Chapter Thirty: Vanished
It was getting late, and there was still no sign of Hirata.
Juushirou paused outside the door of the Healing Bay, trying to calm the panic that was stirring deep within him. Although he did not want to face it, his mind kept coming back to the same thing over and over again.
Seimaru was here. Hirata was gone. And Shunsui had been right. Seimaru had come for Hirata after all.
He rubbed his aching chest absently, leaning up against the wall as he tried to put everything into perspective. That morning, he reflected darkly, he had begun to really feel the after effects of his fight against Onoe, and rich dark bruises had begun to appear across his chest and torso, tell-tale signs of the pressure the other boy had put on his delicate ribcage during the height of the struggle. Though there were faint purplish marks at his throat, the ones on his chest were growing blacker by the hour, and if he was honest to himself, as the day had worn on he had felt tired, mangled and borderline feverish.
But Hirata might be dead, or in trouble, and there was no way he could stand back and ignore that.
And there's nothing I can do about how I feel. After a fight like that, I half-expected it to hit me sooner. I suppose worrying about Hirata isn't helping, either. Still, it can't be helped. Right now I've no time to baby myself and worry about little things like that. Shunsui and the others don't need to, either. I'm fine, just a bit out of sorts. And Hirata is the first priority...everything else can wait until he's safe.
He rubbed his chest again, processing the situation carefully.
Since Tokutarou's departure that morning, the two boys had been as active as they could be, checking all the places that Hirata might have chosen to conceal himself from his cousin. It had been Juushirou's idea that he might have dropped the spectacles in a hurry to conceal his whereabouts from Seimaru's senses - a vain hope that he had clung to regardless, not wanting to face the alternative.
Shunsui had been more sceptical, but had agreed that a search of the whole school wouldn't hurt, and they had begun at the Common Room to recruit Enishi and Ryuu as reinforcements. Sora, Naoko and Mitsuki had all been there, Sora having just been beaten by Ryuu at their third round of shougi, and once Juushirou had explained that Hirata was missing, the inquisitive young Shiba had immediately volunteered their services, suggesting that the girls go and check the forest land surrounding the school. Though Naoko had seemed a little put out at Sora's assumption they'd all help, she had not objected, and Juushirou had gratefully thanked them, knowing that the more help he could get, the better.
Ryuu had suggested reporting the disappearance to Genryuusai, uncharacteristic concern in his slate grey eyes, and Shunsui had agreed, volunteering to go with him and take the glasses as proof of their fears.
In the meantime, Juushirou and Enishi had divided up the school building between them, Enishi going to speak to his kin in the senior class and Juushirou checking the classrooms and other social areas, including the dorm where he had first found Hirata huddled up in his blankets so many months before. At length, he had gone to the Healing Bay, realising that he was running out of places to look.
He had not wanted to bother Kai, knowing that the boy was supposed to be resting and letting his injury heal. Yet knowing that Hirata had mentioned going to see him had turned the scale, and so Juushirou had put his hesitations aside, hurrying up the stairs to speak to the final member of Class One.
He pushed open the door, slipping inside and glancing around him for any sign of the attentive head of District Four. He did not know that, as of first thing that morning, Retsu had left District One for her own lands, set on discussing with them the matter of Midori's gamble before it came to Council session, and so had left governance of the Healing Bay to her assistants. None of them were around at that moment, however, and Juushirou found himself grateful, shutting the door softly behind him as he stepped into the room.
"I wondered how long it would take you."
Kai's voice startled him and he glanced up, surprise in his hazel gaze as he registered his classmate's expression. Kai was propped up by pillows, a book discarded on the covers beside him, and from the clouding in the boy's gold eyes, Juushirou immediately feared the worst. He swallowed hard, darting across the chamber and dropping down by his classmate's side.
"What's happened?" He murmured. "Where's Hirata? Shihouin-kun, if you know..."
"I don't know where he is." Kai shook his head. "But that's probably my fault as much as anything. You took long enough to come here...I thought you'd have come as soon as Hirata's reiatsu disappeared from the school."
"I didn't want to bother you unless I had to." Juushirou bit his lip, feeling the cold chill begin to creep up his spine and through his nerves. "What do you mean, your fault? He did come here this morning, then? To see you?"
"He did." Kai nodded slowly. "About things which aren't really your business. But even so..."
He sighed, flickers of pain crossing his brow as he did so.
"I didn't tell him one thing." He murmured. "Something Tomoyuki told me last night. Something I didn't really remember until after the kid had gone. Something important."
"Can you tell me what that something was?" Juushirou asked anxiously. "Because I know that we're not exactly friends, Shihouin-kun, and there are a lot of things you probably still would rather speak to Shunsui about than me. Only I'm worried something bad has happened to Hirata - or is going to. And I want to find him...before that something does."
Kai was silent for a moment, then he nodded.
"I shouldn't, but with things how they are, I will." He said quietly, his gold eyes dark and full of guilt. "And I'll do so clearly, even despite the risk. Tomoyuki told me last night that Seimaru was coming here, Ukitake. In everything that happened, it clean slipped my mind. Last night's still hazy in a lot of respects, and Unohana-sama used some pretty strong Kidou to knock out my pain last night, so that didn't help. But..."
He took a deep breath, then,
"I felt Seimaru, here, a while ago." He murmured. "And then I felt him disappear. After that, when I tried, I couldn't sense where Hirata was any more either. And it worried me. But I can't leave here to come tell anyone anything. Unohana-sama isn't here now - she left early this morning on some Clan business, and her assistants only tell me to sleep and leave anything else till I'm rested. They wouldn't listen."
He gestured to the book.
"They gave me that, but I can't focus on reading at the moment." He added helplessly. "I tried to get up, but it hurt too much and I felt too dizzy...I guess I've still not recovered the blood I lost yesterday, and I would've passed out if I hadn't laid down again pretty quick. So all I could do was wait. I thought you at least would know he'd gone."
"I do. I did. We found his glasses, and Shunsui thought Seimaru-sama had taken him somewhere." Juushirou said, his expression troubled. "But I know Hirata hates his cousin, and is afraid of him. So I didn't want to think that was it. Shunsui and Kuchiki-kun went to speak to Sensei - Houjou-kun and I have been searching the school building and Sora, Edogawa-san and Shikibu-san have been searching the grounds. But it's like he really has...vanished."
"You won't find him in the school. He's not here." Kai shook his head. "I know it and so do you."
"Yes." Juushirou admitted, feeling the fight run out of him at this blunt observation. "But it frightens me. I don't know where he is or what's happened. None of us thought Seimaru-sama would come after him...there seems no point!"
"Seimaru doesn't deserve to be called -sama. Not even by you." Kai said acerbically. "He's not someone to be trusted. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd even stab his own Grandfather in the back if he had to, let alone a cousin on a side of the family he apparently despises."
"We thought he might have come looking for your sister." Juushirou admitted, and Kai shook his head.
"I doubt that." He said darkly. "He'd be writing his own death warrant, I think, if he went looking for Nee-sama right at the moment. No. I don't think so. I don't know if he realises where she's gone or what she plans to do. But I...I'm sure it's not as simple as him passing through looking for my kin. He came for his. He came for Hirata. And it probably means he has a particular purpose in mind for him."
"Hirata-kun..." Juushirou bit his lip, then got to his feet.
"I need to go look for him."
"No, you don't." Kai grabbed hold of his arm, surprising the other boy with the amount of strength he managed to inject into his grasp. "You do not want to do anything of the kind. That'll play right into Seimaru's hands, if you do something so reckless as that."
"But..."
"If Seimaru has Hirata, that's an Endou matter." Kai's eyes narrowed. "Hirata told me himself this morning that no matter what, he wasn't going to let Seimaru have his way or hurt the Academy. Because of you, I think, more than anything. He said some pretty fond things about you, and he was really determined when he said it. If you went after him and you got hurt, he'd just feel like a coward again."
"Shihouin-kun, even if..."
"You didn't want Kyouraku to protect you, did you?" Kai released his hold, meeting his companion's gaze head on. "You didn't want him to interfere with your meeting my sister, or in fighting Tomoyuki last night. This is the same thing. Hirata has to prove himself sooner or later. He won't ally with Seimaru. I'm sure of that - I'd stake what honour my Clan have left on that fact. And you might be special among District kids, Ukitake. But you are not a match for Endou Seimaru. Not yet, in any case."
Juushirou's expression became stubborn, and Kai sighed.
"You won't listen to me, will you?" He reflected. "But even so, I'm right. The kid has pride too. This morning, I think I saw it for the first time. That flicker of Endou blood that I'd not realised he had inside of him."
"What do you think Seimaru is going to do?" Ukitake eyed Kai apprehensively, and his companion shrugged.
"Probably, whatever it is involves threatening Hirata." He said frankly. "And since I'm not going to do it, and Tomoyuki's out of commission, I suspect it has something to do with the plot on Sensei's life."
"You think...he'd make Hirata..."
"I know he'd try to." Kai nodded. "But Ukitake. Listen. Before you go haring off anywhere, listen to me. If that's the case...if Seimaru wanted Hirata to do that...the fact the kid isn't here isn't necessarily a bad sign."
"Meaning?" Juushirou was incredulous. "Shihouin-kun, if he's not here, it means..."
"Seimaru might have killed him." Kai agreed levelly. "And I know how you feel about that, because you're hopelessly sentimental and unprepared for the bloodthirsty world you've jumped into. But if I'm right, and Seimaru was trying to use Hirata that way - Hirata not coming back means that he's refused. It means he's held out for the things he believes in. You should be proud of him for that."
"Even if it gets him killed?" Juushirou snorted, shaking his head impatiently. "You Clan people really don't understand this, do you? He could have come back here and asked for help! He doesn't have to..."
"Tomoyuki's idea about your spirit power came from Seimaru." Kai cut across him flatly, fixing him with a searching gaze. "That was Seimaru's doing - it was Seimaru who put it into his head. I know because he had the same conversation with me. Only I'm not as stupid as Tomoyuki, and I wasn't biting. Besides, it would've put my family at risk to raise that kind of rumour...it wasn't safe. But if you went after Hirata, can you imagine what it would mean? At the very least, anything Hirata might be doing to keep you away from Seimaru would be completely ruined. At worst, you and he might both be killed. Stop and think a moment, will you? You aren't the world's crusader. Not yet. You have a long way to go before you're strong enough to use your District morals to win that kind of fight."
Juushirou stared at his classmate, dismay in his hazel gaze, and Kai nodded.
"If Hirata doesn't come back, then he's either keeping his distance by choice, or he's been killed by Seimaru." He said quietly. "Whichever it is, it's a choice he made. You like to butt into people's lives, but they have choices too. And sometimes pride is enough to make someone fight. Even if you don't understand that feeling - I'm sure even Hirata has pride."
Juushirou buried his head in his hands.
"I understand what you're saying." He murmured. "Last night, when I faced Onoe-kun, that was my pride as much as anything driving me on. And I know Hirata has his own pride too. I just...I can't accept it. I can't accept that Seimaru might've killed him, and I...we...couldn't do anything to help. He's my friend, dammit - I feel like if I accept what you've said, I've somehow let him down. Even...even betrayed him."
"You said Kyouraku had gone to tell Sensei, didn't you?" Kai asked, and Juushirou nodded.
"Then let Sensei handle any searches outside of the school." Kai advised. "For him to search for a missing pupil is a natural response, after all. And the people he can send will have a better chance of succeeding, since Seimaru won't want to do anything that creates actual evidence against him. He wouldn't think twice about killing you, but he might not want to cross District One's retainers."
"I suppose that's true." Juushirou sighed. "I still don't like it though. I know you're right, Shihouin-kun. Probably on every count. But even so..."
"A better thing right now is for Sensei to know that the attack on his life is probably still on." Kai said acerbically. "If Hirata's refused, it means Seimaru's got to look for someone else, or find another manner of doing it. But Seimaru's powerful and persuasive, and even if Tomoyuki's in confinement, it doesn't mean he's completely out of options. His aim is to destroy this Academy - he's not going to give up at the first hurdle."
"Not just that...also to destroy the Shihouin-ke and take over their land." Juushirou reflected, and Kai eyed him in consternation.
"Did Nee-sama tell you that?" He murmured, and Juushirou nodded.
"Yes. She did."
"Then she really did ask you to be her ally, didn't she?"
"Whether it counts for anything or not, I suppose so."
"Then I have to acknowledge it too." Kai pursed his lips. "That you're her ally, so you're mine too. Regardless of your background, you really have been operating with Shihouin interests these last few days."
"Mm. I suppose." Juushirou nodded again. "But as I've said before, that doesn't affect you or I in the slightest. I don't want to be your ally by force. Right now, I'm grateful that you've told me what you have about Hirata and Seimaru. For now, that's foremost on my mind. I'm not trying to stake favourites with Clans or anything like that. I just...want everything to settle down properly without people getting hurt. It might be foolish, but it's how I feel."
Kai snorted.
"That way of thinking might get you killed." he said frankly.
"Maybe." Juushirou shrugged his shoulders. "But it was how I was raised and I've not seen anything since I've been here that makes it different. Clan people do some odd things and I don't understand all of the reasons for them yet. Maybe I never will - perhaps it's something I can't ever penetrate. But I do know that Clan people are still people regardless. You included. Hirata included. Kuchiki-kun and Shunsui and Houjou-kun too. And that's something I can relate to. You have families you care about, just like I do. You'll go to lengths to protect them, like I would."
He frowned.
"You might be right, about Hirata." He added softly. "But I'm not going to give up on him. I don't need you to tell me that he won't work for Seimaru, because I have faith in him. But I am worried about it. Even if you think I shouldn't protect him - Hirata is different from you or I. He's still a child, after all."
"In the eyes of Seireitei law, we're all children." Kai said flatly. "You and I as much as Hirata or anyone else. Even Houjou, although he's the closest to twenty of any of us."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't want the runt to be killed either." He admitted. "Not till I've repaid him the debt our Clan obviously owe him, in any case. But right now, anything else would be to play into Seimaru's hands. I'd go, if I could go, but I can't. And you should definitely not go."
"You know where he is after all!"
"No. I don't know." Kai shook his head. "Tomoyuki's the only one who might, and good luck getting to speak to him."
"Onoe-kun." Juushirou's brows knitted together, and he nodded.
"Thank you, Shihouin-kun." He said evenly. "I'll let you rest again now."
"Ukitake!" As Juushirou turned on his heel, Kai called out his name, and the white-haired boy paused in the doorway, casting him a questioning look.
"You aren't going to try and get to see Tomoyuki...are you?"
Juushirou offered him a smile, taking in the anxiety in his classmate's golden gaze.
"I'm not going to do anything stupid." He said simply. "But if I can't go outside of the school looking, I've got no choice but to keep looking inside instead. And if that means speaking to everyone and anyone who might know, well, then that's what I'll do."
With that he pulled back the door of the Healing Bay, stepping out into the hall and shutting it firmly behind him.
He took a deep breath, rubbing his temples as he considered the conversation.
"I have to speak to Onoe-kun. Or someone does." He muttered. "If he knows anything - anything at all...then we have to find out what."
To think was to act, and as the previous night's conversation crossed his thoughts, he frowned, turning and heading across the landing to the stairwell that lead to the senior dormitories.
Enishi had gone there already, he knew, but he was going with a specific errand in mind, and so he gathered his courage, running up the two flights to the uppermost floor inhabited by students that the school possessed.
There were only seven students currently in the senior class, all male and all of noble Clan level. Consequently, they shared rooms between two, with Yunosuke, as the effective 'head' having a room to himself. Jokingly referred to among his companions as his 'nest', it's entrance was an old panel door set back from the hall and raised up six or seven steps to a specially constructed chamber that jutted out slightly over the floors below. The rumours about the house's past often placed this as a 'hime's room, for it had a small balcony to the left hand side, and as Juushirou passed the little alcove that led that way, he pursed his lips ruefully.
Being a member of the Senior class did indeed bring with it privileges as well as responsibilities.
Although not officially designated as prefects, Juushirou knew that their duties often spread far beyond attending classes, and they were trusted to a high level not only when it came to overseeing lower year students but also with the security of the school as a whole. It was, Juushirou reflected, a crash course in what life was like in the real Gotei world, and a flicker of excitement had flared in his soul when he had first contemplated what it might be like to be one of this elite.
But that was a long way off yet. Even Yunosuke, who was currently in his sixth year, had had to get through a lot of hard work in order to reach senior status. The Senior Class was not a natural progression, after all. You did not simply get into it by dint of having been there a number of years. Only the most well learnt and advanced pupils were categorised in this special few - only those students ready to face Gotei life would be permitted to graduate from the Academy and enter the new Squads Genryuusai had gambled his reputation to set up.
Juushirou knew, for the ever-knowledgeable Sora had told him, that of the current Senior Class, only Nagoya Shirogane of the Kuchiki-ke had got there with less years hard study than Yunosuke. All of the other Senior students had been enrolled at the Academy for at least six years, and though a couple had summoned blades in that time, only Yunosuke had managed to release his zanpakutou to manageable shikai level.
It was not an easy path, not even if you happened to be born titled.
Juushirou's brows knitted together as he remembered Hirata once again.
Perhaps even more difficult, then, if you are titled.
With that in mind, he sped up his pace, making his way along the hallway towards the chamber at the furthest end of the corridor. This was the room sacrosanct to the Seniors - their own private 'common room' or study, and where, he felt sure, at least one or two of them were probably gathered.
As he reached the door, he felt flickers of reiatsu from within and he steeled himself, pausing to catch his breath from his uncharacteristic flight across the school.
It would not do to choke after all, when he was putting his case to his elders.
He took a deep breath to steady his racing heart, and then raised his hand to knock on the hard, polished wood.
An unfamiliar voice called him in, and he bit his lip, sliding back the door and stepping hesitantly into the little chamber.
The room was brightly lit, and had obviously once been a nobleman's study, for the walls were panelled in far more expensive style than in any of the classrooms and above the window Juushirou could still make out the carved crest of the Yamamoto-ke giving a hint to the building's illustrious past. The chamber was simply furnished, yet it had a nice air to it, and each senior student had brought something of themselves to it, giving it a used, almost home-like feel. Training asauchi hung on a rack on the furthest wall, their blades polished clean yet showing the tell tale signs of frequent and diligent practice, and Juushirou was reminded of the fact that although they were seniors, more than half of them had not yet completed summoning their own swords. The asauchi were the only clue that this was in any way the private room of trainee fighters, however, for books and papers lined most available surfaces, and in starkest contrast to the neatly hung weaponry Juushirou's sharp eyes caught sight of a wooden flute laying on the broad window-sill.
"Who are you?"
A voice cut across his reflections, and he glanced up from his automatic bow, meeting the quizzical grey eyes of Nagoya Shirogane.
Even at first glance there was no mistaking his clan heritage, for his complexion was as delicate and hair as ebony dark as Ryuu's own, with the signature slate gaze that marked him out as Kuchiki. He was not tall - in fact, he was only a bare inch at most taller than Juushirou himself, despite his additional years, and he was lithe and slender, his hakama crafted from expensive fabric cut to the school's style but in such a way that not only was it clear he was of good birth, but also that he took pride in his appearance and did not believe in letting the constraints of uniform hold him back.
His hair was pulled back in requisite noble ties, a long wavy tail that fell over his shoulder and down his back. At first glance it seemed casually done, but as he gazed at his senior Juushirou almost thought he could make out silver threaded in with the white - a further sign of the Kuchiki's attitude of sparing no expenses when it came to their public image. He did not have a sword at his side, yet his reiatsu indicated that he was probably one of the few who'd managed to at least summon one, the power neatly kept tucked away but no doubt as capable of causing destruction as the next Kuchiki should he choose to act. Yet even despite the fact he was looking at a trained swordsman with the same proud family heritage as Ryuu, Juushirou got the impression that the two could not be more different underneath the frappery and finesse. Whereas his classmate was often austere, proud and tedious in his use of vocabulary, Juushirou knew that those things were shields for Ryuu's awkwardness with people as much as they were evidence of his Clan's influence. Yet Shirogane gave off the aura of one who not only understood people but enjoyed playing with them, and Juushirou had the distinct impression that any who did not meet his exacting standards would be forever the victims of his sharp Kuchiki tongue.
The first year took a deep breath into his lungs, determined not to be frightened away at the first hurdle. This was the first time since term had begun that he had been face to face with Shirogane, and had only caught the briefest glimpses of him at training or in special assemblies. Yet in that brief first impression since entering the room, inwardly he decided he didn't like the Senior very much at all.
Give me Kuchiki-kun any day. Even if he's not a natural with people, at least he doesn't have the same sneer to his air that this one does.
"I'm very sorry to disturb you, Nagoya-senpai." He said properly now, bowing his head once more. "Only I was looking for Anideshi or Unohana-senpai. Do you know where I might find them?"
"I asked you a question. Answer it." Shirogane snapped, and Juushirou flinched, inwardly berating himself.
"U...Ukitake Juushirou, senpai." He said now. "From Class One."
"Ukitake, huh." Shirogane's eyes became slits, and he nodded. "Yes, I see. I believe I've heard enough about you to bore me adequately - we can spare any more time on that subject. But Class One is first year. Even one of your birth should realise that you can't simply go around demanding to see the Seniors at the drop of a hat."
"I understand, Senpai." Juushirou kept a hand on his temper, nodding his head. "Only...it's to do with...something that happened last night. And..."
"You were the boy who fought against that Shihouin brat, weren't you?" Shirogane cut across him, reaching across to grasp Juushirou by the chin. Roughly he turned the boy's head from one side to the other, then frowned.
"Yes. I see it." He murmured. "I remember now. Ryuu's said it...and I see it. Faint and dilute, perhaps, and the eyes are bastardised and wrong. But you have the faintest hint of Kuchiki about you, after all. It's an interesting thing, seeing one's pure genes disseminated in such a random and vague manner."
"I'm sorry, Senpai, but I didn't come here to discuss my family's history or compare it to yours." Juushirou stiffened at this blatant insult to his Father's hazel eyes, taking a step back from the older student's grip and meeting his gaze soberly. "Last night I had an argument with Onoe Tomoyuki-kun and Anideshi took him away to confinement. I wanted to find out if I could speak to him - it's a little important, so..."
"You do have a sense of yourself, don't you?" Shirogane chuckled, eying him rather as though he was gazing at a circus exhibit. "But even if that's amusing, it won't get you anywhere. Confinement is confinement. The Shihouin boy will be sent home - he won't be able to see anyone, least of all the boy who disarmed him. You might want to gloat over your heroics, but you won't get that chance. Sensei will not permit it - I'd leave well alone."
"I've nothing to gloat about." Juushirou said quietly. "Nor do I intend to apologise to him. I just want to ask him something. A member of my class has disappeared...I wanted to know if Onoe-kun knew where he might be. We've asked anyone and everyone else - and he's the only one left."
"Hrm." Shirogane reached for the flute, tapping it idly against his hand as he eyed his young companion thoughtfully. "Now you mention it, one of your classmates was already here about that wretched Endou kid. I don't imagine Yunosuke knows any more about it than I do, to be honest, and you won't get to see the Shihouin boy no matter how hard you beg. But if that's it, you might as well not bother me any more. Yunosuke and Madeki were going to meet with Sensei about the incident and make a full report. They have not returned yet - if you wish to see them, you might as well head in that direction. Though they'll only tell you what I already have - that your cause is hopeless. No doubt the child will turn up, in any case. Endou-ke are like that. Do as they please but notoriously hard to kill."
He smiled casually.
"You are dismissed."
Juushirou frowned, but realised he was not going to get any further, so bowed his head respectfully towards his senior.
"Thank you, Senpai. I'll do that." He said softly. "I'm sorry for the disturbance."
With that he withdrew, closing the study door and turning on his heel.
As far as Nagoya-senpai seems to see it, it's all a game of cat and mouse and he finds it more amusing than worrying that a student has disappeared. Kuchiki-kun doesn't much like the Endou either – and I know he hates the Shihouin. Is that why, in the end? I bet Nagoya-senpai would be a lot more bothered about it if it were Kuchiki people getting hurt.
Still, even if he won't help, I'll find Anideshi and I'll talk to him. Maybe he at least will understand that I want to find my friend!
So he had come, after all.
Onoe sat back against the cool, hard wall of the detention chamber, closing his eyes against the faint buzzing and spinning that swirled at the back of his senses. Relief mingled with fear and uncertainty competed for dominance across his senses, as his slow, sluggish brain processed what the sensations meant.
Seimaru had come. Seimaru had found Hirata. Hirata had gone. And Seimaru had taken him.
No doubt the Endou would now continue their scheme - that Seimaru would use the tools at his disposal and in the end, prevail. Their cause was not, after all, completely lost.
Onoe rubbed his temples absently, taking a deep breath into his lungs.
But I couldn't kill Midori. I couldn't kill Kai. I couldn't avenge you, Uncle...and now it's too late. Because of that wretched District boy...I gambled and in the end, I lost.
As the edges of his vision blurred and became dimmer, he sighed, stretching out on the futon and closing his eyes.
It was too late now. He had cast his die and made his decision the moment he had resolved to take his blade from Aitori's office. There was no going back, and he knew that better than anyone.
A Shihouin casts his honour in blood. I cast mine, Ojisama. I spilled blood for you, even if it wasn't enough. And I won't betray you. Sensei hasn't come yet, but when he does, it'll be too late. There's nothing he can learn from me, after all. Kai may have forgotten his honour and his oaths, and Midori may have done so too. But I have not. I was born a Shihouin, and a Shihouin I will always be. From my first breath until my last.
He took another deep breath, allowing the swirling haze of mist to wash over his tired body. At the back of his mind, flickers of panic danced and flared but he suppressed them, pushing them as far from his thoughts as he could.
This was not a time for doubting, after all. This was a time for composure.
This was a time for the Shihouin's ultimate honour.
Wait for me, Uncle. I'll see you again soon.
"I should have known, shouldn't I, that when Sensei gave me the title Anideshi he really meant unofficial workhorse."
As they approached the Headmaster's study, Yunosuke shot his companion a rueful smile, reaching up to brush his floppy fringe of blond hair out of his eyes. "I should have seen it coming then, shouldn't I – that it wasn't going to be just an honour to take on but a headache as well from start to finish."
"You always did answer first and think it through later." His companion told him unsympathetically. "Didn't I warn you last semester that things might end up this way?"
"Yes, but I didn't really think it would be like this." Yunosuke grimaced. "So far we've had murder in the wilds, a teacher slain and now a fight on campus and a student locked away in isolation because he thought it would be nice to carve the Shihouin crest in his cousin's abdomen. I guess I'd hoped for a moment or two to relax this year, Madeki – Senior Class has less lectures than the other years, and now I've got past all the pain and angst of summoning my sword to shikai last semester, I thought it'd be quieter this."
"Somehow I get the feeling that no part of this year is going to be quiet and relaxing."
Madeki reflected, folding his arms pensively across his chest as he did so. "But then I thought it would be that way when Sensei won the vote. There was a lot of discussion at home about it, after all – weren't yours the same, before the ballot?"
"The Urahara-ke abstained, and I didn't hear much about it." Yunosuke shook his head. "Unlike your Unohana-ke, we kept out of the spotlight on this one. We've made too many radical decisions over the last few generations – I think this time it was felt safer to keep noncommittal on the subject."
He sighed.
"But you're right. As Anideshi, I should've known." He mused. "You'd have made a better one than me, I think – you see things that I don't all the time."
"But Sensei chose you, because even if I see them, I rarely act quick enough to do anything about them." Madeki eyed his friend fondly. "In all the last six years, Yunosuke, you've always been the leader. It's not a surprise to anyone – it just means now the weight is on your shoulders."
"Sensei deployed us last night so that he wouldn't have to get involved." Yunosuke reflected, slipping his fingers into the folds of his hakama as they made their way along the passageway that led to Genryuusai's study. "And so that he could carry out his secret negotiations without being disturbed. He gave us a lot to do, really, didn't he? I wonder if he knew Onoe would come out armed. I certainly didn't think it would escalate like that. Not between Shihouin at the very least."
"The Shihouin-ke are in flux and crisis. That much is blatantly obvious." Madeki said gravely. "I think last night has summed up exactly how serious the situation has become in District Two. None of us suspected Aitori – but obviously he was involved in something that's made matters worse. In contrast, being sent out to keep tabs on rule-breaking juniors seems a minor duty. Next year we're looking to enter squads, after all. It's all good practice."
"I suppose so." Yunosuke agreed. "Keeping Onoe in confinement is probably the short end of the wedge, in real terms. He's an idiot and he acted rashly – he'll be sent home for it and that will be that. But Sensei would've been in the difficult situation had someone died last night…he would've had to answer the questions and not us."
"Which is why Sensei is Sensei." Madeki reflected. "Though this year's First Year are far more unusual than any since you and I were new students here. The Academy has changed, evolved and grown even in that time – but bringing District kids in…did anyone expect a kid like that Ukitake boy to be doing what he's doing in quite such open style?"
"I think Sensei knew exactly what he was getting when he brought the boy here, and more, he did it on purpose because he wanted it to happen." Yunosuke said wryly. "How many lectures have we had on not underestimating those born in lower Seireitei? Now he's bringing in the proof to back it up. It took this long to get it by the Council, that's all – but I don't think it's any kind of an accident, Madeki. Sensei saw something in that kid the first moment he met him and he decided then and there that he was going to be the one to shake things up. The kid himself probably had no idea of it, but I'm sure that's how it was. And I can understand it, nonetheless. He's a strange one, that boy. But I don't think that we'll have heard the last of him even when we do leave this place."
"Probably not." Madeki agreed, as they reached the door of the head's study. "Well? Will you knock or shall I, Anideshi-sama?"
Before Yunosuke could respond, the door swung open to reveal first Shunsui and then Ryuu, their expressions both preoccupied and frustrated as they stepped out into the hall. At the sight of their seniors, they paused, Ryuu's brows shooting up as he glanced from one to the other.
"Anideshi. Unohana-senpai." He murmured. "Why are you here?"
"We could ask you the same thing." Yunosuke said frankly. "It's not something you need to concern yourselves about, so run along."
"Are you going to get Juushirou into trouble?" Shunsui hesitated, and Yunosuke eyed him keenly.
"Juushirou?"
"Ukitake." Shunsui responded. "I know you know what happened last night, Senpai – are you going to report him and get him punished? Because…"
"Ukitake disarmed a student not in his wits and prevented a worse situation from occurring." Madeki said softly. "Why would we want him punished for that?"
"Fighting. Breaking curfew. Poking his nose in where it wasn't invited." Shunsui pursed his lips. "Sensei told me that because I helped Shihouin and Unohana-sensei put in a word for me, he's not going to punish me for slipping out of the dorm last night. But Juu went off against Onoe and it was you who broke up the fight, wasn't it? Sensei will want to know about it – you're here to report to him, aren't you, after all?"
"You're a cheeky monkey, Kyouraku, but you have a sharp wit about you when you want." Yunosuke grinned at him. "But it's all right. Ukitake is the least of our concerns. We're not here to get him into any trouble. Now run along, the pair of you. Your year have caused more than enough scandal and uproar at this school so far between you – how about you try toning it down a little before classes begin again?"
He leant across to knock on the still ajar door.
"Leave Senior business to us. It's safer that way."
As Genryuusai called them in, Yunosuke shot the two boys another grin, gesturing to Madeki, and together they entered the office, leaving the first years to their own devices.
"I've been waiting for your full report." At the sight of them Genryuusai smiled, indicating for them to come and stand before the desk. "Thank you for your quick handling of the incident last night, both of you. I realise you came to speak to me last evening, Madeki, but with what was going on in my office I did not have a chance to speak to you at all and the message I received was only a brief account. Now I will hear from the two of you - and in full, if I may. I understand that Onoe Tomoyuki is still in confinement custody – I assume that you've not left him alone there even though the doors are locked and barred?"
"Gujihara is currently watching him, and I'll take over later on." Yunosuke raised his head from his regulation bow of respect. "The knife is locked away in the cupboard in our study, though there's no doubt that it's a Shihouin weapon and the kid himself said he got it from Aitori-sensei's room. He's completely defiant still, Sensei. He hasn't calmed down much at all. I'd say he's no longer hysterical – actually, I'm wondering whether he was hysterical or not in the first place."
Genryuusai's eyes narrowed.
"Has he given a reason for his behaviour?" He asked softly, and Madeki nodded.
"He intended to kill Midori-sama." He said quietly. "His cousin got in the way, so he decided he'd start there instead."
"In revenge for Aitori's death?"
"Yes, sir. That's what it looks like."
"Then it was a Shihouin matter after all?"
"Without a doubt." Yunosuke agreed, and Genryuusai's expression darkened.
"Then there is no alternative. He will be kept where he is until arrangements to send him home can be put into play." He said softly. "I won't keep a secret from the two of you the fact that Midori-dono came here last night to discuss the future of her family and the troubles currently renting the Shihouin apart. Things will begin to happen in the next few days – things which will have a significant impact on a lot of people both here and in District Two. One boy's foolish actions will probably be eclipsed by them – but I will not keep him here. Not if that attitude persists."
He sighed.
"Of course, this is no small matter." He admitted with a sigh. "And I should like to discharge you of your duties with simple thanks, but I'm afraid it can't be done. I have other things to ask you – both of you – and I will trust in the fullness of your response."
"Yes, Sensei?" Madeki looked surprised, and Genryuusai nodded.
"Ukitake Juushirou was involved last night, I believe." He murmured, and Yunosuke nodded his head.
"He disarmed Onoe and had him pinned against a tree when Madeki and I reached them." He agreed. "He freely admitted to using Kidou without permission, and to breaking his curfew. But since he'd just taken the blade from a boy with murder on his mind, I didn't think that you'd want him in confinement as well. Was that a mistaken judgement, Sensei?"
"I want to know why Ukitake acted." Genryuusai admitted. "I could summon and speak to him directly, but if I do so I run the risk of putting ideas into his head about things that don't involve him, and his is a brain that moves quickly. I know he's already formed alliances with people here that he takes quite seriously. Now I need to know, I think, just how seriously. Midori-dono said some things to me last night that made me wonder – I need to know why he intervened in that fight and whether he did so to defend Shihouin pride or to protect his friends."
He raised his gaze to his two senior students.
"I want to know from the two of you, who spoke to him soonest after the event. I need to know his motives in all of this – even if they are not ones I want to hear."
Madeki and Yunosuke exchanged looks for a moment, then,
"He said he acted out of pride, but I don't think it was anything to do with the Shihouin. Onoe was quite vitriolic towards him and Ukitake was clearly angry about things said about his own family's honour." Yunosuke said slowly. "But he wasn't hysterical or acting recklessly. He was quite purposeful and he said that didn't want to let Onoe go because he'd do something he might regret. The position he had the boy in – it was quite clear if he wanted to do damage to Onoe, the kid wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. But he was just holding him so he couldn't move."
He pursed his lips thoughtfully.
"He seemed very worried about the Shihouin kid's injury – and it didn't seem like his anxiety was Clan-loyalty inspired." He added. "It seemed more like the genuine anxiety of a kid worrying about a friend to me. He said that he and Kyouraku had stumbled into the fight – I don't think he was there by design."
"He and Kyouraku came to help Shihouin because he was hurt." Madeki agreed, and Genryuusai sighed, relief evident on his wrinkled features.
"That is what Kyouraku also told me, but that boy does not always tell the whole truth and would protect Ukitake if he thought he needed to." He murmured. "I am glad to hear the same from you. It would be dangerous, after all, if Ukitake had become embroiled in Clan politics and had fought Onoe because he had taken an opposing side without fully understanding the risks involved. I would have to punish him, most probably, in a severe manner to ensure that message was taken in. But if he acted as you say he did – as a peacekeeper – then I can rest a little more easily. It's not my wish to sever his friendships or make him more conscious of the differences between him and them – that would destroy the very idea of bringing him and the others here in the first place. In any case, I will not punish him for last night. He acted on his instincts and I will not condemn him for that. After all, he probably did help prevent things from becoming worse and if I am not willing to punish Kyouraku, I won't punish Ukitake."
He settled himself more comfortably at his desk, then,
"One other matter, before you go."
"Yes, Sensei?" Yunosuke's brows creased in confusion. "Something else from last night?"
"I don't know, yet." Genryuusai shook his head. "I just wanted to know if you knew anything about the whereabouts of Endou Hirata."
"Endou…Hirata?" Madeki's eyes widened, and Yunosuke groaned.
"Another first year?" He murmured. "Sensei, I swear, none of us were ever as much trouble as the kids in this year are. But even Endou, now? That mouse of a kid has broken curfew?"
"If he has, it isn't the first time, but it concerns me a little more since his companions also do not know where he is." Genryuusai said gravely. "Kuchiki Ryuu and Kyouraku Shunsui came to me and spent some time convincing me that it was a serious matter and that something must be done about it. They were speaking in tongues – I'm sure that, as ever, they were only telling me half of the story. But the other half may simply be too dangerous to tell – if what I suspect is the truth…"
He rubbed his temples.
"Kyouraku Tokutarou also spoke to me briefly before leaving." He added softly. "I begin to think that Hirata did not leave here of his own accord. If he broke rules, I don't think they were rules he chose to break."
"Sensei?" Madeki stared, then, "Someone kidnapped the kid? Right here? Under everyone's noses?"
"Or someone from his family came to speak to him." Yunosuke said softly. "And as yet have not brought him back."
"That is my suspicion." Genryuusai agreed. "And if that's the case, there's no crime involved in it. With last night, and Aitori's death, there's every possibility a skittish family like the Endou might come here, given that Hirata is the first of their kinsfolk to be enrolled here. More, the Shihouin-ke are their sworn allies and they might be concerned about retribution. Just because I haven't had a formal notice to the effect does not mean that someone has acted either illegally or unfairly. But still…"
"Do you want us to search for him, Sensei?" Madeki asked quietly, and Genryuusai shook his head.
"No. It's not your business to act in that way, and I won't have a Clan angered if we act without any real cause for acting." He said evenly. "The Endou have every right to visit or even recall Hirata and in the circumstances I can't stand in their way. But I will have one of you take a message for me to the administrative outpost on the outskirts of the local town. I'd like District One's people to keep an eye open for him."
"I'll go." Madeki volunteered. "I'm quicker at shunpo than Yunosuke, and in any case Gujihara will be wondering where he is."
"That's true." Yunosuke agreed. "In truth, I'd rather it was you than me."
He met Genryuusai's gaze, then,
"There is a distant blood kinship between Urahara and Endou and it means my kin prefer to keep out of Endou business unless it's really necessary to act." He said softly. "If it was something directly affecting here, then I'd act – because then I'd be acting as Anideshi and it would be the duty you gave me, Sensei. But in this instance…"
"I am more than happy for Madeki to take the message." Genryuusai assured him. "The Urahara-ke have been understandably quiet on many issues in recent years and probably your caution is not unwise. But even so, Yunosuke, I want you to keep this in mind too. I gave you the title because you of all of the Seniors most deserved it. You will graduate in the spring and you will enter the infant stages of the Gotei squad system. You are strong and already have shikai to a level of good control. That means you will be a ranking member of a squad and it may not be that Third District has a suitably high vacancy for you to fill. You may have to choose, in the end, between your Clan caution and your desire to protect Seireitei. Wherever you are fielded, you'll no doubt be a credit to my teaching. But how far you progress and what you achieve – that's something you need to keep in mind all the more now you're in your final year."
Yunosuke eyed his teacher for a moment, then bowed his head in acknowledgement.
"I understand." He murmured. "And I will give it much more thought. I mean to be useful to you, Sensei. But I must also consider my family's wishes, too. Hopefully I can find an even balance between the two."
"Hopefully so." Genryuusai reached across the desk for a folded sheet of paper, glancing at it then holding it to Madeki.
"As quickly as you can, Madeki. You do not need to report back to me except if they send a return message."
"Yes, Sensei. At once." Madeki nodded, disappearing into shunpo, and Genryuusai offered Yunosuke a smile.
"We've had the conversation before and no doubt will again, but I expect good things from you and I will keep expecting them even after you're out of my training sphere." He said softly. "You are dismissed."
"Anideshi!"
As Yunosuke headed back towards the wing of the building that housed the Seniors' quarters, he was accosted by a student's yell and he stopped, turning to see Juushirou running across the grass towards him. As the student reached him, however, he stumbled, instinctively reaching out for Yunosuke's hakama to prevent his fall as he fought to draw breath into his lungs.
"Woah there. Where's the fire?" Yunosuke gathered his wits hurriedly, grasping the youngster by the shoulders and supporting him as a nasty cough wracked through his thin frame. "Calm down, before you suffocate yourself – what's all the hurry?"
"I'm…sorry." Juushirou gasped, gazing up at his companion as he struggled to calm the spasms in his chest. "I just…didn't want…to miss you…again."
"Well, you haven't. You've got my full attention." Yunosuke frowned. "Is this something to do with last night? Or…?"
"I want…to…please…I need…to speak…to Onoe…kun." Juushirou managed, and Yunosuke sighed, slowly shaking his head.
"Not possible." He said softly. "I'm sorry, kid, but whatever your reason, it's a no go. Onoe's staying in confinement until further notice – and there's no way Sensei would permit me to break that order."
"But…he might…know wh…where…Hirata…"
That was as much as Juushirou could manage, as a second spasm of coughing ran through him, and despite himself Yunosuke was alarmed at the sudden pallor in the boy's sallow cheeks.
"Are you sure you weren't hurt last night?" He murmured, and Juushirou shook his head, swallowing hard before he finally managed to speak.
"Just…because I…ran." He managed, his voice hoarse. "I'll…it's just…my chest…"
He coughed again, closing his eyes briefly, then,
"I need…to find…Hirata."
"Endou Hirata, huh?"
"Y…yes."
"And you think Onoe knows where he is?"
"M…m…maybe."
"Sensei sent Madeki to the District's offices and told them to look for the kid already." Yunosuke made up his mind. "They'll move far faster than you can. I'm going to Onoe now, to keep tabs on him for the rest of the evening. I'll ask him about the Endou kid and if necessary, I'll pass the information to Sensei. That's the best I can do – you need to keep out of it in return."
"But…"
"You're obviously in no fit state to do anything else." Yunosuke grasped his companion firmly, slipping into shunpo before the boy could react and setting down gently outside the door of the first year dormitory. "You belong here and you'd do better staying put for a while. I promise I will ask him. I want you to promise not to break curfew trying to find him on your own in the meantime. Understood?"
Juushirou stared at him for a moment, then he sighed, nodding his head.
"Yes. Th…thank you."
"It's all right." Yunosuke smiled, releasing his grip on the younger student's body. "After last night, you're lucky Sensei's decided not to punish you. Don't you think you should keep your head down a little longer? Else he might change his mind."
"Sensei…said that…?"
"Yes. Madeki and I told him you'd disarmed Onoe and he decided in those circumstances to let it go. He might feel differently if you tried to see the kid again, though – you see that yourself, don't you?"
"Mm. I…I suppose so." Juushirou sighed, and Yunosuke let out an exclamation, only just catching hold of his companion as the boy's legs buckled under him.
"You're not well." He murmured, and Juushirou shook his head.
"Just…coughing…hurts." He responded ruefully. "Running…is…usually…"
Yunosuke eyed him for a moment, then,
"You are the strangest kid I ever met, that's for sure." He said frankly, reaching across to open the dorm door and ushering his young companion carefully inside. "But you can only do so much before you start to destroy yourself. Remember that, okay? It'll be too late one day if you don't."
"Ukitake!"
As they entered, Enishi jumped up off his bed, and at the sight of him, Yunosuke grinned.
"This one belongs to you people, Houjou. See he gets some rest – he's been running around all over the place and it doesn't seem to agree with him." He said off-handedly. "Which one's his bunk? You're not to let him loose from here till he's got some colour back in his cheeks."
"This one." Enishi indicated, and Yunosuke deposited his burden unceremoniously on the blankets, eying him sternly.
"You heard what I told Houjou. Stay here." He said firmly. "Leave Endou to Sensei and leave Onoe to me. Understood?"
"Yes, Senpai." Juushirou's words were hoarse but clear, and Yunosuke nodded.
"Then that's all." He reflected. "I swear, you first years cause more headaches than the rest of the school put together."
"I'll make sure he's all right, Senpai." Enishi assured him, sending Juushirou a concerned look. "Why were you running anyway, you idiot? If you start coughing properly someone will lock you up in the Healing Bay and then what use are you?"
"At least one of you has some sense." Yunosuke sighed. "All right. I'm going to go see to my other duties. At least try not to cause any more problems this evening, please? It would be nice, after all, to have one day where we weren't wondering what one or other of the first year students were involved in!"