Chapter Twenty Nine: Hirata's Resolve
Genryuusai's Academy.
Seimaru stood at the top of the rise, gazing down malevolently towards the old Yamamoto estate that spread out across the lands below his line of sight. He narrowed his eyes, making out the distinctive architecture of a once Noble manor now given over to extreme ideas and radical strategies by one individual who, in his view, had been given far too much time and freedom to create them.
So this was the place, was it? The place where the traditions set in stone over the past few centuries were being so wilfully chipped away at by the old man and his dangerous dreams for Seireitei's future?
He frowned, shaking his head as if to clear it.
In his previous trip to District One, he had not come so close to the school for fear of his presence there being misconstrued, but then, of course, he had not had any need to. Aitori had been there – Aitori who had been easy to manipulate with promises of security, money and even the potential of lucrative marriage alliances for his favoured nephew Tomoyuki into the thriving melee of Endou-ke life. It had not been difficult to make the pragmatic Aitori realise his family's vulnerabilities, or to play to his dissatisfaction over being expected to operate out of loyalty far more than out of just payment.
But Midori had stopped that. Midori had swept through District One like a hurricane, taking Aitori from the equation, and Seimaru had had to think again.
The bitch's aura was nowhere around, though if he focused hard he thought maybe he could detect the faintest flickerings of her presence dispersed on the summer breeze. So she had come to the school, then. To see her brother? Or to do something more sinister?
Either way, Seimaru knew that he couldn't worry about that too much now.
He slipped his hand into the patterned obi of his robes, pulling out the small vial that Aizen had given him before he had left the Endou manor and ridden breakneck across the countryside the previous day. He had not brought servants with him this time, determined to make as little fuss as possible in the local town, yet he knew that just walking into the school itself would be considered suspicious. Mindful of the importance of his task, he had not dressed in the usual finery his position dictated, and though the fabrics were still of the best quality, he found it trying to be out in public in anything less than the elaborate attire of a Clan heir.
Still, for now he had to stick with it. Too much was at stake, and he was running out of time.
He had to have another strategy.
He had to find Tomoyuki.
He sighed, sliding the vial back into its safe place inside the folds of his rich clothing.
This was dirty work – assassin's work. Work he was above in all respects of birth and position, yet in the end it had fallen to him to take action himself. Even his grandfather had not perceived the full scope of Seimaru's ambitious plans – and for the time being, it was better that way. Midori may be gone, and Aitori dead. But there were other options. Other spokes to the wheel. And the scheme was far from dead.
He sauntered down the pebbly pathway towards the school gates, his head held high as he reflected on how he would explain his sudden appearance in District One. The answer was an obvious one, he realised quickly – that he had heard of Aitori's bloody death and had come fearing the safety of his blood kinsman, Endou Hirata, in the first year class.
Whether they believed him or not really didn't matter at this stage. They would have no reason to refute his claim, after all – and without hard proof there was very little anyone could do to stop him going where and doing what he liked.
As he drew closer to the school gates, he found himself aware of the tiniest trace of blood scent on the wind, and as he interpreted this unexpected evidence of a late night tussle in the school grounds, his lips thinned.
Well, so something had already started then, had it? Was it Midori?
He frowned, shaking his head.
No, the taint was wrong. It wasn't a woman's blood. Yet it was undeniably Shihouin – and with a jolt, he realised why the fragments of discarded reiatsu around the area felt familiar.
Well, Kai-kun. Did you cross your sister's path too – or more likely, did you seek to create one for her and get cut down in the process? I was right to think you might be a liability. Too young and idealistic. Well, no matter. You were no longer of use to me after Aitori died – if you die of your wounds, so be it. I have other things to concern me.
His eyes narrowed malevolently.
After all, hopeless you may be as an assassin – but even if you tried to tell anyone about our meetings, it would only rebound on you and your kin far more than it would ever touch me or mine. You're smart enough, I think, to know that. I am not concerned with you this time – keep out of my way and I will not finish the job whatever assailant began last night.
He approached the entrance gate, and as he did so, two young men stepped forwards, their hakama marking them out as one of Genryuusai's own military retainers from the core of District One's own Clan headquarters. At the sight of them, derision flickered in Seimaru's pale eyes, and he paused, glancing from one to the other.
"Excuse me, sir, but we're under instruction not to let any enter here." The taller of the two men stood forward, his fingers curled around the hilt of his asauchi as he did so. "Not unless it's with Genryuusai-sama's explicit instruction."
"I see. Genryuusai-sama's explicit instruction." Seimaru spoke softly, glancing the man up and down as he did so. Then he chuckled, slowly shaking his head.
"Do you even know, then, to whom it is you are speaking?"
"Unless Genryuusai-sama has given instruction, we are not to move from this gate, sir." The second man chimed in, bowing his head respectfully. "That is our order and one we must obey."
"You are very diligent, I must say, sticking so closely to your master's words. I commend you." A nasty little smile curled at the corners of Seimaru's lips, even as he began to release flickers of his dark, stifling reiatsu. Uncertainty flared across the two guards' expressions, and Seimaru found himself pitying them their pathetic, powerless existences. He could kill them without even trying, yet he knew that to do so would be to draw unwanted attention to his coming. At the back of his senses, his zanpakutou's spirit roared for blood, but Seimaru ignored it, knowing that this time diplomacy and position would have to win through over swift and decisive swordsmanship.
Carefully he unfastened the pendant that hung around his neck, wrapping the fine gold chain around his fingers as his thumb brushed the surface of the family's crest. It had been special crafted for him by the finest goldsmiths in District Seven, with the kanji that comprised his name set against the shield that had overshadowed and guided his life since he had been old enough to understand what it meant. It was more expensive and precious than the entire rest of his attire, but more importantly it was as good a form of identification as an oath from the head of the District himself, and he smiled mockingly, holding it out for the nearest guard to take.
"I am outside of my district, and do not expect a common guardsman to know me by face and name the moment you see me for the first time." He said softly. "But you will recognise this emblem and understand that I am not someone you should prevent from passing. My name is Endou Seimaru and I am the heir to District Seven. I have come here on urgent business – and I would like to be let past."
"E...Endou-sama!" At the sight of the pendant, the guard's eyes widened, and he bowed his head. "I..."
"We are sorry if we have offended you, Endou-sama." The second man interjected quickly. "Only we were under instruction..."
"Do you suspect, then, a man from such elevated pedigree and heritage to be here with ulterior motives?" Seimaru's eyes became flinty. "I am not accustomed to that. Do you not think that my position puts me above that kind of doubt and suspicion?"
The two men exchanged troubled glances, then stepped back from the gate, creating an opening by which the young noble could enter.
"Of course we do not consider you in such a way, Endou-sama. It is simply that we were not expecting you…we had had no message of your coming from Genryuusai-sama."
"I have come at rather the last minute, on account of hearing some disturbing news in this region." Seimaru told him frankly, slipping his pendant back around his throat and sliding the gold crest once more into the folds of his clothing. "With a teacher murdered my lord Grandfather, head of the Endou-ke, was concerned as to whether this is a safe place at all for my cousin to be studying. We would all hate for anything untoward to happen to him – and so in Grandfather's stead I came in person to ensure that all here was as it should be."
With this he swept past the awestruck guards and into the grounds, inwardly marvelling at the stupidity of Genryuusai's officials.
Probably they have been told to stand in the way of any strangers entering the school, considering recent events. But with my family's crest, I am no stranger. And they will not refuse an Endou, for they know what it would mean to cross me should I choose to release my blade.
His eyes narrowed.
Nobody thought to tell me that Midori too had a zanpakutou, until now. But even she could surely not match up to the skill of my own – after all, she is only a woman and lacks the strength to go up against a trained man in armed combat. Aitori may have been intelligent, but he was not a fighter. I would be a different matter and there is nobody in this school bar Genryuusai himself who could think of opposing me.
He frowned, knowing that the guardsman would soon alert the school to the fact they had a noble visitor.
I don't have a lot of time to skulk around and find out what I want to know. Curse this – if only I had been able to get better word to Tomoyuki…still, he should expect my coming. Even if Kai is useless, I still have hopes of the one Aitori valued so highly. He should be ready to meet with me and discuss the next step of our plan – he at least is one in whom I can place some faith.
Well, it was better now than not at all.
Hirata stood for a moment outside of the Healing Bay, gathering his courage as he made up his mind. Then, as if hardening his resolve inside of him, he pushed his glasses purposefully up his nose, reaching across for the handle of the door and sliding it carefully back on its runners.
He took a deep breath, stepping into the airy, bright room It was another beautiful summer's day, regardless of all that had lurked in the shadows the previous night, and he felt somewhat comforted by the sunlight that streamed through the windows.
The chamber was deserted, aside from an occupant in the furthermost sickbed, and Hirata's brows knitted together, stalking across the wood before his courage gave out. Shunsui's words from the night before rang clearly across his senses, and he knew that now better than any other time was his chance to talk to his Shihouin classmate.
At least, before things spiralled out of control for all concerned.
At first it seemed that Kai was sleeping, but at Hirata's approach he stirred, turning his head and opening muzzy golden eyes as he stared at his classmate in drowsy confusion.
"Hirata?" He murmured, and Hirata nodded, hesitantly dropping down beside the bed.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Shihouin-kun." He said softly. "But I wanted to...to talk to you...about..."
"I don't think that you do." In a moment, clarity had sharpened Kai's clouded gaze, and he shook his head. "Not out loud. Not here. Do you?"
"There's nobody else here."
"No, not presently. But there may be at any time. This is not a secure place to discuss anything...and you would do better not to mention them at all."
Hirata eyed his companion for a moment, taking in the tension that prickled through the injured boy's body. He was still hurting from the previous night's injury, but even so, there was a strength and purpose to him that the younger student had not seen before. He frowned, then took a deep breath into his lungs.
"I suppose that's true." He said quietly. "But even so...Kyouraku-kun did tell me what you said. And it's all right. You can call me a mouse if you like. I...I don't mind. Because it is true. I'm useless and weak and frightened of almost everything. And..."
He faltered, then bent closer, lowering his voice so it was barely more than a whisper.
"And I...I know there's no reason to ask you to." He murmured. "But you know...about...things...and..."
"I have no intention of talking to anyone about anything that doesn't concern my Clan, Hirata." Kai said frankly, reaching out a robe-clad arm to push the younger boy back. "I know why you came here, and it's all right. I'm not going to spill that story. It's not for me to do."
His eyes narrowed.
"But I was right, then. You did know more...than you were telling."
Hirata shook his head.
"I know everything, now." He said honestly. "But only because Aitori-sensei was killed and because I met with your sister in the forest. That's the truth."
"Then...?" Kai looked startled, and Hirata offered a faint smile.
"I took something from Aitori-sensei's house before I alerted anyone to the fact he was dead." He admitted softly. "And I'm telling you that because I don't...I don't want you to keep mistrusting me. If I tell you something that could get me into trouble, you'll know that I'm on your side and I have been since then. Maybe since before. I told Midori-sama that I'd be her ally and if I can, I will. Father believed in her and so do I - if Father makes a judgement, he's usually right. And I...myself, I want to support her. And you, too."
He paused, then,
"I won't say the name, but even so, I know what he planned. What he wanted you to do." He added grimly. "And I can't forgive it. I don't like it. I hate him for it. For what he wants to do to people like Ukitake-kun and Sensei and everything here that's going to one day save Soul Society. But I'm not strong enough to do anything about it. All I can do is hide the evidence and hope it protects everyone else I care about if I do."
He sighed.
"I know you spoke to him." He added. "But I'm not working with him at all. And I never have. I never will. No matter what happens. I'm decided, Shihouin-kun. No matter what happens, this Endou is allied to Shihouin Midori. And...and to Shihouin Kai. If you'd want the feeble alliance I can offer."
Kai stared at him for a moment, then he pursed his lips.
"A lot goes on in your head that you don't talk about, doesn't it?" He asked, and Hirata flushed red.
"Grandmother said that to me, before I left here." He admitted sadly. "She told me that I was weak and pitiful but at least she had faint hope that what went on inside my head showed promise of something more. I don't know though, in the end. I don't want to fail my family, but..."
"In a sense, we're in the same place, aren't we?" Kai murmured, and Hirata nodded.
"That's why I came to see you." He agreed. "I don't know what I can do for you or for your kin, Shihouin-kun. But I hope you believe me, when I say that Midori-sama is my ally. I won't betray her. I haven't yet and I don't intend to. Even...even if that means...crossing him. Because what he wants to do...I can't let him do it. No matter what happens. I can't let him take the Academy away."
"Don't you mean, you can't let him take Ukitake away?" Kai raised an eyebrow, and Hirata frowned, then nodded.
"That too." He said seriously. "Ukitake-kun is stronger than I'll ever be in a lot of ways. But he gives me strength, and little by little maybe I'll find more of it. He wasn't biased against me from the start, and I've never had that before - someone looking at me as me and not as either a barbarian's kinsman or a poor shadow of my family's ruthless pedigree. He's always just seen me as Hirata, and I've started to think that means maybe I can make decisions of my own."
He sighed.
"Somehow. If I stay here, with him and everyone else." He added. "Because he's not afraid of things. And if he's not, and I see that...maybe I'll not be, either."
Kai's lips twitched into a slight smile, then he held out his hand, clasping Hirata's thin fingers in his own sword-calloused ones.
"We're allies, then." He said frankly. "Whatever it brings. But listen, Hirata. The Shihouin got themselves into this. They may or may not get themselves out. But the idea behind it...it wasn't ours. That side of it...wasn't us. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes. I know that." Hirata agreed sadly, slipping his fingers free of Kai's grasp. "Which is why I hate that I'm protecting him still. But right now there's nothing else I can do."
"Me either." Kai's eyes narrowed. "Except leave it to Midori-nee and hope that she can salvage some of our family's pride. That's all."
Hirata nodded his head.
"I should go. I don't know that I should be here without permission anyway." He murmured. "But I'm glad I did come. And I'm glad you talked to me, Shihouin-kun. Because I've never been on any side against you or your family. And I wanted you to know that for sure."
"Last night you knew Tomoyuki was after blood, didn't you?"
"When you grow up with the Endou, it's the first thing that springs to mind." Hirata agreed bitterly. "Yes. And I would have come, only..."
"No, it would have been bad if you had. You're not a fighter right at the moment, after all. And it would've made it suspicious." Kai shook his head. "But...I guess I owe you something for that foresight at the very least."
He grinned, a sheepish, awkward look on his face.
"When I'm fit, I'll help you." He offered, embarrassment clear in his eyes. "With your Ouyoudou. As thanks. Because Shihouin repay their debts...if they can. And I think...I have a bigger one to repay to you than either of us really realised before."
Hirata looked startled, then he smiled, nodding his head hard enough that his glasses slipped down his nose, and Kai snorted.
"I can see we'll have a lot to do." He murmured resignedly, though there was warmth in his gaze where earlier there had been censure, and at the sight of it Hirata felt reassured, safe in the knowledge that now his classmate was teasing him as a friend, not singling him out as a potential enemy.
"I'd like it, if you don't mind." He agreed now. "Thank you, Shihouin-kun. I hope your wound heals soon."
With that he left the Healing Bay, hurrying down the hallways towards the old servant's door. It was no longer any such thing, of course, and was used by the students on frequent occasions when they were running late for class as a short cut exit across the grounds to the wing that held the bulk of the theory classrooms on the western side of the estate. Although Shunsui and Juushirou had disappeared soon after breakfast to rendezvous with Shunsui's older brother before his departure back west, he knew Ryuu and Enishi were in the common room, Ryuu having challenged Sora to another battle of shougi and Enishi having volunteered to play referee.
Though I'd rather be with Ukitake-kun, I suppose this time I can't complain about it.
He pushed open the door, stepping out into the sunlight.
Sensei hasn't done anything about his fighting on campus yet, after all – and losing him for a little while to meet a Clansman is better than having him put in confinement or something like that. Especially when it was Onoe-kun who was at fault. Still, Sensei probably knows that better than anyone. Maybe he's waiting till Tokutarou-sama leaves. Or maybe he doesn't intend on punishing Ukitake-kun at all, considering everything that happened late last night.
"Well, well. Look who I've found."
A voice cut across his senses at that moment and he froze, the words chilling him to the bone as for the first time he felt the distinctive flickering of his older cousin's dark reiatsu. As he slowly turned to face his companion, staring at him rather like a rabbit caught in car headlamps, Seimaru laughed, derision and amusement in his pale eyes.
"Yes, you look much the same as ever." He murmured, crossing the distance between them in swift, smooth strides and reaching out to grasp Hirata's arm before the younger boy could think to run. "Scared and pointless and all by yourself. I suppose even a school full of people isn't enough to find someone who's willing to spend time in the company of a weak, shivering coward, is it?"
"Seimaru-kun." At length Hirata found words, swallowing hard as his throat went suddenly dry. Inwardly he cursed himself for letting his guard down so readily. A lot had happened, after all, in the last twenty four hours. And, as he stared up at his cousin in consternation, he realised that Seimaru's coming was a logical step. Something he should have forseen...something he should have expected.
After all, he knew Seimaru better than anyone else involved in this. And he knew what his older cousin was capable of.
His blood ran cold, and he took an instinctive step back, feeling the cold brick of the school wall as a barrier up against his spine. He could not evade Seimaru's grasp, however, and the other's eyes became slits, as his fingers tightened cruelly around Hirata's skinny arm.
"I have business with you." He said softly. "And it won't wait."
Before Hirata could respond, the world around him twisted and span, rushing through his head in a dizzy haze that made him nauseous and giddy. Colours and lights flooded his senses, and he let out a faint whimper of fear, stumbling as he tried to regain his balance. Somewhere nearby, he heard Seimaru's cruel laugh, and then, with a jolt, felt his body falling to the ground with a hard, sense-jolting thump.
For a moment he just sat there, his ears ringing and his vision blurring, and he reached tentatively up to where his glasses usually rested, finding them gone.
"No spectacles are going to be strong enough to make you see your way out of this one." Seimaru said derisively, and at the sound of his voice, Hirata froze, realising with a sudden jerk that he was no longer in the school grounds. Instead of grass beneath his knees he felt nothing but hard wood flooring, and he glanced around him, making out the hazy edges of four walls at each side. Though he could not focus on them, somehow he still knew where they were.
"Aitori-sensei's house." He whispered, a chill running through him, and Seimaru laughed, reaching down to pull him to his feet.
"So you're not completely blind without them. Good. That's a promising sign." He said frankly, giving him a cruel shake before releasing his grasp. "Because I have a job for you, Hirata-kun. A duty by blood to the Clan your father thinks isn't good enough to train you. We're going to prove it, you and I, just how much of an Endou you really are. Once and for all."
He slipped his hand into his obi, and Hirata's eyes widened as he made out the faint outline of what he held in his hands. Although his vision was all the more compromised in the dimly lit chamber, his spiritual senses were not, and even from this distance he could sense the barest flickers of something ominous resting between his cousin's fingers.
Something as ominous as Seimaru's own aura itself was confined deep within that tiny glass vial.
"That..."
"I think 'reidoku' is the current popular expression." Seimaru said softly, holding the vial in front of Hirata's nose and giving it a little shake. "So you can feel it, can you? The number of individuals whose spirit energy was sacrificed to test and perfect this substance? Your senses are sharper than Grandfather believes, after all. What a shame they're locked away inside a coward's mind and a pathetic body. Otherwise you might've been much more useful."
He rested his free hand on his cousin's shoulder, and Hirata tensed, feeling the prickle of danger running through his companion's reiatsu.
"The one thing that you've always had is intelligence." He said softly. "You don't need me to explain what happens next, do you?"
Hirata swallowed hard, his throat dry as he gazed up as his companion in alarm, and slowly Seimaru nodded his head.
"Inside this vial is a very potent, special form of the reidoku the Shihouin-ke have so carelessly been littering around District One." He said quietly. "You can be under no illusions about that, being in as close proximity to Tomoyuki and Kai as you have been. You know full well that the Shihouin-ke are mere inches away from collapsing. However..."
His eyes narrowed.
"However, that jezebel Midori slipped my net and I can only assume she's travelled East in order to salvage her family as best she can before the hammer falls." He said softly. "That won't do. I intend on taking hold of District Two in the Endou's name - and I intend to put an end once and for all to this Academy idea. I can feel Midori's spirit, flickering around this area. Maybe, if she makes it back in time, she'll get the agreement and seal of her Clan. But if something were to happen in the meantime..."
He leaned across, sliding the vial of poison into Hirata's obi.
"Nobody would suspect a mouse like you." He whispered, drawing his head close to Hirata's ear so that the scared boy could feel his cousin's breath against his neck. "Nobody would have any reason to connect you to the Shihouin or the reidoku at all. All you have to do is ensure that this gets to Genryuusai. Being his student, that shouldn't be hard - should it?"
"I won't hurt Sensei!" Hirata's head shot up at this, defiance flaring in his pale eyes, and Seimaru let out a low, derisive chuckle, slowly shaking his head.
"Do you think you can defy me? Defy your Clan? Defy Grandfather?" He demanded. "Do you know what the Endou do to people who betray them, Hirata-kun? You are not in District Seven now. Grandmother's shadow can only shield you so far...you have no one to protect you here."
Hirata swallowed hard, his heart clenching in his throat at the menace in the older boy's words.
"I don't want to be part of this." He murmured. "This is your problem. It's not mine."
"And if I kill you, whose problem does it become then?"
Hirata felt cold fingers tap against the skin of his throat, and he flinched, forcing his rising panic under control as he faced Seimaru bravely.
"Yours, still." He said, his words uneven yet somehow he managed to speak them anyway, summoning every inch of courage that he'd ever had as he raised his pale eyes to his companion's. In the back of his mind, he drew on his conversation with Kai, and his own inner resolve, and he clenched and unclenched his fists, praying inwardly that he had the strength to resist.
"If you kill me, you'll have to find another assassin anyway."
"True enough." Seimaru acknowledged. "I would have rather have used Tomoyuki, but it seems from general gossip around that school that he's acted rashly and become somewhat indisposed. You wouldn't be my first choice, but for the time being you seem to be the only choice. That's the only reason I haven't simply broken you with my bare hands."
He glared at his cousin venomously.
"Though I might be tempted to take the gamble anyway, given that it's you." He muttered. "Given that I've wanted to snap your scrawny neck for a long time, but never had the occasion present itself to do it."
He smiled, a cold, bitter smile.
"Your Father would break his heart if he thought his son was going to die in such a remote place as this." He reflected. "The Shihouin may be assassins, Hirata, but the Endou are warriors. And there's no place in our ranks for weak specimens like you."
Hirata did not reply, staring at him mutely, and Seimaru sighed.
"It seems you've become a little more obstinate and defiant since you left. Perhaps you've finally entered adolescence and started growing a spine." He murmured. "No matter. I don't care how you feel about it. The order is still the same. I'm your superior. And I will not be defied."
He grasped Hirata tightly by the shoulders, nails digging through the fabric of the hakama and into the boy's flesh below. Hirata winced, fighting not to cry out, as Seimaru bent his head towards his cousin's, his pale gaze boring deep into the younger boy's.
"You'll take the reidoku and you'll do as you're told." He said softly. "If you're caught, you can deal with the consequences. But listen to me, and listen well. You will act, and you won't defy me. Because you're not the only person I might be tempted to erase from existence if you do."
Hirata tensed, staring up at Seimaru in abject horror.
"Yes. You understand." Seimaru nodded. "I know, you see, how much you cling to that District boy. Kai told me himself, the last time we spoke, when he accused me of using you as a spy. I didn't realise it then, but having heard from Tomoyuki since, I've come to understand. You've latched onto him because you're too pathetic to stand on your own too feet and hold your head up proudly. And that works just perfectly into my hands. Because if you don't do as I tell you, Hirata-kun - you might find that your little friends start to disappear one by one. Starting with the District boy. Ukitake Juushirou."
"No..." Hirata whispered. "Seimaru-kun...you..."
"I can and I will, if you don't do as you're bidden."
Seimaru tapped his hand against Hirata's obi.
"Act and don't get caught. I'll wait for you to report to me that the deed is done. You have two days. If you don't succeed in that time...if you can't carry out this one useful duty to your family - your companions will pay the price. And so will you. You can think it out for yourself...what exactly you want to do."
He offered Hirata a chilling smile.
"Two days." He echoed. "Here, in Aitori's mausoleum. I will be waiting for you, Hirata. If you fail to come by sundown on the second day, with news that you've succeeded....you can say an eternal farewell to your District born friend. And any and all others who were foolish enough to become your friend in the meantime."
With that he was gone with a flurry of reiatsu, and Hirata found himself alone in the stripped out building where the Hohou instructor had died.
"Seimaru..." He sank to the floor, tears beginning to spill down his cheeks as he struggled to prevent himself from full blown hysteria.
Now what do I do? If I don't...if I don't...Ukitake-kun will...but if...I can't...Sensei...
He buried his head in his hands, his body shaking with the force of the shock. No, it wasn't just shock, he realised bitterly, but hatred. True hatred for the cousin who had always bullied him, and who was now forcing him to make an impossible choice.
Then his demeanour stiffened, and he raised his head as a sudden memory flitted across his senses.
There is one more choice. Just one more. One more chance. And it's the only one I have.
He got to his feet, dusting his hakama down as he hardened his resolve.
I don't know if I can succeed, but I have to do something. This isn't something I can ask for help for. I've already involved other people too much in my own problems, so this one I'll deal with alone. And if there's a consequence...I'll face Seimaru alone, too. Even if I'm not ready to...if I fail, that's what I'll do. Even if it means never coming back here, or never seeing Ukitake-kun again. If it means he doesn't get hurt, then it's what I have to do. I promised myself, after all - that I wouldn't let him get hurt.
He swallowed hard, feeling fear coursing through every inch of his body.
After all, I'm an Endou too, aren't I? So I'll act. I'll act in the only way I can. And hope...just hope...that it's enough. That I can succeed in time...before anyone else has to get hurt!
"So this is the District prodigy that so many people have been talking about."
Tokutarou leant up against the wall of the school building, casting his two companions a thoughtful look as he did so. Shunsui seemed more at ease today, though there was still a flicker of preoccupation in his dark eyes. Still, it was the boy's companion who attracted most of the nobleman's curiosity. The District born student, Ukitake Juushirou.
He was as Sora had said, Tokutarou reflected. A thin, frail looking boy with a shock of odd white hair beginning to get straggly at the ends, and a pale, almost sallow complexion that told of his frequent ill health. At Tokutarou's approach, he had hurriedly bowed his head, yet in the moment before Tokutarou had seen the clever hazel eyes and realised that despite the fragility of the boy's aura, there was something steely and strong deep within his core. He was not someone to be taken lightly - District born or otherwise. And Tokutarou found that he was even more intrigued by this oddity with every passing moment.
"Raise your head, Ukitake. You don't need to bow to me, especially when I've asked to meet you so specifically."
Juushirou reddened, raising his head and eying Tokutarou doubtfully.
"I...didn't want to be rude." He murmured. "I mean...you...you're head of Eighth District, and..."
"I'm also Shunsui's brother." Tokutarou rested his hands warmly on the boy's thin shoulders. "And as such, I'm grateful to you for having such a positive influence on him."
He grinned.
"I also feel I probably owe you an apology, too." He added, glancing at Shunsui as he did so. "For any and all bother he's caused you since the term began."
"Bother?" Juushirou looked startled, even as Shunsui pulled a sheepish face in his elder's direction. "Shunsui isn't a bother, Tokutarou-sama. I mean...maybe sometimes he...but we're friends. And he's helped me too. I'm more of a bother, probably, in the long run."
"I highly doubt that." Tokutarou shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips. "My brother is something of an expert in that department - I'd defy anyone to even come close to matching him."
"Thanks, Nii-sama." Shunsui offered another graphic grimace. "Your affection is overwhelming."
"Well, I'm just relieved that you're developing a little common sense." Tokutarou chuckled, reaching across to ruffle his brother's curly hair. "And that you were sensible enough last night to help your classmate rather than get yourself killed."
"Hey, I told you not to do that!" Shunsui objected, and Juushirou laughed.
"No, I was the one who got into fisticuffs, in the end." He said ruefully, fingering the faint bruises that had begun to appear on his throat. "But so far Sensei hasn't called me up over it, so I'm hoping he's not too angry."
"Given the circumstances, I doubt he intends to punish you at all." Tokutarou reflected, and Shunsui nodded.
"Nii-sama's right." He agreed. "Onoe's still in isolation, after all."
"Onoe Tomoyuki will be removed from the school, without a doubt." Tokutarou's expression became serious. "If Genryuusai-sensei was in any doubt about that decision, both I and Unohana Retsu-sama have made it clear to him our feelings as heads of Clans. There are those we care about studying here, and a hot-headed assassin armed with a Shihouin blade is not someone we want our kin to be studying with."
"What about Shihouin-kun?" Juushirou looked anxious, and Shunsui shook his head.
"Kai-kun didn't go out to fight anyone. He just got caught up in it when it happened." He said wisely. "He won't be thrown out, even if he does get into trouble for breaking bounds to see his sister."
"I agree." Tokutarou nodded. "Besides, he seems to be a friend of Shunsui's," He paused, shooting his brother a wry smile. "So I suppose I have to believe he's more than simply an assassin in training."
"Do you think things will start to calm down, now?" Juushirou asked softly, and Tokutarou frowned.
"Not for District Two. It's just beginning." He responded grimly. "Midori-dono has a long way to go even if she gets control of her Clan. I think she likely will succeed at that, at the very least. But in terms of what her kin have been doing..."
"It's annoying, knowing that it's not just her kin and yet there's nothing we can do about it." Shunsui muttered, and Juushirou sighed.
"But if we did, other people might get hurt instead." He responded sadly, and Tokutarou saw his brother shoot his friend a thoughtful look.
"Then that's it, after all." The boy reflected. "Protecting Hirata is a big part of this, isn't it?"
"Hirata's my friend." Juushirou nodded. "And he's not involved in any of it. But if it blew up..."
He faltered, and Tokutarou sighed.
"Our neighbours to the West are not pleasant individuals, but they cover tracks very well." He agreed. "I don't know this 'Hirata', that people keep mentioning though. Is he a friend of yours too, Shunsui?"
"I suppose so, when he's not looking daggers at me for stealing Juu away." Shunsui grinned. "He's a tad possessive and clingy, but he's harmless enough. Just young, awkward and homesick. Juu adopted him as a substitute little brother right at the start of term, and little by little he's coming out of his shell. He's a smart kid, and he's not your typical Endou at all. Yes, I'm fond of him. I think Juu's right - he's not involved in any of this and never has been from the start."
"Then it seems that the rumour of a rift in the Endou-ke is true." Tokutarou reflected, and Juushirou nodded.
"Hirata's mentioned it too." He agreed. "That the family is split in its views and actions."
"Well, I can only hope that means one day common sense will get the upper hand and I can relax the border controls between my land and theirs." Tokutarou said heavily. "The last heir to District Seven caused me a good deal of trouble a few years ago, and his son seems just as much of a problem. But since your Kyouko came to me, Shunsui, I've had several other strays running scared from the other border - begging for sanctuary from the Endou-ke. Several of them have mentioned seeing kin kidnapped or killed and most of them know someone who's just disappeared without a trace. I don't know what's going on in that District - or if any of these people are spies. But when you have a widow clutching a blood-soaked baby and begging for sanctuary, what can you do but let them pass?"
"The Endou really don't like the idea of District children with spiritual talent, do they?" Juushirou said sadly, and Shunsui snorted.
"Understatement." He said categorically. "Hirata aside. But within their own land, they can do as they please. They're not in breach of Council rule to slaughter their own citizens if they happen to have a law in place in District Seven forbidding anyone there below Clan level from possessing above a certain amount of spiritual power. They would just be upholding that law, no matter how twisted. And the Council couldn't do a damn thing to prevent it because the way Seireitei was split up was designed to give each Clan sovereignty over a section of land."
"Shunsui's right." Tokutarou nodded. "In the meantime, refugee camps are growing up near the border, and our Uncle's former estate has all but been turned into a hospice to care for them. It's a problem indeed, and I wonder very much whether the same is happening in Sixth District. Only I don't have the kind of communication with the Kuchiki-ke to send a messenger to find out - and that messenger would have to cross District Seven to get there in any case."
"Clan really do do some horrible things." Juushirou murmured, and Tokutarou nodded.
"But you shouldn't feel that you - or anyone like you - is at fault for it." He said softly, interpreting the flickers of guilt in the boy's hazel eyes. "I've heard from a lot of people how you're Genryuusai-sensei's trail-blazer. He has hopes invested in you, and I think I can see why. If I didn't know you weren't born Clan, I'd not be able to determine it from your level of spiritual power. Even sitting here talking like this, it's easy to tell that what you have is on a par with most Noble born children. Perhaps it's even more than that. And you shouldn't let what's happening in other places affect what you do. It's not because of you that the Endou are killing people. It's because they're prejudiced and old-fashioned. Not because you're in the wrong."
Juushirou looked startled, eying him in surprise, and Shunsui grinned.
"Nii-sama's pretty smart too, when it comes down to it." He said off-handedly. "He's right, though. Just because you and the others who came here this year have caught people's attention doesn't mean any of you are to blame for deaths in any District."
"Perhaps it was a good thing, in the end, that Etsuo-san went with Midori-sama when she left District Seven." Juushirou murmured, and Shunsui became grave, nodding his head.
"I don't know why they didn't single her out." He agreed. "Maybe because she was a foreigner in the first place and they thought she might be spying for my Clan. But I'm glad she escaped too. Even if we're strangers now...I'm glad she's at least alive."
"Etsuo-san? Is that...?"
"Saku." Shunsui said simply, and Tokutarou nodded, understanding flooding his features.
"Your old friend." He murmured. "Well, Shunsui, sometimes parting happens that way. And speaking of which, another one will be coming quite soon. I can't stay much longer in District One - I'm leaving things to your mother who's more than capable of handling them...but I feel guilty leaving them for too long. I've done what I intended - so now I've met the District prodigy for myself, I can go home and gossip to Kyouki-sama to her heart's content."
"Kyouki-sama?" Juushirou stared, and Tokutarou nodded.
"My Shiba-ke kinswoman. The Head of District Five." He agreed ruefully. "She likes to know everything that's going on, and she'll certainly like to know all about you. She's very keen on the idea of District children being trained, so I think I can bring her positive news. Most of all, though, I'm happy that Shunsui's happier now than he was the last time I saw him. And if that's something to do with spending time with you - and your classmates - then I'm grateful."
"I don't know that..."
"Well, maybe, or maybe not." Tokutarou shrugged, sending Shunsui a grin. "But he'd never really talked to me about things before my visit here. Something's changed, and I'm not unhappy to see it. Maybe by the end of the year I'll be welcoming home a completely rehabilitated individual."
"You mean I still don't get to come home until spring?" Shunsui affected a mock-hurt look, and Tokutarou nodded.
"I've learnt that going easy on you gets us nowhere. The rules are staying as they are." He agreed firmly. "You're not returning to District Eight before a year has passed. Understood?"
"Fine." Shunsui held up his hands, resignation in his dark eyes. "I...hey...what was that?"
He turned, his brows knitting together, and Tokutarou frowned, getting to his feet as he felt the faintest of sensations brush across his wits.
"Shunpo." He murmured. "Is that what you felt? Someone's shunpo?"
"I felt it too." Juushirou added. "But I didn't know...who it was."
"Me either, except I didn't like how it felt." Shunsui said blackly. "It sort of felt like...someone was here who shouldn't be."
"Undoubtedly." Tokutarou agreed grimly. "That was Endou Seimaru, Shunsui. The neighbour we've been so happily discussing."
"Endou...." Juushirou's eyes widened, and Shunsui bit his lip.
"Seimaru was here?" He whispered. "And we didn't even know? I thought this guy wasn't as hot on spiritual matters as all that! How did he manage to get in?"
"Probably through the gate." Tokutarou remarked flatly. "With the seal of his family, nobody would dare refuse him. As for how he'd stayed undetected - maybe he's stronger than we gave him credit for. Nobody was expecting him, after all. And he must be trained to a high level, since he carries a zanpakutou and apparently knows how to use it ...probably better than I do mine. Still, that he'd come here..."
"Is he looking for Midori-sama?" Juushirou wondered.
"I'm more worried about the fact that to get here he must have slipped through my District somehow." Tokutarou clenched his fists, anger surging through him. "Taking advantage of my absence, perhaps, and exploiting gaps in the defences. He knows that he's not welcome on my land - now or ever, not even on legitimate business. Damn him! Now he's here there's nothing I can do to touch him for trespass!"
"Kyouko!" Shunsui's eyes widened, but Tokutarou shook his head.
"Kyouko is safe at our manor. Even a brazen fool like Seimaru wouldn't go there just to find a serving wench." He reflected. "But he may have come after Midori. After all, she did leave ample evidence of her presence."
"Then we should warn Hirata, if he doesn't already know." Juushirou said anxiously. "So he can keep out of his way."
"Hirata was going to the common room with Kuchiki and Houjou, though." Shunsui pointed out. "Wasn't he?"
"He said something to me about going to see Shihouin-kun first." Juushirou shook his head. "So we might as well head to the Healing Bay and see if we can catch him. Shihouin-kun might need to know too, after all."
"Then I suppose this is where we say goodbye." Tokutarou observed. "Be careful, though, the both of you. I will go to Genryuusai-sensei and I will mention that Seimaru was here...so that steps can be taken to prevent him coming back. But he has undoubtedly left the grounds now...so here is probably safer than anywhere else where he's concerned. Stick together and don't do anything crazy - he might be passing through but he might not."
"We're not going to fight Seimaru." Shunsui assured him. "That's not on anyone's agenda. Don't worry, Nii-sama. I have a little more sense than that."
"I hope so." Tokutarou eyed him for a moment, then, "I'll walk with you as far as the main building anyway. Just in case."
"If he's gone, I don't suppose there's any danger." Juushirou mused, and Tokutarou frowned.
"Maybe not, but given last night's events, I'm not going to take a risk." He responded. "You especially might be in danger, if Seimaru was to descend on this place with any serious intent - whatever spirit power you might have, it's still only potential after all."
"I suppose so." Juushirou sighed. "I wasn't planning on fighting with him either, in any case."
For a while they walked across the grounds in silence, then Shunsui let out an exclamation, darting forward to scoop up something that had been glinting on the grass by the main building walls.
"Juu! Look!" He exclaimed, holding out what he had found, and at the sudden tension that washed through both student's auras, Tokutarou realised that there was some particular significance in the seemingly mundane pair of spectacles Shunsui now held between his fingers.
Juushirou's next words told him exactly why.
"Hirata." He murmured, his expression becoming one of consternation. "Those are Hirata's."
"And they're cracked. Right across the left lens." Shunsui held them out. "The shunpo we felt just now...would have been from around here. More or less. Wouldn't it?"
Juushirou took them gingerly, the apprehension in his demeanour growing with every moment as he digested his friend's meaning.
"Then were we wrong, after all?" He said softly, glancing at his classmate helplessly. "Did Seimaru not come looking for Midori-sama at all? Did...did he come looking for Hirata?"
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Author's Note
Mwaahh...And you all thought it was coming to an end, didn't you...?
Also, gomen to anyone whose signed in review I didn't reply to. I've been stupidly busy lately and got very behind on all of those things so I hope you don't think me rude. As it is, I'm uploading chapters late :|