Chapter Five: Spider in Shadow

Slipping out of the manor had been harder than he had anticipated.

Seimaru pulled his cloak more tightly around his body, glancing anxiously around him at the deserted, dimly lit back-streets of the small shanty town that had grown up on the outskirts of the manor's land. It was, to all appearances, just a peasant gathering of huts and loosely strung together constructions, and usually far beyond the notice of any of his Clan. But it was in this place that various of the exiled Urahara had been hiding since the cleansing of the Endou-ke's experiments the previous summer. From protecting them in anonymity, Shouichi's decision had made the exiled Urahara suddenly enemies in what had always been their sanctuary, and Seimaru knew that in the last couple of weeks several had fled this place, leaving it mostly a ghost town. Some unlucky ones had been apprehended, dragged to the Main House and interrogated, tortured and finally put to death, their remains burnt and the ashes spread on the wind as nothing more than household waste. Shouichi had, then, been deadly serious about eliminating them - and at the thought, Seimaru's gut clenched with anger and frustration.

These people were smart people. Useful people. People the Endou needed. Yet even so, the old man was oblivious.

Because of Grandmother's death, all of this has begun. Because of her and her stupid ethics, the Clan can no longer reach forward in the way it should and in the way it deserves. Between Misashi-jisama returning to the council and the Urahara being persecuted, we're positively slipping backwards.

"You seem concerned tonight, Seimaru-sama."

He had come silently, revealing no trace of his presence until he had spoken, and Seimaru visibly started, swinging around as he looked for the speaker. A hooded, caped figure swathed in grey and black stood a few feet away, his face more or less obscured by the heavy fabric, and at Seimaru's obvious surprise, he let out a low, amused chuckle, bowing his head.

"My apologies, sir. It seems I interrupted some important thought."

"These days, all I do is think." Seimaru muttered bad-temperedly, gathering his wits as he did so. "You're very brazen, wanting to meet here after all. Or don't you know that three of your kin were taken from this place only yesterday?"

"I know." The figure nodded its head, and though Seimaru could not see the man's cool brownish eyes, he could feel the faint ripple of displeasure in the other's aura nonetheless. "But I am not afraid of your Lord Grandfather's retainers. On the contrary, they are little more than a passing nusiance to me. I have encountered death before, Seimaru-sama. You need not concern yourself on my account."

Seimaru frowned, digesting this. Then,

"Even despite that, you wish to continue our acquaintance?"

"I am your servant, Seimaru-sama. What else would I do but serve you?"

The question was innocently asked, yet Seimaru could not help but think that the words were somehow barbed in a way he could not yet see. He did not query it, however, merely nodding his head. Grasping the other man by the arm, he slipped them both into shunpo, re-materialising in the underground labyrinth of tunnels that had been the Urahara-ke's shelter for many years.

"Then we'll talk here. Away from potential witnesses."

"Here?" His companion pushed back the hood of his cloak, and Seimaru saw the man's features for the first time, taking in the messy tail of muddy brownish hair and the impassive pale brown eyes. "Right beneath your Lord Grandfather's quarters?"

"Yes." Seimaru nodded his head. "For now, it's quite the safest place to be, so long as we're quiet. There is no way in or out of these halls, after all - there is no longer a door and Grandfather went to great trouble to seal up the tunnels leading down to this place when Grandmother made him clear out our research last summer. Nobody has been in here since that time - not even a mouse could slip through the cracks."

"I see." Keitarou brushed his fingers thoughtfully against the dusty wall, then smiled. "But then, how am I to leave this place? If there is no door, Seimaru-sama, surely..."

"There is no need for you to continue concealing such things from me." Seimaru said bad-temperedly. "I am trying to help you, after all, Aizen. You are my ally, and I am protecting you. This place is a safe place - to work and to hide, right beneath the Clan who want to eradicate you. I do not follow Grandfather on this one. On the contrary, I am frustrated and horrified by many of his decisions of late. And I hope you will repay me with the same honesty. You call yourself my servant, but I do not think that to be quite correct."

"No?" Keitarou looked surprised, his expression becoming calculating. "Then how do you see me, Seimaru-sama? I am indebted to you again, for not following your Lord Grandfather's desire to purge my kind from this District. Why would I be anything else?"

"You are an Urahara by blood. You are Clan."

"No. Not now." Keitarou shook his head firmly. "My family were struck off the Urahara records a long time ago. I no longer even carry the name. I have lived under mother's maiden name almost my whole life. I am simply Aizen Keitarou now, Seimaru-sama. An ordinary scientist with nothing but my skill to recommend me. You need not concern yourself about status. I have had none since I was four years old - and I am quite content with things how they are. This way, after all, I can continue Father's work. And also, I can continue to do what is inherent to all Urahara. To gain knowledge. You have given me those opportunities - therefore my loyalty is to you."

Seimaru eyed him long and hard for a moment, taking in the sincerity in the man's expression and yet, somehow, not quite believing it to be entirely true. He shook his head.

"As Clan blood, however, you have reiatsu." He said quietly. "Even I can sense that much. Are you going to tell me that you've no skills that you can use because of that? I am not interested in shunpo or Kidou, but even I can and will use the most basic techniques. You must surely be able to do the same."

"Basic techniques, but without formal training, sir." Keitarou agreed softly. "I have learnt all I've learnt from simply studying and experimenting. So I wouldn't claim to have a pure understanding of any Noble skills."

He offered a slight smile.

"But you are astute in your understanding of my bloodline." He added. "If you are telling me that my entrance to this place is through shunpo, then I will no doubt manage to attain that level of power. Somehow."

"Somehow." Seimaru eyed Keitarou once more, then he sighed.

"We are allies." He said quietly. "Even though things stand in our way. I have the future of my Clan in mind. You want a chance to further the research and explore all kinds of new possibilities. For that reason, we work well together. In that respect, I have trust in your knowledge and your ability. I believe that of all the Urahara, Grandfather will not find you. And for that reason, I trust in you most of all to succeed. The question is whether you're willing to take the risk of acting under his nose in order to obey my commands."

Keitarou was silent for a moment, then he nodded, and Seimaru was faintly chilled by the ice cold glitter in the man's eyes.

"I am not Urahara now." He murmured. "Nor have I any allegiance to that name. But there are others who came here who are now being persecuted simply because of that fact. They are my kin, even if the Urahara-ke are not. And I will not stand for that, Seimaru-sama. My Clan links are gone but I still have my pride. I will do as you ask of me. You are, after all, the only Endou in whom I retain any faith at all."

Seimaru felt relief flicker through him at those words, and he smiled.

"Then we have a deal." He said quietly. "To continue and to progress."

"To progress your position in the Endou-ke, perhaps, most of all." Keitarou nodded. "Your Lord Grandfather cleared out many of our records, but I still have enough notes to begin working on new strains of reidoku at any time. If it is your command, I will make the necessary arrangements right away."

"It is my command." Seimaru's eyes narrowed. "Grandfather is old and he doesn't see the way forward. He was blinded by the old hag who's now died and left us all with heavier burdens to bear than I imagined. To break through all of that..."

He faltered, and Keitarou smiled.

"My, it sounds almost as though you wish harm on your Lord Grandfather." He observed softly, and Seimaru frowned, biting his lip.

There was a long silence, then, at length, he nodded his head.

"Perhaps that is what I wish." He admitted. "In some way, by some means...to finally have control of this Clan and take it forward in the way it needs to go. I could kill Misashi-jisama, but nothing would change and I would be disciplined instead. Plus, that would open up the potential for Hirata to be my heir, and I don't care what Grandfather says. I don't trust that boy nor believe he's as feeble as he's let us all see. The whole thing would be counterproductive and I can't risk that. Still..."

Aizen smiled.

"You should not be so worried, Seimaru-sama." He said matter-of-factly. "I am here to help solve your problems. Put your faith in me...I will make it possible for you to achieve those goals."

"But Grandfather is Gotei - is strong - is not the kind of man I could beat even if I cheated in a fight." Seimaru said flatly. "And if I was to try and poison him, Misashi-jisama would be immediately on my case about it. There'd be no way I could inherit the Endou-ke and be accepted by the Council of Elders in those circumstances. I don't see how you can help me, Aizen. I don't see a way around it. The old man has gone senile - but even senile, he's still more than a match for me."

"Then I will help you become his match." Aizen slipped his fingers into his obi, pulling out a tanto knife and tilting it so that the dim light of the chamber glinted off the blade. "Do you trust me, Seimaru-sama? I have put my trust in you. And I will do all in my power to help you achieve your goals. All I need ask of you is a little time and patience."

His smile widened.

"Exiled or not, after all, a Urahara rarely gives up on a scientific breakthrough." He murmured. "And in this case, our grievances are mutual. Leave it in my hands, Seimaru-sama. I promise, I can bring you what you wish for."

"Term so far seem to have flown by far too quickly, don't you think?"

Thus Shunsui, as he, Juushirou and Hirata made their way through the rambling halls of the old building towards the old chamber that had been their Sakusen classroom for the previous year and a bit. It was the end of the fourth week of term, and little by little the group of students were beginning to adjust to their new lives as second years at Genryuusai's unique Academy.

"In the blink of an eye, we've been back almost a month - how did that happen, do you suppose? At this rate we'll be into the summer before any of us know it - and the summer means exams first and foremost!"

"For someone who doesn't like studying, you seem to be very focused on exam deadlines." Juushirou cast his companion an amused look, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't think it's that surprising, really. We've been back almost a month, sure enough - but it's not like it was last year. Everything was new, then. Now it's not. There's more work involved, and nothing out of the ordinary happening in the local towns or villages to distract us. It's nice, peaceful and normal. I like it. And time flies, they say, when you're having fun."

"You're boring sometimes, you know that?" Shunsui sighed. "No sneaking out of windows or heading down to town after dark...working all the time will make you a dull boy, Juu-kun. Keep an eye on that, all right?"

"I like it peaceful too." Hirata admitted, a faint smile touching his features as he pushed his glasses back on his nose. "I was worried about things at home - but so far as information goes, everything is settled down and stable at the moment. So long as that's the case, it means that there's no problem in District Seven and my family are safe. And right now that matters most to me - it means I can stop worrying and carry on working."

"Misashi-dono appeared at the Council of Elders last week, according to my brother's letter." Shunsui agreed. "I think his appearance was a token gesture, since he didn't put forward any opinions and deferred to Shouichi-sama whenever a point of decision was put to them. But that he was there was something in itself. Almost an Endou-ke show of solidarity - in any case, Tokurarou-nii said he looked well enough. I think it's all right, Hirata. For the time being, your Father is okay."

"Midori-sama sent me a letter saying the same." Hirata nodded. "She even managed to speak to him a little - just basic greetings - and she said his attitude was one of someone who'd come of his own free will - not as a forced puppet acting under Ojiisama's threats. She was quite glad to see it, she told me - if Tokutarou-sama has said the same, I really feel that it's the truth."

"Is that normal, then, for others than the Heads of Clan to go to the Council of Elders?" Juushirou looked surprised. "I thought it was a meeting place for just the eight leaders - was I wrong?"

"No, you're not wrong. Each Clan has one vote." Shunsui shook his head. "If they're very busy, a leader might delegate. Unohana-sensei sends someone else, sometimes, when she's here helping us, for example. The Unohana-ke are entirely without ructions under her leadership, so she has the trust to be able to do that without causing any problems. Equally, sometimes Yama-jii sits in on the Council on behalf of the Yamamoto-ke. Unofficially he's been considered the Head of the Gotei in many quarters for generations, and he has a lot of influence - so it's not the case that each Clan only sends one individual each time there is a meeting. Sometimes two or three representatives can go at any one time. Okaasama has been with Tokutarou-nii and so on. But the important thing is the voting. One Clan, one vote. It doesn't matter how many representatives are present - those are the rules."

"And the Clan leader overrides the vote and has the last say if their subordinates can't agree with each other or with him." Hirata murmured. "So basically, Father going doesn't mean anything politically speaking. He has no rights or anything, even if he's there. But the fact that he is there means that people can't talk about a rift in the Clan quite so freely any more. If he's gone of his own accord and openly proved that the reconciliation is working, then that's a good sign for the Endou-ke and for the Clans outside."

"And for you." Juushirou grinned, and Hirata nodded his head.

"For the time being, Endou-ke are still debarred from District One." He agreed. "But that aside, everything seems to be all right. And even if I can't go home - I guess I'm all right with that fact."

"I wonder where Kai and Ryuu-kun have got to." Shunsui pursed his lips, glancing around him as they reached the door of the classroom. "I would have thought Kuchiki would give the best boring and long explanation of how the Council works for your benefit, Juu - he's missed his opportunity."

"Houjou-kun isn't here either." Hirata frowned. "We were all at breakfast together - what could be keeping them?"

"Enishi-kun had to go and speak to Kazoe-sensei about his Kidou." Juushirou remembered. "He's still having extra classes this year, and Kazoe-sensei told him they were urgent after he almost blew his own ears off trying to fire Byakurai up into the sky above hs head yesterday afternoon. Since Byakurai is a first year spell and Enishi-kun's still having trouble with it, Kazoe-sensei told him to come report to his office first thing to arrange times for extra coaching. If he's late, Genryuusai-sensei will know about it - but I don't know about Ryuu-kun or Kai-kun."

"So long as they haven't been picked up somewhere in the halls by a Senior for fighting." Shunsui rolled his eyes. "Kai acts like it's not his problem any more, but he's still proud enough to get riled if Kuchiki keeps digging at him. It's not as bad as it might've been, last year - but I doubt we're going to make them best friends any time soon."

"Probably not." Hirata looked rueful. "Though even their fighting seems quite nice and normal to me, now. It's all right like that, Kyouraku-kun."

"And to answer your question, looks like they did beat us after all." Juushirou pushed back the door of the classroom, stepping inside and gesturing for his companions to follow. He frowned, realising that the rest of Class Three minus Enishi were gathered around Sora's desk, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Looks like we missed some kind of a party - what's everyone all gathered around about?"

"Juushirou! Shunsui! Hirata-kuun!" Sora appeared from the middle of the gathering at the sound of Juushirou's voice, hurrying across towards them with excitement in her green eyes. "You'll never guess what!"

"Seeing as it's you, probably not." Shunsui grinned at her, holding out his hands to stop her from practically charging on top of them. "Calm down and tell us, all right? If everyone's up and around your desk about it, it's obviously a big deal - and you look happy, so nobody died. Other than that - want to give us a clue?"

"We're going camping!" Sora exclaimed, not noticeably crushed by her classmate's down to earth response. "All of us - and Class Four - for a whole three weeks!"

"Pardon me?" Juushirou frowned. "Camping? Sora, what do you mean? Why would we be..."

"Apparently it's something that happens in the Second Year pretty much as standard." Kai joined them at that moment, offering Sora an amused grin. "Sora's been full of it since we got here - that apparently it's decided for sure each year by Sensei and the staff to see whether or not it's a good idea and whether it's safe to arrange. Everything last year was so chaotic, last year's second years never got a chance to do it. But they've been scouting hereabouts for days to make sure that there's no immediate danger in the vicinity. And there isn't. So the bottom line is, it's a go."

"But camping?" Juushirou looked non-plussed. "I don't understand. Why is this something that second years do? What do you mean, camping? Going out and what, building fires...? Fishing in lakes with sticks? Playing games? Telling stories...?"

"Ukitake, sometimes I wonder about the kind of childhood you had." Ryuu sighed heavily, shaking his head slowly. "I have no idea where you get your strange ideas from about things...sometimes it's beyond me to comprehend."

"My brother and sister used to go camping on the Kira-ke's land with Kira-kun's brother and sister and another local friend." Juushirou pinkened at his classmate's bald observation. "That's the kind of thing they called it, anyway. They'd stay in an old barn and do all that kind of stuff - what other kind of 'camping' is there?"

"Gotei training." Sora said emphatically, and Juushirou's eyes widened.

"Gotei...?"

"Training, huh?" Shunsui let out a low whistle. "And I thought things were quiet around here. My bad. Remind me to shut up next time."

"Noo, you idiot! It's going to be fun!" Sora shook her head impatiently. "Listen. Father's told me about it before, and I wondered if we'd do it, but until I heard Minabe-sensei talking to Kazoe-sensei at breakfast this morning I didn't know for sure. But it looks like it is. We're really going to go."

"Sora, I think you need to explain for Ukitake's benefit just what this camp entails." Kai reflected. "He still looks wholly bewildered - and I can't really blame him."

"It's simple." Sora pouted. "Look, basically, we're all here learning to be Shinigami. Right?"

"Right." Juushirou agreed slowly. "So...?"

"So this is where we get to play at being them for real." Sora grinned. "We'll get to be a 'squad', and we'll have 'assignments'. Kazoe-sensei was talking about setting up a Kidou barrier, so that means they've got a safe location that we can use. We'll all have our asauchi, and we'll all have to work as a team and do all kinds of 'missions' and other exciting stuff. It's going to be brilliant. I can't wait."

"Well, that much is clear at least." Shunsui eyed her affectionately. "You get excited so easily, Sora-chan."

"It does sound like fun, though." Kai put in. "We spend too long inside classrooms as it is, and it'll be nice to do a bit more practical application as opposed to just studying the theory. I'm all in favour of the idea."

He glanced around him.

"Houjou not here yet? He'll love it most of all. He'll get to abandon that huge pile of study notes he has beside his bed for a while."

"He was with Kazoe-sensei." Juushirou shook his head. "So this is...official? We're definitely going to be spending time away from the school and doing all the stuff that Sora says we are?"

"It seems that Shiba has a keen ear for gossip and a poor ability to keep it to herself."

The rumbling tones of their headmaster made them all jump, preventing anyone from answering Juushirou's question, and as the students turned to eye him guiltily, the old man smiled, slowly shaking his head.

"Take your seats, all of you." He continued, gesturing to the desks with a wizened hand. "Since Shiba has obviously gained some insight into our plans, I will tell you a little of what we intend to do. It may mean your Sakusen class runs into your free time a little this morning - you can also thank Shiba for that, since I don't believe in wasting important class time on idle gossip."

"Sorry I'm late, Sensei!" At that moment a breathless Enishi appeared at the door, his cheeks red from exertion, and Genryuusai nodded.

"Be seated, Houjou." He said frankly. "I am about to impart some news which will be of interest to you in particular, I think."

"News, Sensei?" Enishi obediently took his seat, eying the old man in surprise, and Genryuusai smiled.

"From the beginning of next week, you children will have your first taste of active duty." He said quietly, turning towards the board as he did so and reaching for a clean piece of chalk. "Though there is much that can be learnt in the classroom, there is also plenty that can not. You are none of you beginners any more - you are each of a level now where you have some basic training and knowledge and your own particular strengths and weaknesses are starting to show themselves clearly. Therefore as a rule in the second year, it is my intention to give you a chance to utilise those strengths and those weaknesses in conjunction with one another."

He turned to face them, then,

"You will be divided into two squads." He said simply. "Of approximately eight or nine students apiece. Each squad will have an appointed Captain and Vice Captain and thereafter ranked seated officers. The exact details of those squads are not yet ready to give you - but they will have some relationship to your current class rankings. Each squad will be of mixed abilities - you will already have realised that that means you will work with Class Four students in this exercise as well as your fellows in this room."

"Two squads, Sensei?" Sora looked startled. "Does that mean...will there be a competition?"

"Those details can wait until I have a chance to speak to all of you - Class Four as well - and explain things more fairly." Genryuusai shook his head. "For now all you need know is that an area of rural land is being prepared for you some two ri south of the school grounds. Kazoe-sensei is already working on a powerful barrier to prevent any outside interference, and permission has been granted by my Clan to use the land as a training area for a period of approximately three weeks. During this time you will face a different set of challenges than the ones you face here - challenges intended to promote both skills and teamwork. In the Gotei, after all, there are no classrooms and no theoretical exams. If you cannot apply one to the other even at this early stage - you will struggle to make Gotei material in the future."

"Practical skills, huh?" Enishi's eyes lit up. "No books at all?"

"Books will not be forbidden." Genryuusai shook his head. "But this exercise will not have a written examination. You will pass it or fail it based on your performance in various areas. Those criteria are criteria that a squad Captain will look for in a new recruit - and the earlier you understand them, the better."

He looked thoughtful.

"I have good hopes of this year completing the task with a hundred percent pass rate." He mused, brushing his fingers pensively against his long beard. "I am already aware that there is a team spirit in the current second year and I hope to see that built on over the next few weeks."

He turned back to the board.

"I will call a proper meeting to discuss this matter tomorrow." He added. "For now, we will return to Sakusen and the exercise I set you all at the start of the week."

He scribed some characters on the board, then,

"Let us discuss this concept together." He said slowly. "You should all have considered by now the problem set - that you are sent to lead a mission into unknown territory - maybe the Real World. This mission is to rescue innocent untainted souls - Plus souls - and send them to Rukongai using your zanpakutou. Your task should be an easy one, and no Hollows have been reported in the vicinity. However, during that patrol visit, the unexpected happens and you're suddenly accosted by a Hollow."

He tapped his finger against the kanji, then,

"It's a large beast and it's blocking your path, but at present it's not actively attacking anyone. What would be your first impulse, on seeing this creature?"

"You'd destroy it, of course." Kai said frankly. "With your sword."

"Seems like a lot too much effort to me." Shunsui murmured. "Jumping in there like that."

"You would say that." Kai snorted, looking amused. "You never want to do any kind of work."

"It's not that." Shunsui cast him a lazy grin. "Just, it's a bit stupid to run into a fight when you don't know anything about what you're fighting. F'rall you know, this Hollow's stronger than you are. It might destroy you."

"So what would you do about it, Shunsui?" Yamamoto's gaze shifted to his irreverent student, who shrugged.

"Nothing." He said simply.

"What kind of an answer is that?" Naoko stared at him. "How is doing nothing better than fighting the thing? Your way is useless, Kyouraku-kun!"

"But Shunsui is right, Shikibu-san." Juushirou pursed his lips. "That if you don't know what your enemy is capable of, there's a danger in launching in to fight."

"But equally you can't let it roam free." Hirata said softly. "Souls might be in danger that way."

"Then what would you do?" Genryuusai turned his gaze on Hirata, who reddened at the attention, toying with his glasses as he did so.

"I..."

"Speak up, Hirata." Genryuusai said frankly. "Your judgement is as important as your companions...and I'd like to hear it clearly. How would you tackle this problem, if you were leading this patrol?"

Hirata reddened further, but nodded his head.

"I...I'd ascertain, I suppose, what the Hollow's strengths were." He said at length.

"Good." Genryuusai smiled. "And how would you do that?"

"Read its reiatsu?" Sora suggested.

"Certainly, that's a good indication of power level." Genryuusai agreed. "Though you have to be aware that reiatsu alone can be misleading and individual Shinigami have differing levels of ability when it comes to that skill. Misjudgement may prove to be fatal, so it's an action that you'd take after considerable care and attention to those factors."

He glanced round at the rest of the class.

"Anything else you might do to ascertain your enemy before launching into battle?"

"It would probably help to know who this critter was aiming his angst at, too." Shunsui put in casually.

"Explain, please." Genryuusai glanced at him, and Shunsui spread his hands.

"If you're no weaker than your enemy, you can defeat him, probably." He said slowly. "But if the Hollow's not got his eye on you, he might be wanting to attack some other place. Or do something else. And if you don't deal with it right, he could get pretty damn angry at you, and make things worse."

"Then you hunt for the person or creature with the highest spiritual aura, and judge them to be the Hollow's likely target, surely?" Ryuu raised an eyebrow. "Though the answer would probably be yourself, in this instance, wouldn't it? As the Shinigami in charge of the mission."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Shunsui shrugged. "You don't know that for sure."

"It's common sense though, isn't it?" Ryuu argued.

"Hollows follow common sense?" Shunsui demanded.

"Kyouraku and Kuchiki both have excellent points." Genryuusai put in at this juncture. "That the Hollow's objective must also be ascertained, and your understanding of your own spirit power in relation to others must also be clearly evaluated. Kuchiki is potentially correct - that as the Shinigami in charge, that may well be yourself, and you might have no choice but to actively engage it in battle. However, let's view it from another angle."

He drew a circle around his original writing, then scribed the kanji for person three times below it on the board.

"Perhaps, for example, there are three individuals in the area aside from yourself - for argument's sake, we'll say that these are not members of your squad, although it's possible that they might be. If this is the case, you must be able to act in order to preserve their safety as well as your own. You must judge which of them is most at risk."

"The one with the highest reiatsu, surely." Ryuu looked startled, and Genryuusai spread his hands.

"You tell me."

"Well, Hollows feed on reiatsu, and are known to target powerful souls for such sustenance." Ryuu said simply. "In order to best sate its hunger, the chances are that the beast would act to threaten the most powerful individual first - with the others being consolations in comparison. Therefore if you can successfully protect the strongest individual for long enough to dispel the Hollow threat with your sword, nobody would become hurt and you could resolve your initial mission."

"I don't know." Shunsui pursed his lips, looking uncharacteristically thoughtful. "Hollows are souls, right? Souls like us, though they've lost their sanity and reason and they act on instinct. So they hunt for their food, which are other souls with high reiatsu on the whole. Right?"

"In that regard, Kuchiki's argument has good, sound logic behind it." Genryuusai agreed. "Is there something you'd like to add to what he said?"

"As souls, we have other instincts besides the need to eat or sleep." Shunsui said impishly. "What's to say a Hollow doesn't, too?"

"Shunsui!" Sora's eyes widened in disbelief, and Shunsui chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

"No, not that kind of instinct." He said lightly. "What I mean is, even though we have rational thought and can make clear judgements, a Hollow isn't entirely without consciousness. If they had someone or something in life that they were dear to – perhaps something they wanted to hold on to and that they became a Hollow because of in the first instance – that might be their objective. After all, didn't you teach us last year, Sensei, that a lot of spirits become Hollows because of unresolved matters in their real lives? Things they couldn't let go of completely and so couldn't move on?"

"Go on." Genryuusai looked thoughtful. "Expand your point, Kyouraku."

"Well, it's just that they might not be interested in feeding." Shunsui responded. "They may have already sated their appetite before your encounter. Sensei, you did say that the Hollow was blocking your path but not attacking you right away. That would suggest to me that its needs weren't immediate basic hunger instincts. Otherwise why is it just standing there? Unless it's looking for something or someone specific - in which case, you're not what its interested in after all."

He shrugged.

"If some deep-rooted part of them compelled them to hunt down the soul of, say, their mother or their brother…they might not act in the way a Hollow normally should."

"Hollows can't think that way, surely?" Kai looked doubtful, and Shunsui shrugged.

"Hollows are souls. We're souls." He said pragmatically. "And having seen a Hollow up close last summer, I know that there's more in their aura than just hunting instinct. They're tortured souls, and something must've driven them that way. So whatever it is could drive them to do other things, too. I'm just saying. Sometimes it's not easy to know for sure."

"But the Hollow still poses a great danger to the area and even knowing those goals and aims, it's still our duty to remove the threat." Juushirou said quietly. "Even if that does mean taking the Hollow spirit away from its former loved one. Because at the end of the day, even if Hollows are like us in some ways, they're not like us in others. And if we don't act, Shunsui, people die. For the sake of the loved one as much as for the Hollow - to purify the creature is the best thing that we as Shinigami could do. After all, even if you are right and even if that Hollow is looking for an unrequited memory - they themselves would probably not want to descend to those levels and purifying them is a mercy that sets them free, not something cruel. If you misjudged and something bad happened - you might easily wind up making other souls have regrets that lead to them clinging on to their old lives and becoming Hollows, too."

"Good."

Genryuusai stood back, glancing around his class for a moment. "You realise, I hope, that even so early in what is only your second year, you're all starting to think very definitely as Shinigami."

He gestured in Juushirou's direction.

"Ukitake's analysis is sound, at the end of the day." He added. "That the threat must somehow be countered and eliminated before the Hollow can act on its instinct and cause greater harm. Kyouraku's points about the nature of that instinct are points to consider too, though – his assertions are certainly far from incorrect. So long as you don't let that preoccupation with the Hollow's psychological state hamper your actions, Kyouraku, it's not a bad idea to try and analyse how your opponent intends to act."

He smiled at Ryuu.

"Kuchiki, your remark about looking for the strongest reiatsu is also a good suggestion." He continued. "In a situation where you know nothing about the personal circumstances, sometimes you will be called upon to make a split-second decision and it could mean the difference between life or death. In that instance, assuming the Hollow's target is the soul with the greatest reiatsu is a good idea – and, as you correctly surmise, in many cases it will be yourself. In which case, you will be facing a conflict situation."

He spread his hands.

"Reading the Hollow's reiatsu quickly and accurately is the best way of preparing yourself for the combat to come." He concluded. "And then, Shihouin, you would of course use your sword to neutralise the problem properly. Preventing further harm to innocent souls is always a priority."

"It's not always possible to know everything about an enemy before you fight it, is it, sensei?" Sora asked thoughtfully. "Especially if you're thrown into a fight at short notice. What if you make the wrong call, and the Hollow attacks in a way you don't expect? What happens then?"

"There's always a possibility of that happening." Genryuusai said gravely. "And the biggest risk of all is therefore complacency in a battle situation. It's better to go into a fight expecting to be surprised than assuming you know everything you need to know. If you're aware of the shortcomings of your brief, you'll be quicker able to adjust to whatever the circumstances call for. However, if you have a fixed idea, it will be much more difficult to change tactics and there's a greater likelihood that you or your companions might be hurt."

"It's a complicated thing." Mitsuki said sadly. "Remembering all of these things…I think if I saw a Hollow, I'd probably want to run away from it, first and foremost."

"It really is serious, isn't it?" Enishi reflected. "It really is life and death."

"It can be." Genryuusai agreed. "And that is one of the main reasons why we intend to begin this - as Shiba put it - camp project. To give you a chance to rationalise some of the things we as teachers have told you over the course of the last year and a bit."

He set his chalk down, moving away from the board and facing them all thoughtfully.

"I want you to all work hard when this project begins." He said quietly. "You all know, I think, where you are in terms of class ranking, and I've already told you that your squads will be based somewhat around that fact. However, if you have a high or a low class ranking, it does not necessarily mean you will be a good or a bad Shinigami. Wherever you are placed and whatever your assignment - I want you to each work for your own best performance. And that includes taking into account the skills belonging to your fellows in Class Four. They may not rank with you in the top class but they are skilled individuals with talents of their own and in a squad often the team effort is more important than the individual being allowed to shine. Keep that in mind for when tomorrow's meeting occurs - I want to see inter-class harmony as well as inter-squad."

"The lists are on the board!"

It was the following evening, and as the students left the dining hall after their evening meal, Sora let out an exclamation, hurrying over to read the scrawled lists of kanji that had suddenly appeared on the Second Year board during the course of the day. That morning, as Genryuusai had promised, a proper meeting had been held with members from both classes, explaining the plans for the 'camp' project and advising both groups of students that they would be fairly mixed and assigned teams that would be posted later on that day. This had been a cause of both disappointment and anticipation for the youngsters, for they had hoped to know more details there and then, but the previous afternoon one of the members of Class Four had fallen awkwardly in the gym and broken a bone in her lower leg. As a result, Genryuusai had announced that the squad lists would have to be revised - and with the girl in question bemoaning the poor timing of her injury, her name had been removed from the pool of participants.

"It's a shame that Minato-san got hurt yesterday." As they followed the excitable Shiba to the display boards in the big hallway, Juushirou pursed his lips. "I don't know her very well, but I think she's the second ranked student in Class Two, after Iwai-kun. It's sad she won't be able to take part now."

"It is for her." Shunsui nodded his head. "But at least in a way it's one less headache for the staff. There would've been an odd number, otherwise. I thought about volunteering to retire, actually, but now Minato-san is out of the game, I guess there's just sixteen of us going camping after all."

"Minato will have to read books and write something instead." Enishi said forebodingly. "Remind me never to get an injury before a practical activity. I couldn't bear to be cut out of something fun like this when the other option is being buried in study materials again."

"I wonder how these lists are going to shape up, though. Mixing classes as well." Juushirou reflected. "Aside from Ouyoudou, we don't mix a lot, do we? Maybe that's the point. They want us to mix more."

"I dare say that's a big part of it." Ryuu nodded his head. "Well? Are we going to see, then, in which teams we have been assigned?"

He shot Kai a dark look, then,

"So long as I am not with him, I have no particular concern about it...but it would be nice to know."

"No sane teacher would think of making you two work together." Shunsui snorted. "Not even Yama-jii is that radical."

"No kidding." Sora squinted up at the board. "Kuchiki, you and Shihouin are in different squads. Shihouin is in squad one, and Kuchiki is in...hey, wait a damn minute!"

"Sora-chan?" Mitsuki started at her companion's sudden outburst, eying her in concern. "What's wrong? Is there something strange written up there? I can't see past Houjou-kun's shoulder."

"Whoops. Sorry, Edogawa." Enishi shot her a rueful look, taking a step to one side to allow her through. "But it's just a list of names. I don't see why..."

"I do, though." Shunsui's expression darkened, and he shook his head. "I see exactly why she's exclaiming all over the place - damn them. I was afraid something like this might happen - but I was keeping my mouth shut and hoping that it wouldn't."

"Something like...?" Hirata looked confused, squinting up at the board through the lenses of his glasses. "I can't make it out clearly - Sensei's writing is difficult sometimes and the words aren't written that big. Will someone tell me what the problem is? I can just about see the names, but..."

"It's not the names. It's what's written underneath the names, Hirata." Kai pursed his lips, amusement in his golden eyes. "Well, that does make it interesting. In a big way. Don't you think so, Kuchiki?"

"Don't speak to me." Ryuu bristled. "You're not in my squad, therefore I don't have to have anything to do with you at all."

Juushirou stared up at the board, reading the lists carefully one by one. Then he frowned, his brows knitting together.

"Shunsui and I are on separate teams too." He murmured. "But I suppose that can't be helped. It looks like they've split our rankings right down the middle in some respects. Shunsui ranks as top, and I'm second. So it makes sense for us to be on different teams."

"It's more than that, Juu. Look." Shunsui reached up to tap the characters written beneath his name. "Or did you overlook that bit? It's under yours as well, so you should pay better attention."

Juushirou frowned, scanning the indicated characters for a moment. Then his eyes widened, his gaze darting back to his own name.

Sure enough, there they were again.

"Tai...chou?" He whispered, and Kai chuckled, nodding his head.

"That's what it says." He agreed cheerfully. "You two are rank one and two. So you're the Captains. Makes sense to me."

"Well, what does that make rank three and four then, Kai-kun?" Shunsui retorted. "Stop laughing at us for a moment and look at yourselves, will you? You and Ryuu-kun aren't out of it either. Look. You have extra kanji too."

"Fuku-taichou." Ryuu looked pensive. "Well, I have no reason to object at that. I am glad, however, that I am to be Ukitake's Vice Captain. I can't imagine that it would be much fun to be your subordinate, Kyouraku - since you never seem able to organise yourself, let alone anyone else."

"Cruel words." Shunsui pretended to look wounded. "What do you say, Kai? Are you so horrified by that idea that you're struck speechless? Or will we somehow cope?"

Kai was silent for a moment, then he shrugged.

"I don't mind." He said frankly. "I like both of you, and I don't mind being Vice Captain. I'm fourth rank, after all - so if one and two are Captains, three and four should be Vice Captains. We'll be fine, Kyouraku."

"Ukitake and Kuchiki versus Kyouraku and Shihouin." Enishi let out a low whistle. "If it's a competition, look out for fireworks."

"Hey, Juu and I don't compete like that." Shunsui objected. "And competition sounds like work, Houjou - which is against my philosophies for life."

"You have such things?" Ryuu eyed him doubtfully, and Shunsui laughed.

"I'm thinking it's time I did." He agreed casually. "If they're going to do random things like promote me to Captain like this..."

He frowned, gazing up at the board.

"I don't really welcome it." He said, his tones more serious. "But I know that Yama-jii isn't going to let me off the hook, even if I ask him to. Juu will be a much better leader, probably, than me. I may be relying on your help a lot, Kai-kun."

"That's what an adjutant is for." Kai saluted, a playful look in his golden eyes. "What about everyone else, though? It's not just down to me."

"That's true. Where is everyone else placed?" Mitsuki's eyes flicked back towards the list as slowly she read through the squads in full. Juushirou's eyes also drifted back in their direction, digesting the full lists carefully one at a time. They read as follows.

Squad One
Kyouraku Shunsui (Taichou)
Shihouin Kai (Fukutaichou)
Shiba Sora (Third Seat)
Shikibu Naoko (Fourth Seat)
Houjou Enishi (Fifth Seat)
Iwai Kenji (Sixth Seat)
Nakamura Hanako (Seventh Seat)
Atsudane Makoto (Eighth Seat)

Squad Two
Ukitake Juushirou (Taichou)
Kuchiki Ryuu (Fukutaichou)
Endou Hirata (Third Seat)
Edogawa Mitsuki (Fourth Seat)
Kamitani Jun (Fifth Seat)
Saitani Chiyoko (Sixth Seat)
Fujiwara Aki (Seventh Seat)
Kira Hideharu (Eighth Seat)

"Somebody please tell me which squad I'm in?" Hirata asked plaintively, and Juushirou turned, casting him a grin.

"Mine. You're officially Endou-sanseki now." He said playfully. "You're ranked as third seat, Hirata, for Squad Two."

"Really?" Hirata looked surprised, then he grinned. "Then I'm glad. It's not that I don't like Kyouraku-kun - but I hoped I'd be with you, Ukitake-kun."

"I have Enishi...Sora...Naoko-chan." Shunsui squinted at the lists. "And Mitsuki is with you, Juu. Well, that's convenient."

"No, it isn't." Sora cast the pink-cheeked Mitsuki a regretful glance. "Naoko and I are on a different squad from you, Mi-chan. And we have to put up with that whiny Nakamura Hanako that Naoko hates so much...I wish we could swap you over."

"That would be unfair. Squad Two already has fewer from Class One." Ryuu pointed out. "At present, things are even enough. Mitsuki will be fine, Sora. I will see to it myself."

Sora cast Ryuu a doubtful look, but Mitsuki shook her head.

"It's all right, Sora-chan." She said softly. "I'll be fine. Ukitake-kun will be a good Captain, I'm sure - and Ryuu-kun will help me if I need him to."

"As I said, convenient." Shunsui grinned. "But this Squad One and Squad Two business is all kind of impersonal somehow. I don't know. The Gotei use it, I realise - but I don't see why we should."

"Meaning what?" Juushirou cast him a quizzical look, and Shunsui shrugged.

"You and I are the Captains." He said flippantly. "Let's name them ourselves."

"Name them?" Ryuu frowned. "Squads don't need names...they're units, not people."

"I didn't mean like that." Shunsui shook his head. "But just something a little more...relevant."

Juushirou grinned, nodding his head.

"In that case, I've a suggestion." He said frankly. "You're Summer and I'm Winter - right? So what about Katai and Toutai? Summer Squad and Winter Squad? That seems to do it pretty well."

"Katai...and...Toutai." Shunsui pursed his lips, then nodded.

"I like that better." He agreed. "We'll mention it to Yama-jii. Our first job as Captains, Juu - we should be proud."

"Right now we should be clearing the hall, before a Senior comes and scolds us." Ryuu said archly. "We've discovered what we needed to know. Let us not put ourselves in a position where we might be punished and forced to forfeit by being in isolation."

"I'm with Kuchiki." Enishi said fervently. "Come on, people. Let's move before we cause a major jam. Class Four will want to check too, after all, when they realise it's all up here. And this corridor wasn't built for that many students all at once."

"Especially not if they're your size, Enishi-kun." Shunsui laughed. "It can probably take a few Hiratas with room to spare. Bu-u-ut I take the point. Let's get out of here, people."

----------

Author's Note: Anime Zanpakutou Arc

I know I did mention this in the intro, but I thought I'd mention it again where people will probably see it more easily.

My story is probably going to conflict with the new anime arc in some respects, and since all of Meifu to date has been written before this point, I'm not going to make too many attempts to bring what I'm writing into line with this new arc. There may be potential connections where I can see to fit them, but on the whole, I guess if you consider that filler to be canon, my story will be moving into AU. It isn't in the manga, despite Kubo's involvement, so you can also consider it continuing on a manga-canon basis...since that was how I began it in the first instance. I don't personally consider it canon at the present time - though I suspect some elements of it will become canon as time goes on.

When I first found out about the zanpak arc I did consider not continuing with this sequel but with as much as I have already written and so many people supporting me I decided I was gonna keep going and to hell with the new filler xD. I just wanted to clarify this now because I don't want a lot of people writing reviews telling me I'm in conflict with the latest episode of the anime. (Because that kind of stuff is kinda...meh)

So to clarify, Sougyo no Kotowari and Katen Kyoukotsu will be keeping the forms I imagined for them when I began writing the prequel back in November-time. You may consider Sougyo's In'you to have been dragged into human form by the anime plot, if you like...and there's a good possibility that Seibara and Amaki combine into one form when Shunsui summons his blade properly. I don't know, since those things are outside the scope of my story (as will become clear as the plot progresses). Other than that, the similarities end.

T_T I wish this arc had waited another couple of months to air...oh well. That's life.

Thank you for reading;)

~VraieEsprit, 29th July 2009