"Onoe, give it a rest." Kamitani mumured, but Onoe shook his head.
"No, because I'm right." He said frankly. "They're not the same as us. That's all there is to it."
"I would think that goes in their favour, considering the alternative." Kyouraku murmured. "I'm sorry you find it so hard to understand, Onoe-kun. But there are probably hundreds or thousands more like Juushirou in the Districts waiting to be discovered and trained into being tomorrow's Shinigami. That's the way the world is moving, after all. Juushirou's got as good a chance as any of us to make the grade. Better, maybe, because he doesn't have connections to sit back and rely on. He works hard and he'll earn his place. Whether you like it or not, that's the way things are heading."
"Kyouraku's right." Enishi added at this point. "Just because you didn't get ranked as you'd like it, Onoe, don't give Ukitake stick. It's not him who edged you out, after all. It was me and my Ouyoudou. You know it as well as I do - that our marks were the same but my practical skills were better than yours. If you want to take it up with someone, take it up with me. But leave Ukitake out of it. He's where he deserves to be."
"This is pointless." Kamitani sighed, shaking his head. "Onoe, I'm going on ahead. I promised Iwai I'd meet him beforehand and we've no time left - he's already going to be wondering where I am. Do the smart thing and give it a rest, huh? However you feel about Ukitake, it's not going to achieve anything if you badger his friends."
He bowed his head apologetically in the direction of his companions, then disappeared down the hallway towards the Dining Hall, and Shunsui clicked his tongue pensively.
"That's an Urahara for you." he reflected. "Sizing up the situation and realising when it's wisest to withdraw. You should follow your friend's advice, Onoe-kun. He's smarter than you, after all."
"My rank is at the top of Class Two, thank you very much." Onoe said stiffly. "That makes me tenth in the year overall, whilst Kamitani is thirteenth. And I at least have a rank. You, on the other hand..."
"Kyouraku's ranking is none of your business." Enishi said quickly, but Shunsui chuckled, holding up his hands.
"You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you I had a rank - at least in the very beginning." He said casually. "Besides, I don't want to argue this out with you. I answered your question - can we please go to lunch now?"
"No. Not yet." Onoe's eyes narrowed, and Shunsui saw the tension rippling through his young frame. "I want to know, you see, what the truth is. You're his friend - his dorm-mate. You must know. You must have worked out his secrets - you must know how he's doing it."
"How who's doing what?" Enishi blinked, and Onoe sighed, exasperation in his golden eyes.
"Ukitake! How he's scoring so highly, of course!"
"Genetic talent, I guess." Shunsui shrugged. "Who knows how the Gods work? Come on, Houjou - this isn't worth our time."
"No kidding." Enishi agreed, but Onoe thrust out a hand, blocking their path as he did so.
"You might think you're being clever, protecting him." He hissed. "But I know what's going on and I'll prove it too, you'll see."
"What's...going on?" Shunsui frowned, eying the boy curiously. "What do you mean, what's going on?"
"I know that Minabe-sensei went running round the local town asking questions about that girl. That dead girl...the one you and Ukitake knew." Onoe said coldly. "I know all about that...even though you're not supposed to talk about it. And I know what kind of a girl she was, too. The rumours are rife, after all, in Class Two. Iwai told us all about it - how that drug-spaced wench turned up here and dragged you out into the wilderness. I'm not foolish. I can put the pieces together. I know about the dead girl and I know what's going on."
"Well, I'm glad you do, because I'm starting to think I need a crib sheet to figure all that out." Shunsui looked foxed. "For a start, you've got your girls mixed up - the girl who came here wasn't the girl who died in the forest. Secondly, if Sensei finds out you're talking about that freely like this, you'll be in trouble. He doesn't want it spread round the halls. And third, why you know what Minabe-sensei's been up to is beyond me. Do you have some kind of crush on her or something, that you go trailing her on your days off?"
"Don't be stupid!" Onoe reacted, his cheeks flushing red at his companion's insinuation. "But word spreads. People hear things and tell people. That's all."
"Well, they don't tell you anything very useful, if you ask me." Enishi said bluntly. "If all they spew at you is gossipy nonsense about people that aren't anything to do with you."
"You're avoiding the point, but I won't be distracted that easily." Onoe said acidly. "I know Ukitake's not what he claims to be. I know it's impossible. I know he's using those drugs too, somehow. Illicit chemicals, like those whores from the town."
Shunsui's eyes widened, but before he could respond, Enishi had reacted, grasping Onoe by the collar of his hakama and hauling him physically up off the floor.
"What did you just say?" He demanded, his tone suddenly lacking in all it's genial warmth, and Shunsui bit his lip, reading for the first time the pulse of the warrior in his big friend's aura.
"Struck a nerve, did I?" Onoe somehow managed to keep his composure, even though his legs were dangling free beneath him. "Let me go, you great, ungainly ape. All you're doing is confirming things, reacting like that."
"I'm doing no such thing." Enishi shook the boy firmly, dropping him down against the wall and advancing on him, a definite, uncharacteristic menace in his approach. "I'm just not going to stand back and listen to you abuse Ukitake's name any more. It's bad enough that you're enough of a snob you can't see him for what or who he is. But when you start bringing those chemicals into it...do you even understand what you're saying, you stupid boy? Those drugs destroyed so many lives in all of our families two or three generations ago. Do you really think that anyone in this day and age would be foolish enough to dabble in them?"
"Maybe not Clan." Onoe righted himself, shifting his position as he prepared to defend himself against a second attack. "But Ukitake's District. He's base-born, just like those girls. And more, it's the only thing that adds up. I've heard, you see. I know how he's been throwing up blood and all of that - and how he's sickly and weak and always running a fever for no apparent reason. Well, I've got the reason. It's right there, so open your eyes. You might not be the smartest kid in the Yamamoto-ke, but considering Yamamoto-sensei is your kin, you ought to be able to reason that out, at the very least."
"Why you little..." Enishi's eyes narrowed, and he swung his fist, clattering it against Onoe's nose and sending the boy tumbling backwards once more. Shunsui watched with a detached kind of interest as blood spurted from the wound, and Onoe let out a cry of pain and indignation, clutching his left hand to his face as he glowered at his opponent with as much venom as he could muster.
"Ukitake Juushirou is not the kind of person who cheats, or lies." Enishi's voice shook, but Shunsui could tell it was anger, not emotion making his friend's tones unsteady. "He's the kind of person who looks for the good in people, and puts his faith in them. He's straight forward. Honest. And he'd never do the things you're suggesting. I won't stand for it, Onoe. Take it back, else the next hit will smash your nose into next week."
He flexed and curled his fist again.
"I'm game to show you just why I have superior physical skills to you, if you want me to." He added, his tones carrying a dangerous edge. "So take it back. Take it back now. Or else."
"I guess it's true, after all. You are so blind to reiatsu that you can't even tell when your close friend is duping you." Onoe taunted, and Enishi bristled once more.
"It's not about reiatsu." He snapped back, preparing to launch back into the fight. "It's about trust and knowing what's right!"
Shunsui began to wonder whether he ought to intervene, for although he was as angry as his companion about Onoe's insinuations, he realised that the fight was not evenly matched, and Onoe would probably wind up getting badly hurt if it continued. Yet before he could do anything, someone else had come into the confrontation, forcibly parting the two combatants with an exclamation of annoyance.
For a moment no one moved, as the students struggled to understand what had just happened. Then, at last, Shunsui found his voice.
"Shihouin-kun." He murmured, and inwardly he tensed, knowing that if it became a two-on-one fight he would have no choice but to get involved and forcibly extract Enishi from the conflict. Yet Kai did not seem inclined to spring to his cousin's defence. Instead, he hauled the boy back, sending him a glare.
"Have you been spouting useless stuff in public places again?" He snapped, a definite edge to his tone, and Onoe glared at him from above the top of his blood-stained hand.
"I told you once already today. Shut your mouth." Kai did not wait for a response. "And don't start rumours you have no way of controlling. Do you understand me? Stop it. Now. If you start this again, I'll be the one dealing with it."
"Shihouin?" Something in his classmate's frantic, troubled tones seemed to bring Enishi back to himself, and he faltered, lowering his fist as he stared from Kai to Onoe and back again. "What..."
"You're an idiot, Houjou." Kai said scathingly. "Blooding your fists so easily over a District boy's honour."
"I won't have things said about my friends that aren't true." Enishi's brows knitted together. "Onoe said that Ukitake was cheating and breaking Seireitei law and I won't have that."
"He won't be saying it again." Kai said frankly, sending his cousin another dark glare. "So you can stop acting like a crazed animal that someone just let out of its cage. It's a rumour. That's all. If you know it's not true, don't bother about it. And it will go away all the more quickly."
"It's not true." Shunsui said gravely. "Even if Juushirou's reiatsu is unusual by District standards, it's all his own. Is that why you intervened, Kai-kun? Because you don't want your cousin to get into trouble with Sensei for spreading lies about his top District student?"
"Don't patronise me." Kai bristled. "I stopped the fight, which is more than you did. Public brawls are beneath Shihouin pride. That's all."
"Unfortunately, Shihouin, you didn't stop the fight quickly enough."
At that moment, Kazoe's voice came from behind them, and the four youngsters turned, each one staring in apprehension at their Kidou master's stern expression.
"Houjou and Onoe, I believe you have an appointment with Genryuusai-sensei." He said quietly, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "Where you can explain to him why two Noble sons were scrapping in the halls."
"...Yes Sensei." Enishi bit his lip, and Kazoe sighed, shaking his head.
"I don't know what caused this, but I suggest whatever it is is left alone, if it's going to cause such heated feelings." He added. "Shihouin, Kyouraku - you run along and get your meal. In case you hadn't heard it, the bell has rung for lunch. Leave Houjou and Onoe to me...unless you fancy facing Genryuusai-sensei as well."
"It's all right, Kyouraku. Go and tell Hirata and Kuchiki what's happened." Enishi's eyes were still prickling with anger, even though his expression was one of consternation, and Shunsui nodded.
"All right. I will." He agreed. "Speak nicely to your kinsman, Enishi-kun - and hope he's in a good mood!"
With that he hurried off along the hall, inwardly feeling a little guilty for not having intervened sooner.
I didn't even sense Kazoe coming, which wasn't like me. And I don't usually endorse fighting. But Onoe made me angry, too. And if Enishi hadn't hit him...
He bit his lip.
Would I have done? Would I have hit him, for saying things like that about Juu? Maybe I would.
He sighed, running his fingers through his cropped, messy hair.
More importantly, though - what exactly was Shihouin's motivation just then? He's got no interest in defending Juushirou. So why did he glare at Onoe like that? There's more to it, surely, than simple Clan pride and a fight in the halls. The Shihouin are a shadow Clan, after all. Assassins. So what?
His eyes narrowed as he ran his mind over the conversation once again.
Maybe...that's it.
He sighed, pushing back the divide and slipping into the Dining Room, his gaze automatically picking out Hirata and Ryuu hunched over their plates at the far table.
I'll talk to Juu about it - if I can - when he's well enough not to want to jeopardise his recovery by running to Houjou's rescue. I'd like to see what he thinks. But it almost seems as though...Shihouin really didn't want that rumour to be spread. And what did he mean - don't start a rumour you can't control? Is there more to why Onoe had all this information in the first place than just spying on Minabe and picking Iwai's brains? I wonder. But it's something to think about. And, maybe, a half-step forward - into whatever it is we're heading.
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Author's Note
At last, Midori is in the story! Cookies to anyone who realised the mention of her engagement was significant up to this point :)
Also, the reintroduction of a character from the prequel. Now people know why she didn't die there! More cookies for anyone who can work out her significance in all of this as well (and the clue is it has NOTHING to do with Shunsui after all!)
~TB vs CF
I'm commenting on this simply because 'Anon''s review idea interested me.
In all truth, I'm not trying to officially diagnose Juushirou because I've no scientific background to make me knowledgeable enough to do so. However, all I do know is from the linguistic perspective - Kubo-sensei calls Juushirou's disease Haibyou and Haibyou is translated literally as lung sickness but that particular term is also used in Japanese for pulmonary tuberculosis. Sadly - though I did look it up - Cystic Fibrosis isn't in my Japanese dictonary so I'm none the wiser as to how that is classified in Japanese.
Without knowing that, I wouldn't like to speculate on any other condition (though it does tweak at the curiosity) and am therefore working entirely with what little information the creator has given. I personally think CF is less likely than TB, but I agree there are elements of TB that do not match up exactly to Juushirou's condition. (This may, however, simply be artistic license - haibyou may combine the symptoms of more than one disease into something unique to Juu's character).
In this story, I have generally referred to the disease as 'haibyou'. That is, after all, the only official diagnosis of Juu's that Kubo-sensei has given us to work with. But I have used the other terms such as 'white plague' and so on because a lot of fans do feel that TB is his likely diagnosis - and even if it isn't exact, it carries enough resonance with me and with them to continue to utilise those terms ;)
Thank you for the interesting thinking point, 'anon' ;)