Chapter Twenty Six: Clan Blood
Kai paced across the floor of the common room, pausing every few moments to gaze out at the silent summer sky beyond the glass window. It was late, and most of his fellow students had already withdrawn to their dorms to obey Genryuusai's curfew order, but yet somehow he could not rest quite so easily. Though the hour was clicking ever closer to midnight, he knew that things had not even remotely begun yet. From Shunsui and Juushirou's cryptic conversations to his own deep-rooted suspicions, he had become convinced that there was a reason why Genryuusai had so specifically instructed all students to be in their dorms at the chime of the evening bell. That had been almost an hour earlier, and only a few of the very senior class led by Yunosuke were still out and about, patrolling the corridors for stray students.
But Kai was a Shihouin, and stealth was his forte. He had easily avoided the patrols, doubling back on himself and returning to the common room. Though he knew he would be in trouble, even so he waited, his senses straining for any sign of his elusive older sister.
Midori-neesama, I know you're out there. I know that you plan to come here, tonight. I'm sure of it. And I want to talk to you. I want to find out what's going on...I want to know what's going to happen to our family now.
As this thought crossed his mind, an image flashed across his senses of his sister, then aged sixteen, with her thick violet hair flowing loose and wild around her shoulders and her blade glittering with eerie red light as she stood over the blood-soaked form of his former Kenjitsu instructor. The man had been a hulking brute, cruel and sadistic in his training practices, and Kai knew he still bore scars of the harsh lessons he had received under the man's unrelenting whip. But that Midori - proud, determined Midori - could take such a man down without breaking a sweat had been completely unexpected. That day, Kai had realised the reason why his mother had entrusted Midori with the Shadow skill - and even then, prickling in the back of his mind, he had wondered what it would mean in the long run.
Though he had not seen Aitori's body, he knew only too well that the same technique had been used then. And that Midori had shown no mercy in the way in which she had conducted the execution. Akekage's release had been forthright, dark and sweeping, and it had devoured Aitori's life in a matter of moments.
But surely Midori-neesama came here because she wanted to prevent what Aitori was doing. Surely she didn't come here because she intended to draw that weapon on anyone else here? Uncle didn't send her, so she's acting alone. But even so...surely that means...
A flash of something in the grounds beyond caught his attention at that moment, and he pushed the thoughts aside, running to the window as he scanned the landscape for any sign of the person he had seen darting across the grass. For a moment he could not make anything out, then, as he caught the faintest flicker of moonlit shadow, his brows creased and he pursed his lips.
"Tomoyuki." He whispered, his hands already fumbling with the catch of the window. "I should have known."
His cousin had been unusually quiet following the murder of his uncle, and Kai had found it strange at the time that the boy had not reacted with either anger or grief at the announcement of Aitori's grisly demise. On the contrary, he had kept himself to himself, not even meeting Kai's gaze in the hallways, and Kai had begun to wonder if his kinsman had deliberately done his best to avoid contact between them. Yet even so this unsettled him more than it did anything else. Tomoyuki was a hot-headed idiot when he wanted to be - yet this reaction had been completely out of character.
Unless he had already had something else planned.
At that moment he managed to get the window catch unlocked, pushing it open and clambering up onto the sill. Glancing around him to make sure nobody was there to see, he tensed his body, leaping silently down into the long grass below. Pausing only to push the window shut once more, he extended his senses across the grounds, searching for the tell tale flicker of Onoe's reiatsu.
At first he could not find it, but then, as he felt it flare, his heart leapt into his throat and he hurried in the direction it had come from, knowing instinctively that his cousin had revealed his position for a reason and that, even if he could not clearly sense his sister, the likelihood was that she was there.
As he reached the back of the gymnasium, he found his fears were realised for Onoe stood at one side of the clearing, tension flickering up and down his taut frame as he glared across the grass at the interloper.
"You have nerve coming here, Midori." He heard the boy say. "After the crime you have committed against your Clan, you have a lot of nerve to show your face! Don't you know that District One want you for murder? You're shaming the whole of this family - and you used my Uncle's life to do so!"
"Get out of my way, Tomoyuki. I have no business with you." Midori's words were soft-spoken and calm, though as Kai drew closer he could see the annoyance in her own golden eyes. They were masked by something else, he realised - consternation and indecision, and he realised with a jolt that his elder sister was debating what exactly to do next.
She killed Aitori. Would she kill Tomoyuki too, on school premises, because he's choosing to stand against her?
Kai's eyes narrowed and he shook his head to clear it.
I can't let her do that. Whatever happened with Aitori, Genryuusai-sensei would never forgive the murder of one of his students on his own grounds. It would become a huge incident, if she released Akekage here...an incident the Shihouin probably wouldn't ever recover from.
With that thought in mind, he darted out of the undergrowth, positioning himself directly in front of his sister as he faced his startled cousin resolutely. Behind him, Midori's reiatsu did not flicker for a moment, and Kai realised that, unlike Onoe, she had sensed his coming probably from the moment he had left the school building. Yet even so she did not speak, and somehow Kai found himself unable to look at her, focusing his attention on his schoolmate instead.
"You're not going to do anything to my sister." He said firmly. "And Sensei wouldn't sanction it, if something happened here."
"No one asked you to interfere." Onoe's voice shook and he glared at Kai darkly. "She's your precious sister, so I might've known you'd protect her. But she's a murderer and a traitor and she's come here with death in her eyes. You turn your back to her, but she could easily kill you before you even blinked. That's the kind of creature the Shadow Cat is, it seems. You're foolish to get involved."
"If that was the case, she'd kill you just as easily, so facing her is foolish for you too." Kai shot back.
"I didn't come here to fight anyone." Midori stepped forward at that moment, resting her hand on Kai's shoulder. "Kai-kun, you shouldn't be here. You'll get into trouble."
"You haven't spoken a word to me about anything since you left District Seven." Kai snapped, sudden anger flooding his senses at the calmness in her voice. He glared up at her indignantly, resentment flowing through him as he did so. "You left me to worry and even now you haven't said a word about it to me. So in that case, I don't have to tell you how I intend to act or what I intend to do. If I choose to intervene...if I choose to face Tomoyuki and tell him to stand down, that's up to me. You're acting of your own free will of late, Neesama. I'm going to do the same."
Surprise glittered in Midori's gaze, followed by a faint smile, and she nodded.
"Yes. I suppose I know you are." She murmured. "I'm sorry, Kai-kun. There was no other way this could be done. I didn't want to involve you in the murder of your kinsman."
"So you admit that it was by your blade Hideaki-jisama died?" Onoe demanded, and Midori's gaze flitted to him in apparent annoyance as she nodded her head.
"My doing so was a message. There's no point in my denying it." She said coolly. "Go back to the school, both of you. I've come here tonight without any intention of causing violence. Akekage is not with me...but I still know enough combat skills to cause harm if I'm threatened."
She cast her brother a glance.
"I came to speak to your headmaster, and he is expecting me." She added softly. "Are you reassured, Kai? I have come here for the sake of our Clan, not for any other reason. And I made a promise not to kill anyone else in the pursuit of that end."
"A promise?" Kai stared at her, momentarily taken off guard, and Midori nodded.
"We will talk. Later." She murmured. "And I will address your reasons for being angry with me. I know there are many, otouto-kun. But you will understand, I think, when I give you everything in full. For the time being, however, I have to go. I have to see Genryuusai-sama tonight or he will not see me at all - and that would be a grave situation indeed."
"You're not going anywhere!" Onoe launched himself towards Midori angrily, but Kai reacted just as swiftly, blocking the attack and pushing his cousin back.
"You don't lay a finger on my sister, I told you!" He said darkly. "Get a grip on your wits, Tomoyuki! You heard Midori-nee! She has reasons for being here. She's come to speak to Sensei. We both know what Aitori was involved in - we both know why she killed him. You can't pretend otherwise. If it's for the sake of the Clan, all you can do is accept it! That's how it works to be Shihouin!"
"She's nothing but a traitor and a killer. She has no right to act outside of the orders of the Clan leader." Onoe shot back, wrestling himself free of Kai's grip. "You know that as much as I do too! She's acted entirely on her own wishes, not on the Clan's wishes!"
"True enough." Midori glanced at her fingers, then sighed. "Kai, I have no time for this. Can you take Tomoyuki back to wherever you should be and keep him quiet? I have to go...I won't be late. Not when so much relies on this."
"Don't worry, Nee-sama." Kai nodded his head, slipping across to block Onoe once more. "I can do that. But I want to know everything, later. Because whatever your reasons, if I'm supposed to believe in them and defend them, I need to know what they are."
"I promise." Midori said softly. Then, with a flash, she slipped into shunpo, and the two boys were left alone in the school grounds.
"Let me go after her!" Onoe tried to wrestle past Kai's grip but despite the boy's inferior size, Kai had not been training since infancy for nothing. As he had done so many weeks before in the class battle against Enishi, he used his speed and nimbleness to his advantage, neatly cutting off Onoe's attempts to break free of his attention and run across the grass in the direction of the head's study.
"You and I aren't going that way." He said frankly, grasping his cousin by the wrists and giving him a shake. "Snap out of it, Tomoyuki. Shihouin don't fight each other like this. Not when so many other things are at stake."
Onoe's eyes glittered angrily, and he wrenched himself free once more.
"My Uncle is dead. Killed by his kinswoman." He said darkly. "How, then, do you justify that?"
"I don't know Midori-nee's motives any more than you do." Kai said frankly. "She hasn't spoken to me, yet. But I believe in her, nonetheless. She's the Shadow Cat, after all. Had you forgotten what that means in terms of our family?"
"It means nothing to me when stained with my Uncle's blood!" Onoe exclaimed, launching himself once more at his cousin and this time causing Kai to stumble backwards. The two fell to the ground, wrestling for control of the situation as each tried to take advantage of the other's weakness. Onoe had always been the less proficient of the two, yet even in the few weeks they had been at the Academy his skills had improved, and Kai was surprised by the sudden strength and determination of his mode of attack as he fought to gain the upper hand once more. Never, in the past, had Kai lost this kind of confrontation. But then, he knew, the honour of his dead kinsman hadn't been glittering in Onoe's eyes, driving him on almost like madness as he came again and again to counter and push back each of his cousin's attacks.
At length Kai managed to force his advantage, pinning Onoe down against the grass as he struggled to catch his breath. His hair hung loose from its tie in the struggle, and he knew that there would probably be questions asked if he went back to the dorm in this state. Yet he did not falter, staring down at Onoe as he did so.
"Stop fighting me." He ordered. "I rank higher than you, Tomoyuki, in class and by blood. We both know who has the better reiatsu. Who's going to win this fight. You've never beaten me in any form of conflict since we were boys. You know that. Just like Midori-neesama knew it, too - she could've killed you very easily, but she didn't do it. You should be glad that what sins your Uncle committed haven't spread to you."
"You can't justify what she did." Onoe spat out. "You can't, no matter how much you try. You're an idiot, Kai - your own sister hasn't told you her plans yet you still defend her actions?"
"Of course." Kai nodded grimly, tightening his grip as the other boy struggled, trying to wriggle free. "She's my sister and I'm Shihouin. Whether I understand or not, I'll defend her till I die. That's what this Clan is about."
"And you don't think I have that pride, too?" Onoe shot back. "That maybe, when my Uncle is slain, I have the right to cry vengeance?"
"Aitori wanted us to do something that would destroy the Clan." Kai murmured. "I've thought about it. I've thought about it a lot, since that town girl was killed. Even more, since Aitori was. He would have got us both into trouble. Cost us both our lives. And sold our souls to another Clan to do their dirty work. This was never a Shihouin plan, after all. Or do you want to be subservient to our so called allies, while someone outside of District Two pulls on our strings?"
"Let go of me!"
"When you listen." Kai shook his head. "Midori-neesama's done what no one else dared to do. She's put a stop to Aitori's hold over both of us. You may not care, but I was worried where it was going. Especially since the girl was killed with a Shihouin blade. Aitori's blade, Tomoyuki. His own weapon. I identified the hilt myself. He intended the trail to fall with the Shihouin-ke, knowing that only one of us could identify the weapon as being his. And knowing that none of us would, because of our Clan pride."
"Yet you just said you went against that pride and identified it anyway." Tomoyuki's eyes glittered with hate, and Kai felt his companion's reiatsu surge again beneath his touch. "You're as much a traitor as Midori, in the end."
"That's Midori-dono to you!" Kai snapped, bringing his hand down hard against his companion's cheek. "Houjou blooded your nose for saying foolish things about Ukitake and illicit chemicals, and I'll do the same if you continue to address my sister in such an informal way! She's born above you - just as I am. You're lucky she didn't blow you away with her Kidou for your impertinence!"
"Then you're our enemy too, are you?" Onoe's eyes were flinty and cold. "You side with the traitor and not with the orders that the Clan Leader instilled in us and in Hideaki-jisama when we first came to this place? Our loyalty is to him over everyone else. Even over your precious sister. Did you forget why we were sent here? Or have you fallen into Genryuusai-sensei's trap and begun to believe the things he teaches about teamwork and Seireitei's future?"
"What I think is none of your business." Kai spat back. "Not when you act like this against the honour and pride of your family! Genryuusai-sensei hasn't undermined our people since we came here – and he trusted in Aitori, even though Aitori betrayed him. I don't want to be the kind of Shihouin Aitori was, in the end. That's not how our family is!"
"Even though we're assassins and shadows, Kai?"
"Assassins and shadows, maybe. But ones with honour." Kai's voice shook and he tightened his grasp on his cousin's body as anger stirred once more within him. "Did you forget that part? Ones with honour!"
"And ones who obey the orders given, instead of making up our own." Tomoyuki returned sharply. "Kamuki-sama is the head of the Shihouin Clan. To us nobody's instructions are more important. Hideaki-jisama was following those orders and yet he was murdered! Alliance with another Clan is none of our business. Obeying our brief is! Even if we died, that is what we were sent here to do! Or are you a coward who fears facing death?"
"I'm a Shihouin." Kai said flatly, his own eyes hardening at the bitterness in the other's words. "So that's a redundant question. Death and honour go hand in hand and I'm not afraid to risk my life for my Clan. But I'm not going to spend this evening fighting with a fool. You can't overcome my strength, so you might as well give in and come inside. We'll all know, tomorrow, after all. What it is Midori-neesama came here to do. And whether or not it's something you ought to accept before it gets you into more trouble."
Onoe's eyes narrowed to slits, sparking golden fire as he glared up at his cousin.
"I have heard from Seimaru-sama." He said softly. "And he is coming to District One himself. Then things will move. He was scorned by your sister and now he's been betrayed by you. Uncle is dead. I am the only one left in whom he can trust. And I take my orders seriously, Kai. No matter what else is happening. Kamuki-sama endorsed our alliance with the Endou-ke. And so if no one else will, I will act. If it costs me my life, I will act."
"Seimaru-dono?" Kai's eyes widened, momentarily taken off guard, and Onoe nodded, a cool smile touching his lips.
"If you are in my way, you are also the enemy." He murmured, and Kai was suddenly aware of his companion's movement, followed by a deep stabbing pain burrowing through his gut and into his chest. He gasped, falling back, and as he dropped to the ground he caught sight of glinting metal in the moonlight, staring in disbelief at the red-tainted tip of the Shihouin dagger.
"Uncle kept my blade in his office, and since there's no one using that at the moment, it was easy enough to retrieve it." Tomoyuki got to his feet, wiping the still dripping blood on his hakama as he gazed down at his companion. "Sensei's locks are no challenge for a shadow, after all. And I'm not into this honourable fighting business you babble about incessantly. I didn't learn to fight just for show. Not when it comes to obeying Kamuki-sama and the Clan's interests. If you side with Midori then you've become a traitor and a liability. And besides, she killed someone dear to me. Now I get to repay the favour."
"You bastard." Kai gathered his wits, clutching at his side as he scrambled to his knees, tightening his grasp as he attempted to stem the flow of blood that gushed from the wound at his movement. "That's a coward's blow."
"And many people consider an assassin's Clan to be cowards that move in shadow." Onoe said simply. "You've simply been here too long and you've forgotten that we strike first and we strike quickly. Honour only comes into it when it comes to the name of our Clan over all others. To kill, we do what we must."
"And you're intending to kill me, now?" Kai snorted, dragging himself to his feet. "Even with a wound like this, I'm still more than your equal."
"I was going to use my blade to slit your pretty sister's throat." Onoe responded coldly. "But you got in the way. So I'll deal with you first and her later. She'll come, after all, when she senses your dying throes. And I won't fail then. People are counting on me...I won't let them down."
His eyes narrowed, and despite his apparent calm, Kai could see the fierce anger burning in the depths of the golden eyes.
"That wound will slowly bleed till you lose consciousness, in any case." He said blackly. "I know where I was aiming and the blade went deep because you were so badly defended. I'm not as good a fighter as you, so I have to use other skills. And I know how to strike a death blow, probably better than you ever will. Because one strike is all it takes to kill someone when you know where you're hitting. The more you move, the more blood you will lose. And the quicker you will die."
He offered a smile, and Kai swallowed hard against the pain and the sudden dizziness of regaining his footing, seeing the flicker of fanaticism in his cousin's glittering gaze.
"For Uncle's justice and for the Clan's sake." Onoe said softly, advancing on his companion slowly as he did so. "This is the last time you'll see the stars."
The stars were somehow muffled that evening, glittering hazily in the indigo sky above the Academy building as the students settled themselves in their dormitories, restless at the early confinement and far from ready to go to bed. In the room belonging to the six boys from Class One, the mood was little different, for even those who did not know the reason behind Genryuusai's curfew decision could sense the tension that prickled through the summer night air.
"It's damn claustrophobic in here."
At length Enishi voiced the feelings of all of them, flopping down on his bunk as he folded his arms across his chest. "It's not like we're not in here every night, but usually someone has something to talk about – are we just going to sit here silent till someone comes and tells us to go to bed or what?"
"It's a funny night all round." Shunsui reflected, casting his big classmate a rueful look. "I'm sorry, Houjou. I guess sparkling wit and conversation is in short supply at the moment."
"That isn't the only thing which appears in short supply." Ryuu glanced up from the book he had been reading, fixing Shunsui with a piercing look. "Unless you hadn't noticed, this is a dorm for six people and yet it only seems to contain five at present."
"Shihouin-kun disappeared after dinner and I haven't seen him since." Juushirou sighed. "Just when I thought we were starting to communicate better as a class, he's sneaking off again. I can understand it…but even so…"
He faltered, and Ryuu pursed his lips.
"Even so, we are under order and he is breaking it in his usual, arrogant, Shihouin fashion." He said acidly. "He will be roundly punished if he is caught. And I for one have no intention of covering for him if Sensei wants to ask us his whereabouts."
"Telling tales isn't a nice habit, Ryuu-kun." Shunsui scolded lightly, and Ryuu shrugged his shoulders.
"He had no compunction about reporting on your absence in Kidou class at the start of the term." He responded evenly. "I see no reason why you would mind him being reported for similar inattention. After all…"
"After all, this is different." Juushirou sighed, sending Hirata a troubled look. "I know. It's bothering me that he's not here. That tonight of all nights…he's disappeared."
"But it's not surprising." Shunsui reflected. "Even if nobody told him directly, I'm sure he has the smarts to figure things out."
"You mean, I suppose, that that filthy Shadow Cat is coming here tonight to negotiate some kind of blood terms with the Headmaster so she doesn't get arrested for Aitori's murder." Ryuu said archly, and Juushirou and Hirata stared at him, a stricken expression crossing the younger boy's face.
At their glances, Ryuu snorted.
"You think it's a secret, but it isn't." He murmured. "You may not have told people, but it doesn't matter. I can sense her reiatsu, after all. Unlike other people, I am well acquainted with Kai and his whole family. Well acquainted. And I know the taint of Shadow Cat well."
"You really don't like them, do you?" Shunsui tut-tutted, and Ryuu shook his head.
"I do not like the Shihouin." He said frankly. "There is no reason needed other than that."
"But I bet there is one, and if you know his whole family I bet it has something to do with injured Clan pride." Shunsui rolled his eyes. "A failed marriage contract negotiation, was it? A slight by one against the other at a social event or important occasion? No, wait. Never mind. I don't need to know the details."
"Shihouin's sister is coming here? Tonight?" Enishi stared. "And you people knew about it? Even though she killed Aitori?"
"It's a very complicated situation." Shunsui shrugged his shoulders. "Though now she's here, I suppose it doesn't hurt to speak about it. I don't know what promises Juu and Hirata made or didn't make to keep things a secret, but I know Sensei told me this morning, when my brother was here. And he told me also that I wasn't to speak about it directly, so I haven't."
"But that's why you stopped being mad at Ukitake." Enishi pursed his lips. "How did I miss all of this?"
"Don't worry about it." Shunsui offered him a grin. "It's political wrangling, that's all. It doesn't concern us. That's why we've been locked away – so we don't interfere. Oniisama's here because of it, and he'll speak for the Kyouraku so…my interest in the whole thing has waned completely, if you want to know the truth."
"But it does concern Shihouin-kun." Juushirou said softly. "He's been worrying about Midori-sama a lot. And if he thought tonight he might see her, he'd surely break bounds and go looking for her."
"Probably. But all that will happen is that he'll get caught and sent back here under escort." Shunsui stretched out on his bunk. "Anideshi and the other seniors are prowling around the grounds like wildcats, after all."
"Are you sure about that?" Juushirou looked doubtful. "He's an assassin, isn't he? I mean, his people, they train for stealth. Surely he'd be able to slip the Seniors if he had to? If he really wanted to see her? Shihouin-ke seem to be good at suppressing reiatsu, after all."
"Perhaps." Shunsui acknowledged. "But he's probably not going to cause his own sister harm…so in the end it might not matter. Let them have their reunion, Juu-kun. He's been missing her, as you say. It might be what he needs, even if he gets punished for it in the long run."
Before anyone could respond, there was a knock on the door, and the partition slid back to reveal the anxious features of Kamitani Jun.
"Kamitani-kun!" Juushirou eyed him in confusion. "But why…what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry to disturb you." Kamitani looked troubled, glancing back into the corridor behind and then slipping into the dorm proper, shutting the door behind him. "And I don't want to get caught leaving the dorm, even if just to come here. I just wondered…I was looking for…"
He faltered, his gaze scanning the room as he slowly shook his head.
"I was looking for Shihouin." He admitted. "But he's not here either, is he?"
"Either?" Ryuu arched his eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Kamitani – who else might be absent? The rest of us are all here, as you see."
"Mm. I know." Kamitani shook his head again. "It's just that Onoe didn't come back to the dorm with us. He's been funny all day – actually, since the announcement about Aitori was first made. I thought…well, Aitori was his Uncle and I think they were quite close, so I expected him to react in some way or other. But he didn't…he hasn't said more than a couple of words about it. And then tonight he's disappeared. He left the Dining Hall early and nobody's seen him since. So I thought if Shihouin-kun was here, I might ask him. But he's not here either. Has something happened?"
"Onoe's missing too?" Shunsui's demeanour changed and he pulled himself into a sitting position. "And that's unusual, for him to take off on his own? Shihouin does it all the time, after all."
"Onoe's a hot-head and he has a big mouth, but he's not usually the type to disappear without good reason." Kamitani shook his head, casting Enishi an almost apologetic glance as he did so. "Even though he can be an idiot and shoot his mouth off, for the most part he acts logically and I can work out how he's thinking. But today he's been very strange. And now…gone."
"First Shihouin. Now Onoe. Tonight of all nights." Shunsui's brow knitted together, and Hirata bit his lip.
"Revenge." He murmured, and Kamitani shot him a startled look.
"Revenge?" He echoed, and Hirata blushed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Nothing." He said hurriedly, but Juushirou's expression had already become troubled and he got to his feet, grabbing his worn black cloak from its hook and flinging it over his shoulders.
"Juu?" Shunsui stared at him, and Juushirou met his gaze frankly.
"Hirata's probably right." He said. "And if he is, we can't just sit here and do nothing about it. Someone's going to get hurt if we do."
"So you're going to go and find Shihouin and Onoe and you're going to marshal the pair of them back to dorm on your own?" Ryuu blinked, and Juushirou shrugged.
"If I have to. It's better than not doing anything." He said evenly, and Shunsui sighed.
"You're not going anywhere alone." He said wearily, getting to his feet and grabbing his own cloak resignedly from its peg. "If Hirata is right, you won't be able to bring them back by yourself. We're talking hot headed proud Clan individuals, after all. Even if Shihouin has mellowed a little towards you of late, I doubt he'll be in a mood to listen tonight."
He cast the confused Kamitani a glance.
"It's all right, Jun-kun. Go back to your dorm." He added. "Juu and I will see to Onoe and Shihouin."
"Are you sure?" Kamitani hesitated, and Shunsui nodded.
"Leave it to us." He promised. "Go and tell your friends that, too. That we'll deal with it – you just stay where you are."
"All right. I'll tell them." Kamitani looked relieved. "Thank you, Kyouraku. Kira's already jittery about the fact Onoe's breaking curfew – he'll be happier knowing that someone's looking into it and there's no way Shihouin would take orders from anyone below his own class."
"Probably he won't take orders from us, either, but I'm game to try it." Shunsui grinned, and Kamitani tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement before withdrawing from the dorm.
"What if you get caught?" Hirata looked anxious, and Juushirou shrugged.
"Then we do." He said matter-of-factly. "Either way, I'm not sitting here and doing nothing. Not if it's how you think it is."
"I'm coming too, then." Hirata said immediately, moving to stand, but Shunsui shook his head.
"No matter how much you hate me for it, Hirata-chan, you're not coming." He said firmly, pushing the younger boy back onto his bed. "Your family situation is already tentative enough where the Shihouin are concerned and the less involved you are the better, right? Especially if you and Midori have already spoken – think about the political ramifications of it if nothing else. Your Clan has been slighted by the girl – how would it look if you were to openly get involved in a Shihouin incident without your Clan leader's say so?"
"But just the two of you?" Enishi looked doubtful. "Is that okay? Shihouin's stronger than both of you in Kenjitsu class."
"I don't think we're going to fight anyone." Juushirou shook his head. "And I don't think that's what Hirata meant. He meant that Onoe might go looking for Midori-sama and that might cause problems."
"And Shihouin might have gone looking for him, which will create even more." Shunsui added. "That was your thought, Hirata, wasn't it?"
"Mm." Hirata looked disheartened. "And I see your point. Maybe I shouldn't come – if I'll just get in the way."
"For now it's better that its two neutral people getting in the way." Juushirou said softly. "I have no Clan affiliations, even if I have spoken to Midori-sama, so there can't be any family repercussions if I do something. And Shunsui's people aren't involved with the Shihouin. Besides, Shihouin-kun seems to like Shunsui more than any of the rest of us."
"Well, I won't be going." Ryuu said categorically, picking his book up once more with pointed exaggeration. "The squabbles of the Shihouin hold no interest for me at all. Try not to be foolish, either of you – assassins do not live by the same code of honour as the rest of us."
"We know. We weren't going to ask you." Shunsui shot him a wry smile. "We'd never dream of besmirching your Kuchiki pride with the idea of helping a Shihouin."
"So long as that's understood." Ryuu nodded his head, and Juushirou sighed.
"What about me?" Enishi asked, and Shunsui shook his head firmly.
"After the last time you and Onoe met gazes? Not a chance." He said frankly. "You stop here, okay? We don't want any fist fighting, after all."
"I wasn't going to hit anyone." Enishi coloured. "It was only because of what he said…"
"And he might say it again, or other things." Shunsui said, unmoved. "I mean it, Houjou. Juu and I will go. That's plenty. We're only going to act as an intervention. We're not going to get ourselves all bloody and beaten up like we did when we went chasing Hollows in the forest."
"Are we going out of the window?" Juushirou asked hesitantly, and Shunsui nodded.
"Seems easiest, if you don't mind. There won't be patrols there." He agreed, and Juushirou sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Whatever." He said resignedly. "I see your point, and I suppose if I've done it once, I can probably do it again."
"That's the spirit." Shunsui grinned at him, reaching across to open the window beside his bed. "Shut the window behind us, someone – we'll find another way back in and it'll be a problem if someone sees it and starts asking awkward questions."
He cast Juushirou a glance.
"Well? I can feel faint flickers of reiatsu on the wind – I'm guessing they're outside, so this will probably be quicker either way."
"I'm right behind you." Juushirou assured him, even as the older boy launched himself deftly over the sill, clambering down the vine-covered wall as though it was as easy as going down stairs. Juushirou's own descent was somewhat more cautious, yet he did not hesitate, and soon the two of them were on the ground below.
"Ukitake-kun!"
Even as they dusted themselves off from the climb, an anxious voice alerted them to the fact they had company, and both boys looked up to see Mitsuki hurrying across the grass, distress in her soft grey eyes.
"Ukitake-kun! Oh…are you going too? Did you feel them…are you coming to stop the fight too?"
"The fight?" As Mitsuki grasped hold of Juushirou's sleeves, he stared at her in confusion, taking in the urgency and panic in her gaze as her eyes met his. She was pleading with him, he realised, begging him for help even though she wasn't forming words, and despite himself a chill went down his spine.
"What is it?" He murmured softly, gently detaching her grip. "What did you feel this time, Edogawa-san?"
"Something nasty, no doubt." Shunsui's gaze darkened, and he glanced out across the forest beyond where they stood. "Calm down, Mitsuki-chan, and try and speak clearly. You shouldn't be out here and nor should we, so the less time we are the better."
"I know. I'm sorry." Mitsuki took a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily as if steadying herself. "But I had to come. I couldn't…Sora told me to wait, she and Naoko were going to find Retsu-sama because I felt unwell and I was dizzy but…I couldn't stay up there. Not with it flaring across like it was. I was scared, and so I had to come. Even though they told me to wait behind."
"You're dizzy?" Juushirou eyed her sharply. "You do look pale, even in the moonlight. Maybe you should have listened to them, Edogawa-san – if you're feeling ill you shouldn't be running around the school."
"I'm not ill." Mitsuki shook her head, faint impatience in her tones, and at the uncharacteristic edge, both boys stared at her blankly. "It's Shihouin-kun and Onoe-kun. I came to help them. Because I could feel it…when the blade went in."
"Blade?" Now Shunsui's demeanour changed, and he grabbed the girl by the shoulders. "What blade? Mitsuki-chan, what are you talking about? One of them is armed…one of them is hurting the other?"
"Shihouin-kun is in pain, because I can feel it resounding against my senses." Mitsuki's eyes swam with tears, and it was clear that the flickers of reiatsu dotting the horizon were causing her increasing distress. "I wanted to help him, but I don't…"
Shunsui swore under his breath.
"Hirata was right." He muttered. "Onoe meant to hurt Midori, and Kai's cut him off. But Onoe came armed, and Kai wasn't prepared for that. And now Kai's been hurt – which means Onoe means business. He intends to avenge his Uncle's death irrespective of the Clan politics that caused it. Damn it, and I thought it wasn't a big deal, Shihouin going out into the night like this. Remind me to listen to Hirata more clearly in future, Juu. Sometimes when he says things, he's right on the ball."
"Midori-sama is already here, isn't she? Kuchiki-kun said so." Juushirou bit his lip. "What if she feels that her brother is hurt…? What if she gets angry with Onoe-kun? Right now nobody's been killed – right, Edogawa-san? Everyone is still alive? In which case we need to act before that changes."
Mitsuki took another deep breath, struggling to get a hold of herself, then,
"Shihouin-kun's injury is a bad one." She murmured. "Because I can feel it…seeping out of him. His strength and his life as well as his blood. But…but no. Nobody's been killed. Not yet."
"But Onoe's not really someone we should leave to finish the job, because he means business." Shunsui said grimly. "Okay. Mitsuki-chan, listen to me. In this state, you're only going to get yourself hurt. You've told us what's important, and now you need to do as Sora and Naoko told you and go back and rest. Or even better, go to find Unohana-sensei and speak to her directly. Tell her what you told us. She'll probably understand better than we can."
"What about you?" Mitsuki cast Juushirou an anxious glance, and Juushirou offered her a faint smile.
"We'll go and find them and stop them fighting." He said simply. "If Shihouin-kun's hurt, it'll probably be easier than if he wasn't – it's just a case of Onoe-kun, who both Shunsui and I can overpower if you go by our Ouyoudou rankings. Don't worry, Edogawa-san. We'll make sure nothing bad happens."
Relief flickered in Mitsuki's eyes, followed by gratitude, and she nodded her head.
"He's over that way." She said, pointing in the direction of the copse beyond the first row of trees. "They're trying to suppress their reiatsu so they're not caught but Shihouin-kun's pain waves are almost stifling me now – so I had to do something about it, since I didn't know if anyone else would."
"We're right on it." Shunsui assured her, grabbing Juushirou by the arm. "Come on, Juu. If it's like that, we need to act before Midori does. Just like you said."
Juushirou cast Mitsuki a last, anxious look, then nodded, and the two boys hurried through the school grounds, picking up more and more distinct traces of Shihouin reiatsu as they got closer and closer to the fight scene.
"Mitsuki was right. They are hiding. Like you said before, they're both naturally talented at suppressing their reiatsu from outsiders, even in the midst of a fight." Shunsui muttered. "But not at this range. I'm sure Midori can feel it, too – she must do, considering she's one of them."
"I can feel it too, now." Juushirou said apprehensively. "Shihouin-kun's reiatsu is scattered…and Onoe-kun's is flaring all over the place. I've never felt it like that in Kenjitsu class. Never."
"But there's never been an issue of revenge before." Shunsui said grimly. "Listen. The Shihouin cast their honour in blood. It's well known. Onoe's acting on that principle – to avenge his uncle he'll fight and he'll kill because he wants to defend that uncle's honour. Even if he's killing a kinsman in the process. And even if it gets him killed – to him, Aitori's honour is his honour and a crime against honour is a crime worth dying for. That's what his reiatsu is saying, even from this distance. Whereas Shihouin…"
"Shihouin-kun really did just go to meet his sister, didn't he?" Juushirou murmured. "Because he was worried about her."
"Probably." Shunsui agreed. "Either way, Onoe's armed and Shihouin isn't. Which means the first thing is disarming the brat and preventing any further damage. They may or may not have noticed us, Juu…we should split and take it from either angle."
"Shihouin-kun is more likely to listen to you than he is me." Juushirou reflected. "So you deal with him. Leave Onoe to me."
"But…"
"I don't need protecting, Shunsui-kun. I'm not feeble and I won't have you thinking I am."
"I wasn't." Shunsui looked rueful. "I just…Onoe really doesn't like you. Are you sure it's a good idea to antagonise him? Remember what Enishi did…what he said…"
"Yes. That's why you're going to leave him to me." A flicker of steeliness crossed Juushirou's usually genial hazel gaze. "I want to prove to him that he's underestimated me too. I have a little of that latent Kuchiki pride myself, you know – I'll make sure he sees for himself why I was ranked in Class One and why I'm bound to stay there no matter what."
Shunsui eyed him for a moment, then he smiled.
"If that's how you want it." He agreed. "Let's not waste any more time. If Mitsuki's right, the sooner we get in the middle of this the better."
With that he darted off through the trees, Juushirou slipping off in the other direction as the two boys surrounded the copse. As they did so, they could hear voices, and both could clearly make out their classmate and his cousin through the thick foliage of the trees.
"You really are a coward, Kai." That was Onoe, his voice seeming calm yet under the surface it was clear he was bubbling with indignant anger. "I thought you were a fighter, but all you do is combat for show, isn't it? After all this time, that's why Kamuki-sama never paid attention to you. Because at the end of the day, he knew you were a coward."
"I'm no coward." Kai's voice was hampered and tinged by pain, and as the two boys came into view both could see their classmate's bloodsoaked hakama, one hand clutched tightly to his midriff over a sheer tear in the once white fabric. His face, by contrast, had drained of colour, and it was clear even at a glance that while the boy was still on his feet, the wound he had suffered had been a deep one. "If I was, I would have run from you, or given in and let you have your way. But even if you have that knife, I won't let you pass. You're not going to make things worse by attacking Oneesama. You're an idiot if you don't realise how manipulated you're being – how manipulated we've both been. Even if the original orders came from Kamuki-jisama."
"Hideaki-jisama told me that if you quailed and ran from your duty, you were expendable. That order was from Kamuki-sama and he was right." Onoe snapped back, advancing once more on the boy, blood-specked blade raised as if to deliver another striking blow. "Ojisama isn't here to do it, but I will. I'm more than willing to do it, because that's what Shihouin do. You might carry the name but you don't understand that. You who had to be protected from your own Kenjitsu instructor by your precious older sister!"
"I wouldn't have thought Midori-dono was someone you'd want to cross too often yourself, Onoe-kun."
At that moment Shunsui made his presence known, stepping out into the copse, and Juushirou was not far behind him, glancing between the two Shihouin as he did so. At the sight of them, Kai's expression darkened, and he shook his head.
"I don't need your intervention. This is a Clan matter and has nothing to do with either of you." He said sharply. "Go back to the school and leave us be. Nobody asked you to intervene!"
"On the contrary, Mitsuki-chan and Kamitani-kun both asked us to." Shunsui said frankly. "And judging by the state of your clothing, Kai-kun, you could use a half time break, too. What about it, Onoe? Shall we drop the nice shiny toy and talk together like adults should?"
"Shut up, Kyouraku. This is no business of yours." Onoe snapped, his eyes narrowing. "This is Clan business, as Kai said. Shihouin matters have nothing to do with people from outside. Academy or no Academy."
His eyes narrowed as he gazed at Juushirou.
"And it has even less to do with you." He said derisively. Juushirou's expression darkened, and he shrugged his shoulders.
"On the contrary." He said coldly. "I'm here on Shihouin-kun's behalf. Because this has more to do with me than you might think it does."
"Juu?" Shunsui shot him a doubtful look, and Juushirou smiled faintly.
"I gave Midori-sama my word to keep her whereabouts a secret." He murmured. "So I am her ally."
"Ukitake!" Kai stared at him, taken aback, and Onoe's eyes became near slits as he digested this information.
"Mongrels shouldn't get involved in matters pertaining to purebloods." He said coldly. "And especially ones like you, Ukitake Juushirou. Others might be fooled by you, but I'm not. I know why you're where you are and you don't scare me one bit. Allying with Midori? Don't make me laugh. Midori's a murderer and a traitor and the Clan will have her head – that's the reality of it."
A cold smile touched his lips.
"But surely you know all that, and did it anyway." He murmured. "Since it's apparently no secret that Kai-kun's Father deals in illicit drug research. And you would have a vested interest, wouldn't you, in seeing that fall?"
"Onoe!" Shunsui's eyes opened wide at this, but Juushirou held up his hand to stop him from reacting.
"Shihouin-kun's hurt." He murmured. "Nothing else matters at the moment but making sure that wound doesn't get worse."
He frowned, turning his gaze back on the defiant Onoe.
"Take him to Unohana-sensei." He added softly. "Obviously Onoe-kun and I have a few things we need to level out, after all."
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Author's Note Some blood, as promised.
Apologies for the weird uploading scheduling this week - I've been in Denmark and so uploaded the last chapter later than usual. To make up for it though here's the next one - I'm told I usually upload on a Saturday, so voila, one chapter.