Chapter Twenty Four; Kyoudai
"So that's the way it is, then."
Tokutarou sat back on his heels, setting down his mug of tea as he cast his former sensei a grave look. "I admit I heard the rumours riding into this neck of the woods and I was afraid that Kyouki-sama's information had reached my ears too late. I did know, after all, that there was some suspicion surrounding Aitori Hideaki thanks to the girl Shunsui sent my way - I'm sorry, Sensei. I feel like I've dogged your progress by not coming here sooner."
"No." Genryuusai shook his head. "As it is, the situation is a delicate one. Shihouin Midori intends to come here tonight and meet with me. Her messenger says she'll come unarmed, but I will be ready for whatever she brings to the table. Still..."
He rubbed his chin, then,
"Please, tell me again, Tokutarou. What exactly did this young wench say to you when you spoke to her in District Eight?"
"Kyouko?" Tokutarou frowned. "I asked her to come back with me but she went pale at the bare suggestion and no matter how much protection I offered her, she broke down and begged me not to make her travel. So I left her behind, in the end. From what she said to me, she and her friend were taken prisoner from their home because of something the other girl was wrapped up in. She mentioned Aitori Hideaki by name, and another man - a Fujima Yatsuhiko. She also admitted knowing about and occasionally using the illicit chemicals that were smuggled into your District - probably by one of the aforementioned. It's a complicated political web and it's giving me a headache just trying to put the pieces together. But from what Kyouko said..."
He frowned, lowering his voice, then,
"There is no proof." He said softly. "And because there is none, I can't say outside of this office what suspicions I truly have. But Kyouko's description of the man in charge of their abduction fits a neighbour of mine. And if Aitori was not acting for the Shihouin...he must have been acting on the orders of someone close to them. Which, at current time would mean..."
"Yes." Genryuusai looked grave. "I had come to the same conclusion. But there is no proof. And the word - even of Midori herself - would not suffice before the Council. Suspicions are nothing, after all. We cannot act based on those alone."
He smiled.
"But I am glad to see you." He admitted. "And to hear your information, too. It seems I let my guard down enough to allow one viper to slip into my ranks. But it's so hard, Tokutarou, to find good teachers in a world such as this. As it is..."
"As it is, not all of the Clans are able to supply such people." Tokutarou looked rueful. "My own among them. I don't think anyone could blame you for wanting to trust Aitori, Sensei. All Clan have some ulterior motive somewhere, after all. You just have to trust that they favour you at that time and hope for the best."
"If only more of my staff were of Minabe Ayame's ilk."
Genryuusai got stiffly to his feet, moving to his desk to retrieve a sheet of paper on which was a long list of detailed kanji. "But even having her on my staff is a risk in itself. If other Clan realised..."
"That Minabe isn't Clan at all, but a girl you took in, raised and trained when her parents died?" Tokutarou asked softly, and Genryuusai nodded.
"I'm surprised you know that story." He admitted, settling himself down on his cushion and placing the documents on the table. "I hadn't realised you were old enough to know it."
"Minabe trained with Kyouki-sama for a while, when I was growing up." Tokutarou smiled. "I used to watch them, and I remembered being impressed by how much power the two women both had. I realised then that girls weren't to be underestimated in a battle situation. I asked Kyouki-sama about it later, and she told me that Minabe was a protégée of yours - a girl you'd found while travelling between Fifth and Sixth Districts, shivering and hungry by the side of a road. You'd seen her potential and taken her in, and therefore she was now considered your own in the eyes of your Clan. But she told me then that I should think of the girl as a Yamamoto, not as a foundling. Because otherwise it would dent her pride, and hurting a woman's pride was an unforgivable thing."
"Wise counsel." Genryuusai chuckled softly. "Then you understand the delicacies of the matter. She is, to all intents and purposes, Yamamoto now. So much so that it doesn't usually need to be mentioned in general conversation - it's just assumed to be that way. I gave her the family name 'Minabe' because it was my Mother's name, and that way it appears that her family history can be traced back into distant Yamamoto past. It worked extremely well. No one has ever questioned her standing, because I have always vouched for her and she's always shown me absolute loyalty in return. Ayame was more glad than anyone else that this year we were admitting District students, even while she vowed not to go easy on them. In that respect, she's fair. Even if she does hold a lingering grudge where the Kuchiki are concerned."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"It can't be helped, in any case." He said frankly. "She was a small girl and she saw her mother eaten by a Hollow before her eyes. Yet all the Kuchiki Shinigami could do was destroy the beast and leave her behind, alone and shivering in the snow. She's never forgotten that, no matter how much I've tried to move her past it. It was just more proof of the Gotei's shortcomings, which is why I took her in and trained her in the first place. And thanks to her, I've as much information as can be gleaned from the scene of Aitori's murder. But it seems even though his house has been thoroughly searched - there's nothing there that connects him to anyone other than his own Clan."
He pushed one document forward.
"This one in particular is somewhat incriminating in itself."
Tokutarou lifted it, scanning the contents, then nodding.
"I'm starting to think this is what Shunsui was trying to get me to look into." He admitted, setting it aside. "I'm slow on the uptake sometimes, and messages are often cryptic. But it's obvious, now I think about it. With Aitori, and the drugs those girls were using, and everything else. Midori's actions as much as anything. The Shihouin are breaking Council Law and dabbling in illicit chemicals. That's a serious breach and the sentence is death. No doubt what the girl wants to speak to you about is related to that fact."
"I think so." Genryuusai took the sheet back, folding it absently between his fingers. "This letter from her Uncle carries her Father's seal as well, and though it isn't explicit, it's damning enough to indicate something of that nature. Ayame did tell me that she retrieved a couple of like communications which had been slipped between slats in the wood floor of the house, apparently out of view. She also found the broken hilt of a Shihouin dagger buried in the grounds - though she did not manage to find the blade. I believe it's likely the murder weapon used to kill the young girl who was with your stray. Midori's young brother did say that all the weapons were different, and I had him look at the hilt first thing this morning. He confirmed that it belonged to Aitori himself - but without the blade, it's impossible to test for the dead girl's reiatsu."
"So it all ties up to the Shihouin, except for what Kyouko herself says about the man who had them kidnapped." Tokutarou's eyes narrowed. "And that Aitori had an alibi when this town hostess was slain, too. That seems fishy, doesn't it? It reeks of an accomplice in the shadows."
"Which is why I'm going to listen to what Midori has to say." Genryuusai said frankly. "From all I've gathered from the boy Kai, she was forced into this marriage arrangement against her will, and her messenger told me that she was trying to prevent a plot on my life. I'm not afraid of assassins - I've lived this long without losing my life, after all. But that the messenger mentioned it so clearly tells me it's not a Shihouin plot. Or at least, it isn't Midori's plot. I don't like that she took the law into her own hands on District One's territory. But...I want to hear from her own mouth how things are before I send word to my kinsfolk and take the evidence to the Council. If she says what I think she will..."
"Help me to retrieve power in District Two before my Uncle falls...?" Tokutarou murmured, and Genryuusai smiled.
"You underestimate yourself." He reflected. "You may not be quite as spiritually perceptive as your young and foolish brother, but you have your Father's keen understanding of situations nonetheless. Yes, that is what I think. That she intends to invoke the power of the Shadow Cat and take control before the Council moves in and arrests her people."
"The power of the..." Tokutarou blinked, and Genryuusai nodded.
"It's an old Shihouin skill passed between women." He responded. "I've seen it once before in my life, when a Shihouin woman possessed of that skill invoked the sacred traditions of her family and took control of the Clan. It all depends on whether she can do so successfully in the eyes of the Council of Elders, now. In those days, there was no such thing...but now she would have to be recognised by the other Clans as the legitimate head of the Shihouin. And at the moment she's not even second in line. So that's why, I think, she's coming to see me. Because she feels that if she can get the support of her neighbours here, she might be able to persuade other Clans to back her too."
"She really is as crafty a young woman as Kyouki-sama suggested." Tokutarou remarked. "But are you sure you should take so lightly a plan to kill you? After all..."
"Many people have tried that, Tokutarou." Genryuusai offered him a serene smile. "And no one has yet succeeded. I move to make changes, and it makes me enemies. I've no intention of becoming afraid of them now - that would only be giving them what they wanted. If they feel that threatened, the problem resides with them. Not with me."
"But if it puts your students at risk...?" Tokutarou murmured, and Genryuusai shook his head, brushing his hand against his staff.
"Ryuujinjakka sleeps, but it doesn't take much to awaken him." He said simply. "And if need be, he will roar in defence of the children here. Don't worry about your brother, Tokutarou. I will not let him come to any harm while he's in my hands."
"Speaking of which, he's outside." Tokutarou turned to glance at the door. "I told him I'd meet him outside your office when he'd had breakfast, because we have things to discuss, too...how much of this can I share with him?"
"I think the first thing will be to see what he can share with us." Genryuusai said evenly. "He likes secrets, and everything has to be teased out of him bit by bit."
"Yes. I know." Tokutarou said ruefully. "It's one of his less endearing characteristics - it makes me want to give him a good shake from time to time."
"I'm sure a boy like Shunsui could take any number of shakes and still keep his barriers intact." Genryuusai responded. "At least where we're concerned, anyway."
"I beg your pardon?" Tokutarou looked lost, and Genryuusai smiled.
"It seems your brother has made friends here." He said softly. "One in particular seems to have had a significant impact on him."
"Really?" Tokutarou looked wary. "If you're implying that he's been causing some girl hassle..."
"No. Nothing like that." Genryuusai shook his head. "Though he teases them as much as any other young boy his age might do, his behaviour in that department has steadied a good deal. And I think it has something to do with the classmate I mean. You might be interested to know that he's District-born too - Sixth, like Ayame."
"The District boy?" Tokutarou's brow furrowed. "Shunsui's sent me only cryptic mail, nothing about general life, but I did hear something about...so Shunsui's palled up with a boy from one of the Districts? And this kid is bringing him in line?"
"Juushirou is a very interesting young man, in many respects." Genryuusai rubbed his beard pensively. "He has undoubted spiritual potential, but it's more than that. Yes, Tokutarou. I believe that is what he's doing. Not on purpose, necessarily. I don't think he'd have seen it that way. But it's not escaped my notice how Class One has become more and more of a unit since term began. Rather than a muddle of mixed Clans, they seem like almost a group in many ways. And it's clear to me that it's Juushirou at the core of it."
"Well, if anyone can make Shunsui wake up and take notice, I'll happily bow my head to him, District or otherwise." Tokutarou said wryly. "I must meet this Juushirou boy, before I go back to Distict Eight. If just to thank him for taking on the impossible in my stead."
"Meanwhile, let's speak to the impossible himself." Genryuusai reflected. He glanced at the door, raising his voice.
"You may enter, Kyouraku. The door is not locked."
There was a moment's pause, and then the door slid back, revealing a much more presentable Shunsui. He faltered for a moment, then entered the office, bowing his head before his headmaster as he did so.
"I'm sorry, Sensei. I was waiting for my brother...that's all."
"I've invited Genryuusai-sensei to join the conversation for a while." Tokutarou grinned at him. "Or maybe I've invited you to join ours - I'm not sure. But I thought you'd like to know that your young waif Kyouko is quite safely ensconced in District Eight. I've kept my word to protect her, and she's beginning to come out of her shell a little more. Several housemaids have commented that she seems to work hard - and providing she keeps her word to me to avoid all contact with illicit chemicals from now on, I'm going to make her a permanent member of our household staff."
"Really?" Shunsui's eyes lit up for a moment, then, "Is she happy about that?"
"It's what she's told me she'd like to do." Tokutarou nodded. "She's frightened still, Shunsui. She doesn't want to come anywhere near District One. And she feels she has a debt - especially to you - for her life. That you helped her and took her seriously when she needed help - it seems to have reached her. So she wants to stay in District Eight. And I have no objections to her doing so, providing she goes on as she has begun."
"Thank goodness." Shunsui sighed. "I'm glad she's safe."
"It matters a lot, doesn't it, to protect this girl?" Tokutarou eyed him keenly, and Shunsui nodded.
"I couldn't protect her friend." He responded sadly. "But at least I could help make a difference somewhere along the line."
"You seem out of sorts this morning, Shunsui." Genryuusai remarked. "You're aura's unusually unsettled. Has something else happened that you want to bring to my notice?"
"No. Not really, Sensei." Shunsui looked startled. "I mean...there's nothing to report. I'm fine. Really."
"I suppose the general atmosphere here is a little strange." Tokutarou reflected. "With an instructor murdered, and everything else."
"Yes." Genryuusai looked grave. "I will assemble the students and tell them that classes will continue as and where possible until the planned recess, which for the time being will remain cancelled. Hohou will simply have to be covered in whatever way possible till this matter is resolved."
Shunsui frowned, then,
"Sensei, did Shihouin Midori kill Aitori-sensei?" He asked bluntly, and Genryuusai started, staring at him in surprise.
"That's a very forward question." He observed, and Shunsui nodded, colour flushing his cheeks as he did so.
"I know. I'm sorry." He admitted. "But I...it's worrying me a little. That she's here. And that..."
"How much do you know about the Shihouin-ke's current situation?" Tokutarou asked softly, and Shunsui shrugged helplessly.
"Not everything, probably." He admitted. "A little, from Kai...since all of this began to flare out of control. But I'm more worried about...what she might do...here. That's all. I don't know...whether she's someone we're suppose to be trusting or not. And..."
"Have you met with the girl, Shunsui?" Genryuusai demanded sharply, and Shunsui shook his head.
"No, sir." He said honestly. "Not yet. Though I've heard she's very pretty, so perhaps that's my loss."
There was a faint trace of humour in his tones, but Tokutarou frowned.
"Someone has, though?" He murmured, and Shunsui sighed.
"I don't know." He admitted. "Maybe."
"Endou Hirata and Ukitake Juushirou, perhaps?" Genryuusai said lightly, and Shunsui flinched, nodding slowly.
"Y...yes. Maybe."
"Did you know that I'd had a message, then, from Midori last night? That she wanted to meet with me, to discuss something of some urgency?"
"I know there was a messenger." Shunsui's eyes clouded. "But that's all I know. That's the truth, Sensei. I don't know if anyone even did meet Midori-dono. No one has said that they have."
"I will meet Midori here this evening." Genryuusai said frankly. "And I will talk to her. What happens from that point on depends on that conversation. For the time being, therefore, I don't want you to press into this too much, Shunsui. Your young friends may have been playing with fire, but if they did meet her, I imagine they were sworn to secrecy about how and where on account of the fact Midori-dono doesn't intend to be prevented from meeting with me. Her messenger was very explicit about many things. And so I have agreed to that meeting. That's all you need to know."
Shunsui hesitated for a moment, then he bowed his head slightly.
"Yes, sensei." He murmured.
"In which case, if that's understood, you are dismissed." Genryuusai eyed him for a moment, then, "I will be speaking to all students shortly, but since I've already told you what will happen regarding classes, you are excused the assembly. It's been some time since you saw your brother, after all, and I think you have a lot of positive things to tell him about your progress."
He got to his feet, returning the documents to a safer place and then moving to the door.
"Tokutarou, you may take your brother for a walk in the grounds, perhaps." He suggested. "The flowers here are nothing to rival your own, I'm sure, but summer is still a beautiful season in District One nonetheless."
Tokutarou nodded.
"Thank you." He agreed. "I'll do so. If it's no trouble, Sensei, I'd like to stay here for a day or two - I've left my affairs to Yoshiko-dono and if there's to be a meeting tonight, I'd like to remain in District One in case my presence can be of some use in facilitating things."
"With pleasure." Genryuusai nodded. "I'll see to it that quarters are prepared for you."
With that he withdrew, pausing in the hallway outside for a moment, then turning towards the dining hall where he knew most of his students were still eating their morning meal.
Shunsui skipped his, however, and came to the office right away. I wonder if Tokutarou can settle that - something's amiss with the boy. He's unsettled in a way two murders haven't managed to shake him to till this point. I'll have to keep an eye open and see whether or not it's a Class One matter or one of Shunsui's own skeletons poking its head out of its closet.
As he reached the Dining Hall, he was aware of a low buzz of chatter, and he slid back the door, stepping inside the room and up onto the staff podium. Immediately there was silence, as it was unusual for their Headmaster to join them at breakfast under any circumstances. With Aitori's death the hot topic of conversation, every student in the room was curious to know what was about to happen, and Genryuusai found for once that he did not have to try to have everyone's full attention focused on what he wanted to say.
He did not keep them in suspense long, his gaze sweeping the room as he moved to the front of the podium.
"You are all aware, I think, of the death of Aitori Hideaki yesterday morning." He said softly. "This is a matter for District One to handle, and for the Council to resolve. Classes will continue this morning as usual, so far as is possible. Hohou will until further notice be suspended for all students except the Senior Class, who will report to their usual room at the regular time. I will set the assignment, and you will be trusted to carry out your practical studies alone. Everyone else will treat Hohou as a reading period, and will report to the library where you will be expected to study and not use the time as an opportunity for free talk."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in, then,
"Any students who had plans to go home for the Summer interval must also report to me directly – so far as this is concerned, no student will be travelling from District One on any purpose. Lessons will still be suspended for the duration of the ten day period, however there will be no permission given for students wanting to leave and return to their homes – even for those who reside within this district."
He glanced around the room, taking in the mixture of gravity and dismay on the students' faces.
"Immediately you leave here, please go in your forms to the Great Hall." He said softly. "I will outline the exact details of any timetable and curfew changes more clearly when you are all properly assembled. Is anyone absent from the Dining Hall this morning?"
There was a pause, then Juushirou got slowly to his feet, and Genryuusai was startled to feel the same uncertainty prickling at the young boy's aura.
"Please, Sensei, Kyouraku Shunsui isn't here." He said softly, and Genryuusai frowned.
"Yes. I know." He agreed. "He's had a visitor from his family, and so will not be joining us. I have already spoken to him and will do so again later."
Surprise followed by relief flooded Juushirou's hazel gaze, and Genryuusai wondered at it, even as he indicated for the boy to sit down.
"Is there anyone else?"
"Some of our Class had extra practice with Minabe-sensei this morning, Sensei." Another student from the second year raised his hand.
"Then Minabe will no doubt assemble them with the rest of us." Genryuusai reflected. "Very well. Finish your meals, then, everyone. I will be taking a complete roll call to ensure all students are in their correct places and that none are missing or unaccounted for in any way. And then we will move on to the more important matter facing all of us - your spiritual education."
"You know, Genryuusai-sensei was right. You are out of sorts this morning."
As they stepped out into the expansive school grounds, Tokutarou cast his companion a quizzical look. "What's on your mind, Shunsui? Or is that a stupid question to ask you, when you've never given me a straight answer to it before?"
"I wish I knew how to answer it." Shunsui admitted. "This time, if I could, it might help. It's just...a lot of uncertain things swirling around. That's all. I don't like how unsettled it feels."
"What kind of teacher was Aitori?"
"A bigot." Shunsui said honestly. "I didn't like him. I don't say he deserved what he got, but he was definitely up to things he shouldn't have been."
"Mm. Without a doubt." Tokutarou acknowledged. "But if it isn't the murder that's unsettled you - what has?"
Shunsui was silent for a moment, then he sighed.
"Juushirou, first and foremost." He said at length. "Him, and his stupid belief in people."
"Juushirou?" Tokutarou's ears pricked up. "That's...the District boy, correct?"
"Yes." Shunsui groaned, dropping down on the ground beneath one of the drooping willow trees, flopping back on the grass, and after a moment, Tokutarou sat down beside him, settling himself more comfortably on the ground.
"He's upset you?"
"No. Not really." Shunsui rubbed his temples. "It's all right, Nii-sama. It's not that big a deal. Really. Just student things."
"Genryuusai-sensei was telling me a bit about this Juushirou boy." Tokutarou reflected. "How he seemed to have fitted right in at the Academy, despite his roots."
"He has." Shunsui glanced up. "But he doesn't know the first thing about the Clans or how dangerous they can be. In some ways it's a good thing, but with this..."
He shook his head as if to clear it, then,
"Nii-sama, you've spoken to Sensei. What do you think about all of this? About him meeting with Midori, and so on?"
"Sensei thinks the girl is making an attempt to take control of her Clan, in order to prevent it from complete destruction." Tokutarou said evenly. "And she seeks the support of her neighbours in District One. As a warrior, Shunsui, I understand her reasons for slaying Aitori. If he was doing what he seems to have been doing, there was little option for her but to act in that way, even if she was taking a calculated risk. What it all depends on is where she wants to go from here. But if she acts as Sensei thinks she will, then I would be inclined to support her. It doesn't seem, after all, as though she is involved in the things that might destroy District Two's Clan. And if the Council takes control of District Two in the Shihouin-ke's stead, it will mean fighting over who has what power of supervision. Better that one of the existing Clan can salvage something - because that family are doomed to face some kind of Council hearing either way."
"About the chemicals." Shunsui whispered, and Tokutarou nodded.
"I thought you'd make that connection." He agreed. "Genryuusai-sensei has written proof of it, too. But he's holding on to it until he's spoken to the girl. And so it all depends on that."
"Juushirou and Hirata went out yesterday, after we found Aitori killed." Shunsui said slowly. "And I'm sure they went to see Midori, but they won't either of them talk about it. Juu's been especially strange about it. And I don't know...why. All of a sudden, why they went. Juu was taking Hirata back to the dorm, because he'd about passed out at the gore. And then they vanished. And since then...it's been wrong. And I can't put my finger on what it is, but it's driving me crazy."
"Because this time you're out of the loop?" Tokutarou asked, and Shunsui snorted, shaking his head.
"If it was that simple, I could bang my head against the wall a few times and get over it." He said disparagingly. "No. It's more that I was afraid...of what Midori might do. Might have done. That if they'd take that risk now, it might happen again and someone could get killed. But Juu got cross with me when I raised it. Said I was trying to protect him and that he didn't need it. So then I said things about the Clans and...agh, it was a mess, really. Just...I quite like the Academy, now. In the long run, I like the people here - even if I'm not the world's best student and even if the teachers generally hate teaching me. I've got people who I consider friends and I've not had that before. Not really. Not in the same way. And it frightens me..."
"That they might be taken away from you?" Tokutarou's eyes narrowed. "Like your Father was? And then your Mother, too?"
"I guess." Shunsui looked embarrassed. "I'm a pitiful mess, aren't I? Thinking and talking like that. I sound like a little girl instead of an eighteen year old Clansman. But even so..."
"Nothing you've said is strange to me." Tokutarou grinned. "It just proves your brain does work like other people's and you do form attachments just the same as they do. That's all."
"Of course it does. I'm not some alien species, you know." Shunsui pulled a face, and Tokutarou laughed.
"Sometimes I wonder." He teased, reaching across to ruffle his companion's messy curls. "You don't always seem to speak the same language. But obviously you're communicating with your peers, so that's something at the very least."
"Stop it." Shunsui pulled himself into a sitting position, ducking out from under his brother's touch. "I'm not six years old any more, you know."
"I know. But I didn't see you at six years old." Tokutarou said regretfully. "So I'm making up for lost time."
"But you don't think I'm being pathetic?" Shunsui grimaced. "I do. I hear myself saying stupid things and I can't stop from saying them. And now Juu's got it into his head that it's something to do with District pride and...Clan pride and...ergh, I don't even know any more. I'm not used to having this kind of argument. I'm onto a loser from the start because first of all he's so much better than me at saying all the clever things that make anyone opposing him look and sound like a complete numpty. And secondly, I don't want to argue with him. I don't even understand why I should be. Is it that wrong to want to look out for him? Am I patronising him after all, worrying that he'll get himself killed by talking to the wrong person?"
"Protecting a friend isn't demeaning them if you protect them because they're your friend - not because you consider them weak." Tokutarou responded evenly, though his expression softened at his brother's heartfelt questions. "That's why warriors fight, after all, Shunsui. What you're protecting is the bond - the friendship. Not the person. If that makes sense. It's not that you consider him weak or are trying to patronise him. You just want to make sure nothing happens to him. And that's how all of us feel from time to time about the people we care for."
He grinned.
"You probably don't realise it, but I've had plenty of moments like that when you disappeared into the local villages and I had to send men to find you." He added ruefully. "There are some things you can't protect people from. But you can always protect the bonds you hold dear at the very least. And if this Juushirou's as clever as you say, he'll realise that soon enough. Even if you don't know how to say that effectively without feeling like...well...a numpty, as you so charmingly put it."
He pursed his lips.
"Did you get that from Sora, by the way? It sounds like her kind of terminology."
"She's probably called me one once or twice - I've lost count of the list of idiot words she has for me so I couldn't tell you." Shunsui shrugged his shoulders, a wry smile touching his lips.
"You've probably deserved most of them, in the end."
"Almost certainly." Shunsui nodded. "I know that better than anyone. That's why I keep telling them all. I'm not smart or special. I'm stupid and clueless. Because it's the truth. I don't know the first thing about anything important...and people get hurt because of it."
"People?" Tokutarou eyed him quizzically. "What do you mean? If you're talking about Father, Shunsui, what could a six year old boy have done in that situation? There was no blame on you there."
"No." Shunsui shook his head. "It's not that. Never mind. It's not important."
"Obviously it is." Tokutarou said evenly. "Because Sensei's right. Your aura is fluctuating a lot more than usual, and whether you tell me or not, I know when you're upset. You hide things - you've done that since I've known you. But there's no need to hide them if it's just me. We're blood, after all. Kin. And if there's anyone you can trust in in this world, I'd like to think that it would be me."
Shunsui was silent for a moment, and Tokutarou could tell he was digesting this carefully. Then,
"I've never talked to you like this before." He murmured. "But I'm starting to think I should have. And that I can. Somehow."
"Yes. You can." Tokutarou rested his hand on his brother's shoulder. "We're Clan and that has certain pressures on us, true enough. But when Kyouki-sama first told me that I had a little brother, I wanted so much to ride to District Eight to see you. Father forbade it, then. He wanted me well away from District Eight and anyone who might hurt me or try and use me as a child to take hold of the succession. But I wanted to. I saw Kyouki-sama's children grow up and I knew I didn't really belong with them, even though they treated me like I did. So I wanted to know about my brother."
"Really?" Genuine surprise flooded Shunsui's features, and Tokutarou nodded.
"Of course, in the four years we've known one another, there have been moments I've wanted to throttle you." He said wryly. "But that's probably because I worry about you. You're a very...solitary person in a lot of ways. And you shouldn't be, because it's not your manner to be. But even so...you seem that way. That's all. I'm glad you have friends here and they're people you care about. It's more than I hoped for, in truth, sending you here."
He sighed.
"It was a last resort. I wanted something to turn you around before you fell into that pit Father did, and this was all I could think of." He admitted. "But it seems to have worked. You've never opened up to me before. If that's the influence of this place, then..."
"It's Juu." Shunsui looked rueful. "All of it. It's Juu. He talks so frankly about things. Anything. Everything. Bad things. Good things. He'll tell you. Trust you. And because he's that honest and forthright, it makes it easy to be the same."
"I really must meet this boy before I go home." Tokutarou mused, and Shunsui laughed.
"I guess it sounds strange, doesn't it? From me." He murmured, and Tokutarou shrugged.
"I prefer it to the miserable individual I sent here." He said honestly. "I don't want an alcoholic wastrel for a brother, and that was where you were heading. You're worth far more than you realise you are, and if you're starting to realise that, so much to the good."
"I couldn't save Megumi, even though she sent Kyouko to me for help." Shunsui bit his lip. "I was just too late. I'm always just too late, Nii-sama. I was too young to save Father, too. And then...Saku..."
"Saku?" Tokutarou's brows knitted together, and Shunsui buried his head in his hands.
"A girl?" Tokutarou pursed his lips, and Shunsui took in a deep breath, letting it out in a rush.
"A childhood friend when I lived with Uncle." He said quietly. "She's now working for Shihouin Midori, it seems. She was the messenger who came to Sensei last night. The last time I saw her was after Uncle's rebellion, when I took the medicine to her town. But it was too late. Her Father had died."
Tokutarou's eyes became slits at this.
"You were in a hurry to leave..." He murmured. "And when you came back, you'd shorn your hair and...that girl wasn't just a friend, was she? She was something else, wasn't she?"
"She was the only friend I had, growing up." Shunsui said sadly. "Because of Uncle, her family were sent away. Because she and I were friends. That was my fault - I couldn't protect her from the effect of the Clans. That's all. I realised how useless it all was then, I suppose. More than I ever had."
"And that's why you're like this." Comprehension flooded Tokutarou's features. "I see. And now you worry about your new District friend getting hurt because of his involvement with the Clans, too?"
"Mm. That's it exactly." Shunsui agreed. "Am I just being paranoid?"
"No...probably not." Tokutarou admitted. "But if this kid's your age, you have to let him make his own decisions too. And if he's the kind of person he sounds like, I'd have a little faith in him to make the right ones."
"Tokutarou-niisama!"
Before Shunsui could respond, there was a yell from across the grass and both glanced up to see Sora coming helter-skelter towards them, her eyes bright with excitement and her cheeks flushed from the sudden exercise in the morning summer heat.
"Tokutarou-niisama! I thought it was you...when Sensei said Shunsui'd had a visitor, I thought it must be you who'd ridden here!" She exclaimed, and despite himself Shunsui smiled, a rueful look in his dark eyes.
"And that ends our conversation." He said frankly, meeting his brother's gaze. "Whatever I've said to you, Nii-sama, it's not for her ears."
"I won't repeat it to anyone." Tokutarou looked surprised. "You shouldn't think that I would - I can be discreet, you know."
He turned, casting Sora a grin as she flopped down on the grass in front of them, breathing heavily as she fought to regain her composure.
"What are you doing here?" Shunsui demanded. "Didn't Sensei have you all called to the Hall or something...he said to me that he was going to call an Assembly."
"It finished." Sora said with a shrug. "We're meant to go to the library for this morning's Hohou class but I figured I'd skip it this once. No one's supervising us first years in any case - there's too much going on with all the fuss over Aitori's death for them to bother about us. Since Tokutarou-nii was here, I decided I'd come see him. I'll catch up from Mitsuki later if there's anything I need to know, after all."
She turned, flashing the older brother a grin, and Shunsui rolled his eyes.
"Oh, of course. Because Tokutarou-nii is here." He murmured meaningfully, and Sora's already red cheeks flushed further, this time with emotion rather than exertion.
"Shut up. Is it that wrong to want to see him? I don't much, not any more. And we grew up together too - don't hog him all to yourself, Shunsui!"
"You seem well, Sora-chan." Tokutarou grinned, reaching out to tweak the ends of one of her long curly tails of hair. "And full of energy, as ever. School life's suiting you, then? This one isn't driving you too far to distraction?"
"He's had his moments." Sora flashed Tokutarou a winning smile, shrugging her shoulders. "But nothing I can't handle."
"She can't come into the boy's dorms, fortunately." Shunsui added casually. "Which means I have some respite when she's in a nagging mood."
"I don't nag!" Sora looked indignant. "And you are hopeless. How you managed to finish top of the class I don't know! Especially pipping Juushirou and Kuchiki-kun like that! Both of them have at least worked this term!"
"You're just angry because I beat you." Shunsui said provocatively, and Tokutarou sighed, shaking his head.
"Enough." He said firmly, holding up his hands. "You can have your battle of words later. Sora, thank you for keeping an eye on Shunsui for me. Obviously you've done all right, since he's starting to sound like a human being."
"I don't know that I've done that much." Sora pinkened once more at the praise. "I think it's because Shunsui's decided he wants to come to class now, instead of running off after local tavern girls."
She cast Shunsui a glance.
"Or should I not say that in front of Tokutarou-nii?"
"Bit late, considering you already did." Shunsui pointed out. "But it's fine, as it happens. You're right. At the moment I'm not that interested in chasing after local tavern girls. There are plenty of pretty girls at the Academy, as it happens - and it's easier to stay closer to home."
"Well, don't do anything that's going to cost me money and make me bow my head to a neighbour in apology." Tokutarou eyed him meaningfully. "Because most of those pretty girls have a powerful Clan leader behind them."
"True enough." Shunsui acknowledged. "But it's all right. They know I'm just playing with them, after all."
He offered Sora a teasing smile.
"And of course, I wouldn't dare try those things on Sora-sama here." He added. "Because with you two being practically siblings, I feel like we're almost brother and sister ourselves."
"Will you stop it with that?" Sora demanded, and Shunsui laughed.
"What?" He said innocently. "It's true, isn't it? You even call Tokutarou-nii 'Nii-sama'. Doesn't that make you siblings?"
Sora frowned, her eyes clouding as she shook her head.
"Tokutarou-nii's the head of the Kyouraku-ke." She said softly. "He's equal in status to Okaasama. To say he was just my sibling would be disrespectful."
"You shouldn't worry about things like that, Sora-chan." Tokutarou told her warmly, getting to his feet and patting her gently on the head. "You and your brothers are very special to me. Shunsui's right, after all. You're like siblings too."
Shunsui shot Sora a triumphant look, receiving a grotesque grimace in return. Tokutarou did not notice this, however, dusting the flower petals from his robes.
"I'll be staying in District One a little while." He said instead. "So you two shouldn't neglect your education any further. Go along to your class, all right? I promise I'll see both of you before I leave - besides, I want to meet this Juushirou boy that Genryuusai-sensei was talking about. After all, I want to show an interest in your friendships."
"And Okaasama will be dying to know from you what he's like." Sora said with a grin. "Because she's been asking me lots of questions in her letters to me. She doesn't think it's quite right for her to descend on the school just to peer at him - but she's already spoken to Retsu-sama about him and I'm sure she'd like to hear your opinions too, Tokutarou-nii."
"Yes, I'm sure she would, Tokutarou-nii." Shunsui mimicked, and Sora glared at him, punching him in the arm as she did so.
"I told you already. Stop it." She hissed, and Shunsui grinned.
"I didn't do anything." He said innocently. "Except echo your own opinions, which you can't possibly find offensive - can you?"
"Tell me, then, your opinion on this Juushirou boy, Sora-chan." Tokutarou intervened once more at that moment. "Do you think he fits in with the rest of you?"
"He's interesting. He's different but he fits in." Sora's expression became thoughtful, then she grinned. "I like him. I like him a lot. He looks fragile and thin but he isn't. And he's smart, too. Plus there's one other thing. He doesn't lie. Everything he says is honest - he's a really bad liar."
"An honest person with brains and strength." Tokutarou pursed his lips. "No wonder Sensei thought to bring him here. I hope his doing so won't ruin the boy."
"He's naive and trusting and stubborn as well." Shunsui murmured. "And he doesn't always listen if he thinks his judgment of a situation is the right one. But I guess the worst trait he has is that it's goddamn impossible to stay cross with him about anything. And more, he will keep pushing something he believes in until he gets to the point he wants to get to. If he wanted to take over the whole of Seireitei, Nii-sama, I think that boy could do it. But fortunately for us, he so far only seems interested in using that skill to make friends."
"You make him sound scary." Sora scolded. "What's with that attitude, anyway? Juushirou's your closest friend, isn't he? At least that's how it looks to me."
"Yes. That's the killer of it - he is." Shunsui looked rueful. "Maybe that's why I find it so hard to argue with him."
"Then don't." Sora snorted. "You say stupid things. Juushirou talks a lot more sense than you do, so you should stop babbling and listen to him. He's probably more likely to be right than you are."
Tokutarou laughed.
"You two are definitely the same as ever." He teased. "You should be careful, though. Some might misunderstand that banter as something else. They might even start theorising that the two of you have some kind of further arrangement in place – what with you both getting closer to marriageable age."
"Marriageable…?" Sora's eyes opened wide with horror, and Shunsui shook his head emphatically.
"Definitely not." He said bluntly. "No offence, Sora-chan, but there couldn't be anything further from my mind than that."
"Mine either." Sora said fervently. "Don't tease us, Tokutarou-nii. It's not nice."
Tokutarou grinned.
"Then I'll let you go." He murmured. "This evening may prove to be a bad time, but perhaps tomorrow you can find time to introduce me to your classmate."
With that he winked, withdrawing, and Shunsui and Sora exchanged looks.
"He's joking." Shunsui said at length. "Don't look at me like that, Sora. You know it as well as I do that he is."
"Yes." Sora grimaced. "But even so…the thought's traumatic enough to give me shivers."
"Thanks." Shunsui looked rueful. "Besides, I'm surprised that he'd even tease about it. Obviously he's just as dolt-headed as ever when it comes to you – you really ought to give up and shift your attentions elsewhere."
"What are you talking about?" Sora flushed pink, glaring at him indignantly, and Shunsui smiled.
"Oh come on. It's not like it's not obvious you have a crush on him." He said casually. "Even if he hasn't noticed, I'm sure there are a lot of people who have. You're not exactly subtle about it."
Sora sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
"But I'm just his little sister." She said sadly. "That's all I've ever been, really, where he's concerned. He was with our family from before I was born, so I don't remember not growing up with him. But he wasn't my real brother and I always knew that. So…"
She sighed again, shaking her head as if to clear it.
"And you're not really the kind of person I want to talk to about it." She said frankly. "Since you'll use it and tease me about it forever."
"I'll do that anyway, whether you talk about it or not." Shunsui linked his arm playfully in hers, as they began to make their way in the direction of the library. "You should know that by now, Sora-chan."
"Yeah. True." Sora grimaced, pulling her arm free. "And now what are you doing?"
"Nothing." Shunsui grinned. "Of all the girls here, Sora, you're one I'd never flirt with. You have my word on that."
"I don't know if that was a reassurance or an insult." Sora muttered, and Shunsui laughed.
"Neither, really." He admitted. "It's just…to me you're Niisama's sister. So that means you're like my sister, even if you're not. And that's too weird."
"Really?" Sora was taken aback, despite herself. "You're not just teasing when you say that – you really mean it that way?"
"Yeah." Shunsui agreed. "Though teasing you about it is fun too."
"The trouble with you is that I never know when you're serious and when you're not." Sora said acerbically, and Shunsui shrugged.
"Nor do I, sometimes." He admitted. "But this time I think I am. So don't get too mad with me, Sora-chan. Teasing is a sign of affection, after all – at least if it's from me. I can't help being irritating. It's in my genes."
"Tokutarou-nii isn't irritating."
"Mm. I guess that must be the Shiba in his blood, then." Shunsui laughed. "I'm all Kyouraku, which means I'm one hundred percent concentrated irritation, I suppose."
Sora stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"The Academy would probably be boring without you." She admitted, between giggles. "Saying things like that and doing completely random things."
She eyed him quizzically.
"You seem more yourself right now." She added. "But…you haven't been, since yesterday. And Juushirou was odd at breakfast, too. Did you two have a fight? What you said to Nii-sama…"
"A sort of fight." Shunsui agreed. "But it'll work itself out. I need to think about some things, I suppose. And maybe he does too. Don't worry about it, Sora. I'm sure it's not the end of the world."
"Why did Tokutarou-nii come here, anyway?" Sora asked, and Shunsui frowned.
"I can't really talk about it." He admitted.
"Was it to do with Aitori, then?"
"Somewhat, I think. But I mean it, Sora. Yama-jii said it too. I'm not to talk about it."
"If Sensei said it…" Sora pursed her lips. "I guess if that's the case, there's nothing to be done about it, then. Okay. I won't ask you any more questions."
She sighed, stretching her arms over her head.
"But it was nice to have him visit, even if there is an ulterior motive." She added. "I don't see him as much as you do, and I miss him too."
"You mean you pine after him." Shunsui bantered, and Sora poked out her tongue.
"You really are more like an annoying little brother than anything, even if you are older than me." Was her crushing rejoinder. "Stop it already. You've already had open season on me this morning – I can't help it, in any case. It just happened that way. One day, when you actually decide to grow up, you might understand what I mean. Love isn't something you choose by darting around local villages and entertaining local courtesans when you should be home in bed. It's something else and it just happens when it feels like it. That's all."
Shunsui's eyes became serious, and he nodded his head.
"I suppose so." He acknowledged. "I'm sorry, Sora. I suppose that teasing is second nature to me. I can't help it."
"Well, it's not like Tokutarou-nii would ever look at me any differently from how he already does." Sora groaned. "He's already far too Shiba for the liking of your Clan, and to marry a Shiba would only alienate those people more, wouldn't it? It'd be seen as the Shiba-ke taking over District Eight and I know he was determined to prove when he went back there that he had Kyouraku-ke interests in mind first and foremost. So if he does marry, it won't be me he does. Even if he didn't see me as his sister. Right now I'll take that, because it means I get to see him and he's friendly with me – sometimes you have to catch whatever breaks you can."
"Being Clan is messed up in a lot of ways." Shunsui agreed grimly. "Though if Nii-sama knew how you felt…"
"He'd feel guilty and it'd make us awkward." Sora shook her head. "It's better how it is."
At that moment they reached the library, and she slid back the door, ushering him inside. As he stepped through the entrance, Shunsui caught sight of the rest of their class huddled around tables at the furthest end of the room, and he frowned, seeing Juushirou's snow white head bent over a book, with Hirata on his left hand and Enishi on his right. He seemed engrossed in his work, but at their entrance he raised his head, meeting Shunsui's gaze across the library chamber.
There was something in that look that struck Shunsui right through and he frowned, shaking his head as if to clear it.
"Are you okay?" Sora cast him an anxious look, and Shunsui nodded.
"Yes. Fine." He agreed. "Naoko-chan's waving to you, though – before she creates a hurricane with those powerful arms of hers, you should go and join her. Mitsuki's buried herself behind a pile of books so I'm sure she'll be only too glad to share them with you."
"You're really impossible sometimes." Sora eyed him in resignation. "Fine. At least you're not planning on flirting with Naoko this morning. She's getting fed up with it, you know, and I don't think she's used to people teasing her the way you tease folk. Plus Mitsuki's shy and she goes red whenever you start making comments – you're never going to find any girl to take you on at that rate."
"Just one girl would probably be lonely anyway." Shunsui reflected, offering her a light grin. "Don't worry about me, Sora-chan. I'm sure I'll make out just fine."
With that he turned, heading across to the table to where his dorm-mates were hard at work.
"I presume that your visitor has gone, then, for you to be rejoining us at this late time?" Ryuu set aside his own thick tome, eying Shunsui quizzically, and Shunsui nodded, dropping down opposite the young Clansman.
"In a manner of speaking. He's not gone exactly, but he has things to do and I'd be in his way if I tagged along." He said simply. "It was my brother, you see – he wanted to speak to Yama-jii."
"About you?" Enishi looked startled, and Shunsui shook his head.
"No. He came for another reason." He said slowly, and at his tone, Juushirou's eyes became clouded. Shunsui's gaze narrowed.
"Juu…" He said softly, and Juushirou bit his lip, lowering his gaze once more.
"Are you two going to be like this for the whole of today?" Enishi demanded at that moment, glancing from one to the other with a flicker of uncharacteristic frustration in his dark eyes. "It's bad enough in dorm, but in class as well? Does it matter if someone knows something someone else doesn't? We're not a bunch of silly schoolgirls, after all! We're learning to be warriors, aren't we?"
"Houjou-kun." Hirata's eyes widened, and Juushirou sighed, rubbing his temples.
"I'm sorry, Houjou-kun." He said contritely. "It's probably my fault more than anyone's."
"No, it isn't." At that moment a fresh voice interrupted the conversation, and all eyes turned to the end of the table where Kai had been languidly flicking through one of the school's core Hohou texts. At the sudden attention he looked troubled, but there was determination in his golden eyes and he shook his head.
"It's my fault." He said firmly, holding his head up resolutely as he met the incredulous expressions of his companions. "I was the one who asked Kyouraku to keep my family matters a secret from you, Ukitake. And I suspect – no, I almost certainly know – that in some way everything that follows also involves those matters. They are not things I can disclose, even if I thought I knew everything about them. But if there is blame, it is blame that should fall on my Clan. No one else is at fault."
"Shihouin." Enishi's annoyance was shattered by this unexpected declaration, and Ryuu frowned.
"How to make a spectacle out of something so trivial." He muttered, reaching for his book once more. "You Shihouin do like to make such a fuss over little matters, and gloss over the big ones."
"This is a big one, Kuchiki." Shunsui said gravely. "And it's a long way from being over."
He cast Juushirou a glance, then,
"I'm not going to ask you any questions." He said at length. "I'm sorry if you think I called your pride into question, and I want you to know that I never meant to make you feel like you needed protecting or anything like that. I just…we're friends, and that matters to me. So I talked to Nii-sama about it, and he said that I should trust you to make your own decisions…that if you were smart, you'd probably make the right ones. I don't know if I think they are or not, yet. But…I think…Nii-sama agrees with you. Because I think…what you're keeping a secret is also part of the reason Nii-sama came here. I won't say what it is, exactly. But Nii-sama was particular about being here tonight…because he thought it might help."
Juushirou's eyes widened in surprise, and then he smiled, relief flooding his hazel gaze.
"I'm sorry too, then." He said honestly. "I think we both said stupid things, and I didn't really know how to react. I have always been protected and I don't know a lot of things. But I…I've made up my mind this time. Even if it's wrong, I'll see it through. I have reasons and I can't tell you or anyone those reasons at the moment because it might cause other people trouble. But I know you were only worrying about me. And it was worrying me too that I was hiding things – so I guess I was annoyed at myself as much as anything else."
His gaze darted to Kai's, then,
"I don't think anyone thinks it was your fault, Shihouin-kun. You're not responsible for your Clan, after all. Just like Hirata's not responsible for his."
Kai's eyes darkened and he shook his head.
"Midori-neesama is the one who killed Aitori and everyone here knows that." He murmured. "I've heard it buzzing round the halls because she used Akekage to do it. I was worried about what she might do – now I'm even more worried about it. But part of it is my responsibility too, Ukitake. Because if she killed Aitori, she did it to protect me. And if she did that…it was because she thought I…I might end up becoming involved in something she didn't want me to be."
"Another assassin's plot in the works, I imagine." Ryuu said off-handedly, and Kai shot him an annoyed glance.
"It's no business of yours, Kuchiki." He snapped. "You don't understand how our Clan works and you never will."
"Thankfully, I have no wish to." Ryuu offered him a flinty smile. "Not since it involves brutally slaying school instructors in foreign land."
He got to his feet, picking up his thick book and taking it back towards the shelves, and Enishi sighed.
"So Ukitake and Kyouraku patch up and now Shihouin and Kuchiki are beginning round two?" He asked wearily, and Kai shook his head.
"He and I have never gotten along and we never will." He said blackly. "Because he has absolutely no comprehension for anything outside of his stupid, stuck up Kuchiki world. He doesn't realise that other Clans have problems and opinions and whatever else, too. He's not interested. If it isn't Kuchiki-ke, it's worthless. That's how he is and how he'll always be. It's how the Kuchiki-ke are."
"That's a bit unfair, Kai-kun." Shunsui objected, and Juushirou nodded.
"Edogawa-san isn't like that." He pointed out. "And even if Kuchiki-kun doesn't always phrase things in the right way, I don't think he feels like that, either. Besides, I have distant Kuchiki blood too – but I'd hope I wasn't that way."
"Edogawa-san is almost as feeble as Hirata is." Kai said disparagingly, and Hirata flinched at the off-hand assessment. "As for you, Ukitake…"
He paused, then shook his head.
"I don't know what to think of you." He admitted. "You make no sense. And even if you have Kuchiki blood…you're not a Kuchiki. Because…"
He faltered again.
"I know you saw my sister." He said softly, his voice barely above a whisper, and at his words, consternation flickered in Juushirou's eyes. "I know you did, because it's the only thing that makes any sense. You probably know where she is, too. District One are looking for her, and people want to interrogate her about Aitori. But you've not said a word. I don't understand why that is. You and I aren't allies. I've not been friendly to you at all. Why would you care about keeping things like that a secret? I don't understand it at all."
"I don't know where Midori-sama is." Juushirou gathered his wits, shaking his head. "As for the other thing…perhaps I thought, maybe, that if she was your sister, and you were worried about her, she couldn't be as bad a person as it seems just from Aitori being killed. And that maybe she had a reason behind it, too. I would think that if she'd do something so drastic because she wanted to protect you, that means that she loves you and if she feels that way, she's probably not a cold blooded killer. I have younger siblings and I don't know what I might do to protect them. I hope I wouldn't kill someone…but I can't say for sure that I wouldn't. Not if it was their lives at stake. And maybe Midori-sama thought there were lives at stake – so that's why she acted how she did."
Kai's eyes opened wide with surprise at this, then alarm as he got to his feet, reaching across to grasp his classmate by the wrists.
"Where is she?" He demanded, and Juushirou shook his head.
"I told you, I don't know anything about where she is." He said calmly. "That's the truth, Shihouin-kun. I was just thinking, that's all, about how important it can be sometimes to have family that cares for you."
"You're lying."
"I'm not." Juushirou shrugged. "It's the truth. Right now, I don't know where Midori-sama is, and nor does Hirata, before you start on him."
"But you did meet with her?"
"Juu didn't say that, Kai-kun." Shunsui intervened at that point. "And even if he did, and even if he knew the things he isn't telling you, there's probably a good reason why you shouldn't ask. If Midori-dono wanted to make contact with you directly, she would. That she hasn't means that Juu's probably right and there's a good reason for it. So sit back like a good boy and wait for her to come to you. Right now, going to look for a woman who's killed someone is only going to make you look complicit. And that would mess up anything the girl tried to do for your sake, wouldn't it?"
"Thank you, Shunsui." Gratitude tinged Juushirou's hazel eyes, and Shunsui grinned, feeling that things had settled between them.
"This all sounds very complicated to me." Enishi sighed, rubbing his temples, and Juushirou offered him an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, Houjou-kun. I guess we should change the subject." He murmured, and Shunsui nodded.
"Good idea, since Kuchiki's heading back and this is obviously not something Kai-kun wants to talk to him about." He added. "Speaking of which, Juu, while my brother's here, he wants to meet you. Tomorrow, if he has time. He's curious to speak to you face to face."
"Me?" Juushirou was startled. "Why me? What have I done?"
"You're the District-born celebrity, that's why." Enishi pointed out, and Juushirou shook his head.
"Don't be silly. It's not that big a deal."
"Well, it is, but that's not quite why." Shunsui grinned. "It's because I told him you were most of the reason I bothered coming to classes now. He's heard that I did well in the exams and I told him that you were being a terribly good influence on me. So now Nii-sama wants to meet you himself. And, probably, thank you for putting up with me thus far."
Juushirou flushed red.
"That's crazy."
"Kyouraku's brother is head of District Eight's Clan, Ukitake." Ryuu set his new books down on the table, casting the other boy a glance as he did so. "Perhaps, since he is in the vicinity, calling him crazy is not the most advisable of actions?"
"That's not what I meant." Juushirou shook his head. "I meant that putting up with Shunsui was crazy. Why would I feel like that? We're friends, after all."
"Seems like your brother has a pretty interesting idea of your behaviour, Kyouraku." Enishi looked amused, and Shunsui nodded his head.
"I've given him a few shocks, you might say." He said lightly. "I've been a veritable angel in comparison, since I've been here. It must all be down to Juu's influence, I think – and Nii-sama's truly grateful."
"Well, then I'll tell him he shouldn't underestimate you." Juushirou said firmly, shutting his book with a snap as if to emphasise his point. "Because if he's not going to believe in you, no wonder you don't want to believe in yourself."
"Ukitake…" Kai stared at him, and Juushirou shrugged his shoulders.
"That's how I see it." He said evenly. "If your close family don't support you, who will?"
Shunsui chuckled, shaking his head.
"It's not like that." He said matter-of-factly. "Nii-sama and I had a proper conversation this morning – and you're wrong in one respect, Juu. He does support me. He always has looked out for me, really – even before we met in some ways. The reason he worries is my fault, not his. I did do some pretty hair-raising things when I was at home – I've told you that before. And he said himself this was more or less his last resort. There's a lot of reason for him to feel the way he does – after all, I dragged his name and mine through the mud and caused him and Mother both a lot of worry into the bargain. If he doesn't have faith in me, it's because I didn't give him any reason to till now. That's all."
"You must've really done something to upset him, then." Enishi reflected, and Shunsui nodded.
"Mm." He agreed. "But I'm sure Yama-jii wouldn't want me to taint all of your innocent minds by sharing my exploits."
He smiled innocently, reaching across to take one of his classmate's pile of untouched books and flipping it open casually.
"So you'll just have to imagine and wonder what kind of little devil is living among you, won't you?"
A faint grin touched Juushirou's lips at this, and a rueful look glittered in Shunsui's dark eyes.
"And you don't need to tell them anything." He instructed. "We're supposed to be studying Hohou - not gossiping about my past."
"Not even about that Etsuo Saku girl?" Enishi questioned, and Shunsui frowned, shaking his head.
"No. Not even about her." He said quietly. "That's past now - and so is everything else. And right now, I think the best thing we can do is keep our heads down and study. Whatever else is going on, it's not in our hands right at the moment and that's probably for the best. Let's change the subject, people. Juu, tell me what exactly we're meant to be doing this morning?"
"Just reading and taking notes." Juushirou responded. "Genryuusai-sensei told us to revise what we'd done in Hohou theory up to this point and to make sure we had thoroughly grasped all the aspects of it."
He pushed a book across the table, and as Shunsui met his gaze, he saw warmth in his friend's hazel eyes.
"Since you studying is such a rare event, I'll give you a book before you change your mind." He said lightly.
Shunsui laughed, taking it with a mock-formal bow of his head.
"Message understood." He said with a wink, knowing now that any dissent between them had been brushed away by that morning's conversation. "If that's how it is, then I guess there's nothing to do but get down to it!"