Chapter Thirty Five: Kibana
"So it's confirmed, then?"
"It is, but keep your voice down. Seimaru-sama will have the throat slit of anyone who leaks his plan before it's time to put it into practice - and you know he'd take the blade through the skin himself without a moment of hesitation."
"I know. I know. All right then. But we're to convene...at what signal?"
"When he returns, he'll make it known. We'll act all at once. There'll be no chance of error then."
The words drifted through the barracks, as the soldiers changed and gathered their weaponry for their next duties, each one clad in the polished colours of the Endou-ke as they prepared to receive their new Lord back to the manor in full state and honour. It had been several centuries since a Lord had last been inaugurated in District Seven, long before the lifetimes of any of the serving retinue, and consequently it had garnered both anticipation and excitement among the men. Yet for some it had garnered more than that, and in the shadows one man paused in the polishing of his sword, his ears pricking up as he tuned into the hushed, hurried conversation.
"Is it really all right, do you think?" The words continued to drift across, as the two men spoke on, oblivious to the fact that a third pair of ears had joined their discussion.
"It's the orders of the Clan Leader. As soldiers, that's as far as it goes. If he orders it, it's all right. And we do it. Understood?"
"Even with Misashi-sama?"
"Seimaru-sama is the one in command now. That's all we have to be aware of. No matter what the consequences."
With that the two men moved out of earshot, and the listener frowned, his lips thinning as he laid his silver blade down on the wooden slatted shelf. For a moment he contemplated what he had heard, piecing it carefully together in his mind. Then he grabbed up his weapon, returning it to its place at his belt as he made his decision.
Misashi-sama instructed me to fall in with the retainers of the Clan and act as they act, in order that it didn't look like his interests and men conflicted with Seimaru-sama's own. Seimaru-sama ordered it, after all - that all serving men of Misashi-sama's estate become men of arms under his control, and Misashi-sama agreed it. So as not to cause civil unrest, he said. So as not to disturb the peace of the District and the Clan.
His eyes narrowed.
But what he really meant was to keep my eyes and ears open and see what could be learnt. This is one of those things and I must not waste time. The sun is already low in the sky, and Seimaru-sama's carriage will return from Inner Seireitei probably within the hour. Even if I am called to order for deserting my duty and my rank here, my overriding loyalty is still to Misashi-sama. Even if the crest I wear shows loyalty to Seimaru's accession...even then.
"Where are you going, Kibana?"
As he crossed the chamber, a sharp voice halted him in his tracks and he turned, inwardly berating his bad luck as he recognised one of the Seventh District squad shinigami, his broad frame blocking the light from the window as he glared at the soldier suspiciously.
"Well? Speak." He barked out. "Unless you have received other direct orders, you are meant to remain here until Seimaru-sama's return. You will be given your further orders then - or do you seek to be in defiance of your duty?"
"On the contrary, I seek to do my duty." Kibana said blackly, his hand closing around his sword hilt. "And I don't take orders from low rank shinigami. I take them from the heads of the Endou-ke - of whom I don't see a single member present at the current time!"
"Your orders were..." The shinigami began, but Kibana drew his weapon from its sheath, lunging forward and swinging the glittering silver blade in a sweeping motion towards the man's wide torso. He was big, but it was excess weight rather than muscle that gave him his extra size, and Kibana knew that even though he ranked as a member of Seventh District squad, as a swordsman he would likely be far slower on his feet than the quick, opportunistic man from District Eight.
The shinigami cursed, pulling his own weapon and, clashing against Kibana's, the ring of the colliding metal resounded around the empty chamber.
"You are insubordinate!" He exclaimed. "I act on Seimaru-sama's orders - you are sworn to do the same!"
"Only if he has given me those orders himself." Kibana said darkly, bringing his blade back and shifting his weight from left to right foot as he attempted to blind-side his opponent and make him lose his own balance. "And he has not."
"You are sworn to obey as a member of District Seven!"
"I was born in District Eight." Kibana hissed, lunging at the man once more and this time breaching through his defences, sweeping the tip of his weapon across the heavy-set shinigami's throat. He had not intended to use such force, but desperation had made him rash and, as the enemy stumbled, Kibana realised that the sharp edge of his weapon had slashed open the shinigami's windpipe, severing through nerves and vessels and sending a spray of crimson blood spurting from the deep wound. As the dying man clutched at his throat, he moved his lips, but only the gargling sound of a choking death rattle broke the silence of the barracks, and Kibana cursed, springing back from his victim as he gazed at him in alarm and horror.
And Misashi-sama told me to keep a low profile. What would he think, then, if he saw me now?
He glanced around him anxiously, but there was nobody else in the barracks, the other soldiers having already left to their relative duty posts, and he murmured a soft prayer of thanks to whatever deity watched over shinigami killers, wiping the blood from his weapon on the fallen man's trailing obi and sliding the blade back into his scabbard.
Too easy. My skills haven't rusted - but my wits obviously have.
He glanced down at himself grimly.
There's blood on my clothing, and if anyone tries to stop me now, it will bring dishonour down on my Lord Misashi. But I must speak to him nonetheless. I have no choice, now...what I overheard must be conveyed to him, before I am arraigned and tried for a man's murder.
To think was to act, and he darted across the blood-soaked wooden floor, pulling himself up onto the window ledge and out into the grounds beyond. He was swift on his feet and used to taking the hidden tracks and paths between different parts of the Endou's rambling main estate, so within a few moments he had reached the outer wall of the manor itself, pausing to gaze up at the windows above.
Misashi-sama should be in his quarters now. His study, most probably. He must be there...if he's not, then I...I have no hope of finding him.
"Kibana-dono."
As he slipped in through a side entrance, a servant's voice startled him and he turned, registering the surprise in her eyes as she took in his dishevilled, blood spattered appearance. She opened her mouth to scream, and without thinking Kibana darted forward, grabbing the girl's body and putting a firm hand over her mouth.
"I'm sorry, but you must not scream. Lives depend on it, and more than just mine." He murmured. "I will not hurt you - just please, do not scream."
The girl stared at him in fright, but she stopped struggling, and Kibana gently released his hand.
"There was a fight in the barracks. Go to find help." He said softly. "The situation is serious and Seimaru-sama must not be inconvenienced by minor infighting among his men when he returns from the Council. In his absence, I must go and make report of the incident to my Lord Misashi - will you go and convey my message to the Shinigami Lieutenant? Tell him that a man of his is bleeding in the soldier's outhouse."
"Yes, Kibana-dono. At once." The girl still looked unsettled, but she nodded, bowing her head. "I will go at once."
Kibana nodded his head, offering her a rueful grin as he released his grip on her.
"I'm sorry. I've behaved badly towards you." He said apologetically. "But there is so much tension at the moment - and if Seimaru-sama should see...what ugly things his men do in his absence..."
He trailed off, and he saw the girl put a hand fleetingly to her throat. Slowly she nodded once more.
"I understand, sir." She whispered. "Seimaru-sama should not be inconvenienced. I will go now."
So he's hurt you too, then, at some point.
Kibana's eyes narrowed as he watched the young woman hurry through the halls of the house.
His despicable behaviour towards female members of household staff continues even now he is Leader of the Clan? What kind of a future District Seven might see now...is anyone's guess.
He turned on his heel, heading up the servant's stairs towards the upper landing which housed the studies of District Seven's most important members.
At least there should be none here today but Misashi-sama. And even if my appearance shocks him...he should at least hear me out before he casts me from his service.
He knocked gently on the door of his master's study, then slid back the door, stepping inside and closing the divide behind him.
At his entrance Misashi let out an exclamation, getting to his feet, and Kibana bowed his head, apology in his eyes.
"I've let you down, my Lord. I've acted rashly and I'm sorry." He said softly. "In my urgency to bring to you some information I...crossed a line and...caused an incident to occur."
"An incident?" Misashi looked apprehensive. "Of what nature, an incident? There's blood on your uniform, Kibana - with whom did you pick a fight?"
"One of the shinigami left to watch over us." Kibana said gravely. "There were no witnesses to our fight, and I was victorious. He will not place me at the scene, but even so..."
He glanced down at himself, then,
"If you choose to discard me from your service, I will leave at once." He added. "I simply came to tell you what I overheard in the barracks."
"You are my servant, bloodstained or not." Misashi shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. "But this is troubling, Kibana. You killed him, then? One of the shinigami Seimaru inherited from my Father?"
"Yes, sir." Kibana agreed. "It wasn't deliberate, but...in my urgency to get away..."
"Your skills are sharper than you give yourself credit for, and not all of those Father called Shinigami are actually proficient with any kind of blade." Misashi rubbed his temples. "Two or three of them are simply distant kinsfolk whose families pestered Father for favour...some of them barely know how to hold an asauchi even now. If they were faced with you - a soldier with more than the training I was denied - I can imagine it wasn't much of a match. But you say you weren't seen...?"
"No, sir. Everyone else had left the barracks before me."
"Then you must burn those clothes before anyone suspects you." Misashi said firmly.
"You aren't discarding me?" Kibana was startled, and Misashi shook his head.
"I don't discard those who are loyal, since there are few enough of them to be found." He said grimly. "Besides, you acted in order to bring me information. I am not my nephew in this regard. I don't burn the hand that reaches out to help me. Tell me what you learnt, Kibana. Tell me now and then we will see how we can move to cover this business up before Seimaru's return."
"I sent a maid to report a fight in the barracks." Kibana responded. "I did not tell her I was involved, only that there had been trouble and a man was down."
"She knows you by name?"
"Yes, sir. But...I don't think she will incriminate me." Kibana pursed his lips, then, "I think...Seimaru-sama may have hurt her, too, in recent weeks. I think...she will be too afraid to say more than what I told her, just in case it brings his attention once more her way."
"Perhaps, but just as easily she could be coerced into telling him whatever he wanted to know." Misashi looked grave. "We have little time indeed to talk."
"Some of the men in the barracks were discussing a secret deployment this evening, and they mentioned both Seimaru-sama and yourself by name." Kibana said quietly, bowing his head once more. "From the little I heard...it sounded...as though Seimaru-sama plans to move against you on his return. And that he intends to take you by surprise...so as you don't have time to make preparations or escape his grasp."
Misashi's eyes hardened, and for a moment he did not reply. Then he nodded.
"I have waited for it." He admitted. "And I am glad you brought me warning, scant as it is. When you have changed your clothes, Kibana, I want you to convey the message to my lady wife and tell her that, whatever happens, she is not to try and appeal Seimaru's decisions. I don't believe he will kill me - not right away - and I'd rather it not be seen as though my family are rebelling."
"You...don't intend to leave, sir?" Kibana's eyes became wide, and Misashi shook his head.
"So long as I live, I also stand between him and Hirata's claim to the family." He said softly. "My death would bring my son back to District Seven. I'm sure of that. He has allies enough outside - he only keeps away because he fears for the safety of his kin. Seimaru also knows this - he is not a fool, even if he is greedy and ambitious. Father never believed Hirata had strength. But Seimaru...Seimaru knows he does. That's why he bullied the boy for so many years. He knows that, potentially, Hirata is stronger than he is. So he forced the child to grow up in fear and shadow...in case the day came when he grew to challenge for the leadership of the Endou-ke."
Realisation struck through Kibana's mind at this.
"You've let him be exiled so as to keep him away from that, haven't you, sir?" He asked softly, and Misashi smiled.
"I will sacrifice even my life for the well-being of my family and the good of this Clan." He murmured. "I've long expected that the day will come when I have to. So I didn't pin my hopes on myself. Instead, I pinned them on Hirata. And I sent him to the one place he might learn the skills he needs. Yes, Kibana. So I intend to do nothing about Seimaru's scheme. If he wants to confine me, so be it. I will not fight him. Let him believe he has control."
"And...Sumire-sama? I should tell this to her?"
"To her, and if you can, convey it to my daughter as well." Misashi nodded. "That they are not to struggle against Seimaru's actions. But Kibana..."
He paused, then,
"Once I am taken from the equation, there will be nobody to protect them." he murmured. "If there is therefore an opportunity, I want you to act on my behalf. I want you to take them from here and take them to your homeland. I believe...they would find mercy there. I believe...the Kyouraku would not turn them away, and since you were born there, it is easier for you to cross the divide than any of Seimaru's men. You still carry the crest of the Kyouraku-ke?"
"Yes, sir." Kibana confirmed. "Since my time as a retainer of Kyouraku-sama's late uncle, I have done so."
"Then make sure you keep it safe. That may yet be of use yet again."
Misashi chewed down on his lip, distress in his pale eyes.
"I realise that means putting my family above your own, and I'm sorry. But I need your help in a time when there is nobody else to ask – and perhaps, given the immediate circumstances, if you were to not be seen near the place where a man was struck down..."
"I will act, Misashi-sama." Kibana assured him gravely. "If I can, I will take Sumire-sama and Eiraki-hime and convey them over the border. My family are not molested in District Seven. My wife is used to my long absences in your service and my daughter is married now with a household of her own to concern her. They have no spiritual power, and will not become targets. I have no fear for them - my wife has learnt well that being the wife of your servant requires her to be discreet and well-concealed and so the connection between us is, in public circles, an invisible one. If I felt her in danger, I would urge her to leave with me - but I don't suppose she'd leave my daughter so easily, and she in turn would not leave her husband. So I will act alone...and...pray in my absence they will remain safe. My wife is clever. I imagine no ill will befall her."
"Then I am glad." Misashi sighed heavily. "I can't offer them my protection, or I would. But I hope...in the long run..."
"The protection for all people in this District is a bigger goal. My wife would want me to act in that regard." Kibana said firmly.
"Yes. Given that she's your wife, I imagine she would."
Misashi smiled sadly, resting his hand gently on the soldier's shoulder.
"You have served me faithfully in all ways for a long time, and I trust you more than anyone else who works for me." He said quietly. "My arrest will probably detract attention from the murder this afternoon, since fights among soldiers are not uncommon and you said there were no witnesses to your act. So I want you to change your uniform, convey my message, and then be where you are appointed to be for Seimaru's arrival back home. Do not try and act in my name any further beyond this point except...if you have the chance to take my wife and daughter far from here."
Kibana was silent for a moment. Then, at length, he bowed his head, regret and resignation in his expression.
"Yes, Misashi-sama." He murmured. "I understand and will obey."
"Two more weeks left, if that, before the end of the term."
Shunsui stretched out on his bed with a sigh, pushing his Kidou notes aside and resting his chin in his hands as he glanced across the dormitory to where his friend was carefully and copiously checking his revision notes against the text entries. "Tomorrow is our first exam, Juu-kun – and then the holiday will be upon us."
"You always think of holidays before you think of anything." Juushirou glanced up, offering his companion a wry smile. "Exams first, free time later. That's how it works – even for Clan."
"Mm. I know. I've done more revision this time than I think I ever have before." Shunsui admitted. "But even so…everything seems a little surreal. Doesn't it seem that way to you, too? This time last year we had nothing to concern us but exams…but now…"
"You mean Hirata?" Juushirou's expression clouded and he nodded his head. "I know. Although so far everything's been quiet – this year in some ways has been harder on him so far than last. He's come on a lot, Shunsui – last year he wouldn't have been able to handle this quite so well. But even so…"
"I had a letter from Nii-sama yesterday, to confirm that the sheath for Sougyo no Kotowari is ready and so we'll present it to you when we travel to District Eight in a fortnight." Shunsui kicked his legs idly against the wall. "I thought it a little odd that he'd bothered to tell me something so mundane – till I read the rest of his letter and realised he'd just started with the easy stuff."
"Meaning?" Juushirou arched an eyebrow, and Shunsui's eyes darkened.
"Since Seimaru became a member of the Council of Elders and officially sworn in as the recognised Gotei leader in District Seven, there's been absolutely no sign of Misashi-dono anywhere around." He said quietly. "It's impossible to know why – no news is good news and I doubt Seimaru's going to take his Uncle to Council like Shouichi-sama did anyway. But…even so…it's a little concerning. Nobody's reported any rumour of him being killed or anything like that but…nobody has seen him, either."
"But he's in District Seven. Why would anyone from your brother's retinue see him anyway?" Juushirou was confused, and Shunsui nodded.
"True. But the border patrols receive tidbits of information and in recent months Misashi-dono had been inspecting land and troops not far from the divide in person. The inspections have continued, but they're now led by someone else."
"I see." Juushirou's eyes became shadowed. "Have you mentioned this to Hirata?"
"An unsubstantiated rumour? Of course not." Shunsui shook his head. "I'm not going to scare him unless I have real proof of it. But Juu…we both know what Seimaru's capable of."
"No news is good news, even so." Juushirou pursed his lips. "I'm not sure, Shunsui. Hirata wrote to Midori-sama when he heard of his Grandfather's death. I can't tell you what he said, but I know she replied and that whatever it was had had a successful result. I don't think…Seimaru would be taking a big risk, killing Misashi-sama. After all…"
"There's still a letter somewhere about that proves complicity in the chemical scandal." Shunsui fixed Juushirou with a quizzical look, and Juushirou frowned.
"Yes. There is." He agreed levelly. "Though it's no business of ours."
"I think it's your business and has been for a while, to be honest." Shunsui sighed. "Since you were the one who told Seimaru it existed in the first place. Juu, I don't want you to get wound up in this whole thing again. Even if you are worried about Hirata or his family or…if you know where the letter is now, then please, tell whoever has it to move it somewhere and not tell you the new location. Things might be getting serious – and I don't think Seimaru easily forgets those he's crossed paths with."
Juushirou was silent for a moment, then he shook his head.
"I can't do that." He said regretfully. "It's impossible."
"Why would it be?" Shunsui demanded. "Juu, seriously, this letter is dangerous, and if someone else got it…"
"Nobody will." Juushirou shook his head. "Not now, not ever. Not unless Hirata wants them to have it. But I can't tell anyone to move it, because there isn't anyone to tell. It's not like that."
"Midori-sama didn't take it back to District Two with her, after all?" Shunsui looked suspicious. "No. I'm sure she didn't. I'm sure that she wouldn't have acted as though she had it if she truly did. That was covering Hirata, wasn't it? Or…"
As a cold chill touched his heart.
"Or it was protecting you."
"The letter is safe, Shunsui." Juushirou turned his attention back to his notes. "And we have exams to study for. Besides, Seimaru has what he wanted, now. He's head of his Clan and accepted as a Gotei Shinigami. As you said, Misashi-sama's disappearing is only a rumour. It might simply be he's keeping his head down and himself out of the public eye because of all the changes."
Shunsui let out a heavy sigh.
"Juushirou." He said warningly, and Juushirou gazed at him defiantly.
"What?"
"You have that letter, don't you."
"If I did, telling you about it would probably be breaking a promise of secrecy and potentially putting you in danger." Juushirou said calmly. "Wouldn't it?"
"In other words, yes you do."
"In other words, I can't answer you."
"But if you didn't, you would tell me straight. You don't lie well, so avoiding the issue is as good as admitting it." Shunsui buried his head in his hands. "I should've realised that before. That if Hirata would trust that to anyone else…it wouldn't be to Midori-sama but to you."
"Shunsui, Hirata's my friend and I'm concerned for him and for his family, too." Juushirou said seriously. "But I'm not planning on doing anything rash. I can't tell you what you want to know, so stop asking me about it. And even if I did know the answer to your question, it doesn't mean I intend to take action. I'm coming to your brother's wedding because going home might put my family in danger as well as throw me into Seimaru's direct path. That would be foolish and I'm trying not to do foolish things like that. Tokutarou-sama and Kyouki-sama both warned me already that the Endou-ke are dangerous and even more so now Seimaru's in command."
He let out a rueful laugh.
"And even if I have released my sword, and do cling to it over-protectively at times, I haven't learnt to use it to a level strong enough to fight Seimaru or anyone else in Gotei colours. It would be suicide and that…wouldn't help anyone at all. Would it?"
"I suppose not." Despite himself, Shunsui smiled with relief, nodding his head. "All right, then. If you can see it that way, then I guess I won't ask any more. You're neutral territory – if you did have the letter, it would mean that even if Seimaru tried to grab Hirata, the evidence would still be out of his immediate reach. It does make sense…so long as you're not going to do anything silly, I suppose…it's probably the best thing he could've done."
"You should have faith in me." Juushirou scolded. "Last year I jumped into Clan business without knowing what was what. This year I know a little more. I would never abandon my friends – any of them, no matter what trouble they were in. But this isn't one of those situations and it may never be. Hirata's family are District Seven's concern. There's nothing a District Six boy like me can do there, so I've no intention of going."
He tilted his head on one side.
"Can we get back to revising now? You may remember everything just by looking at it once, but my brain doesn't quite work like that."
"Fine." Shunsui shrugged, reaching for his book once more. "But you always pip me in Kidou ranking, so if you expect me to believe that last bit of self-effacing nonsense, you need to think again."
"I like Kidou." Juushirou shrugged, offering his companion a grin. "And I'm good at it, so that helps. But with all my sword training, there are still a few rules I missed the classes on. And I'd like to make sure they're firmly lodged in my mind before we sit tomorrow's theory test. If I'm not seeing my family this break, I at least want to write home and tell them my ranking hasn't dropped any."
"They were okay, then, when you told them about the wedding?" Shunsui questioned. "Nii-sama said he was going to write to them too, but…"
"A little overwhelmed at receiving a direct communication from the Head of a foreign Clan, but otherwise, yes." Juushirou grinned. "I think maybe the kids took it a bit harder – since it's my birthday and I've never been away from them for that before. But Okaasama told me that I should go and have a good time with your family. She said it was an honour for me to be so personally invited – so I think she was a little bit proud as well. Something to talk to the neighbours about – if you catch my drift."
"Ah, yes." Shunsui chuckled. "So you didn't mention the potential risk to your life if you happened to cross District Seven?"
"No, but she's not oblivious. She knows what happened with Seimaru last year, and she was very careful about sending me back with the cover of the Kira-ke name last spring." Juushirou responded. "Probably, deep down, she's relieved that it's this way. And…"
He frowned.
"I miss them." He said honestly. "But also, with Sougyo so newly summoned, I'd worry that it would attract Hollows to attack the family. The stronger I get, the more of a risk that becomes, I suppose. Till I can suppress and control my reiatsu and reiryoku perfectly, the less time I spend actively with my family the better. At least…once I can protect them, it will be different. But Sougyo and I…have to learn more first. Sensei said it would take at least another year of special training to be fully aware of the basics of my shikai possibilities – probably longer to master the sword completely at that level. So…in some ways…it's for the best this way."
"Another year to be aware and then more time to master it." Shunsui looked thoughtful. "Then he thinks your sword has a lot of possibilities, doesn't he?"
"I think so." Juushirou agreed. "I may learn to use my weapon a little more by the end of the second year but…it's still a long way from being a proper shinigami zanpakutou yet. And because it releases so much power, even though my body is more stable now, he wants me to take it carefully."
He looked rueful.
"Now that Nagoya-senpai has graduated and joined his squad, I won't have such a strict shishou to help me." He said, a little regretful. "He was hard on me, but it helped. I think I'll miss that, next year."
"Well, I don't miss him." Shunsui said frankly. "But I'm glad at least he had a purpose here this year. He helped you and I'm happy he did – but even happier he's now gone to join Guren-sama and we don't have to watch him flounce around campus any longer."
He eyed Juushirou playfully for a moment.
"I know you had a taste of Clan in Inner Seireitei, but I hope you're coming to District Eight ready to dance." He said innocently. "After all, Mitsuki-chan will be coming to the wedding too…you wouldn't want to miss your chance, now would you?"
Juushirou stared, his cheeks reddening at the question, and Shunsui laughed.
"Well, it's a wedding. Of course there'll be dancing." He said benignly. "What else did you expect? And since the Kuchiki are happier to have their young ones come to represent their Clan at a major social gathering than to see them risk travelling through Endou land, I thought it might be an opportunity for you to spend a little time together."
"You are kidding." Juushirou recovered himself, shaking his head emphatically. "I have never danced in my life and I don't imagine I'm going to begin now."
"She'll be disappointed, then." Shunsui tut-tutted under his breath. "That's shameful, Juu. I imagine she'll be looking very pretty, too…well, she's already very pretty, but you know, the Kuchiki are a particularly elegant Clan. And well, the Kyouraku are known for their skill at social gatherings. There will be dancing. You don't want to consign her to being a wallflower – or worse, to see her dance with someone else, I suppose?"
Juushirou grimaced.
"She can dance with who she likes. That's preferable than what would happen if she tried to dance with me." He said firmly. "It's not going to work, Shunsui. I'm not going to get all jealous and fired up and declare my intention to learn a few shuffled steps just to amuse you. I don't dance. I don't intend to start dancing. And Mitsuki will just have to amuse herself. As it is, if I did dance with her, it would only leave the way open for gossip anyhow."
"You are a spoilsport." Shunsui sighed. "Oh well. It was worth a try."
He grinned.
"Other than Ryuu-kun, I don't suppose she'd accept a dance from anyone else, anyhow." He added. "She's quite set on you, whether you'll take her on or not."
"Mm." Juushirou frowned, and Shunsui eyed him pensively.
"Yes, you know that, yet you're still not willing to make an effort. Shameful, Juu-kun. I thought you were a gentleman."
Juushirou was silent for a moment, then,
"Girls aren't won or lost over something as simple and superficial as a dance." He said quietly. "I'm not trying to 'secure' Mitsuki or anything like that – it's too complicated for both of us to even think of. But if that wasn't the case…even then…I would say the same. I don't need to dance with her or pretend to be something I'm not to impress her. Mitsuki is Mitsuki. I'm me. That's all and it's enough like that."
"Aw. You're a romantic after all." Shunsui grinned, and Juushirou looked sheepish.
"I don't know. Maybe." He said cautiously. "But I don't want you to embarrass me when I'm in District Eight by making suggestive remarks. It would cause trouble for Mitsuki and for my family, if you did. And I do care about her – and about them. So I'm not overstepping any line. Not here. Not there. Not anywhere. After all – I already need to keep a low profile, invading this high class event."
"Nobody will treat you badly at home. Nii-sama likes you, Mother would like to meet you properly since the last time she did, I was half dead with fever – and it's known that you're my particular friend." Shunsui pulled himself into a sitting position. "Any member of house staff who dared treat you disrespectfully would lose their job – any Clansman or woman who did would risk making Nii-sama cross and might end up finding themselves debarred from the wedding."
"Which would not do my relationship with them any good." Juushirou grimaced. "But it's all right. I'm coming because it's convenient and because you want me to – and to be honest, because I'm curious to see your home. I don't intend on making a bigger scene than that – I'll just blend into the background and with any luck any high ranking Clansfolk won't even notice that I'm there!"
It was almost a whole week now since he had faced the Council of Elders in Inner Seireitei, and still Keitarou had not returned from his trip to the north.
Seimaru stood by the window of his study, frustration and impatience in his gaze as he wondered – not for the first time – what had become of his intelligent yet unreadable ally. It was not that he did not trust the man – or at least, he trusted him as much as he could trust anyone who currently surrounded him – yet this extended delay vexed him more than he would like to admit. He was safe in his position so long as Keitarou was in the shadows, repaying his patience and his ambition with loyalty and cunning unique to the Urahara-ke. Yet it troubled him that he had heard nothing – and he had begun to wonder if, by some evil fluke, his servant had fallen foul of retainers still with Shouichi's persecution order uppermost in their minds.
But it was not as though it was a question he could ask. The Endou did not have official relations of any kind with the exiled Urahara, and he could not be seen to be too interested in what was now believed to be an eradicated Clan. In fact, he reflected darkly, he had lied through his teeth before Guren and the other nobles, telling them that his grandfather's final deed for his Clan had been to track down and eliminate the remaining Urahara exiles. He had presented the Council hearing with Daisuke's bloodstained family crest, taken from beneath his clothing when the man had been stripped for torture, and Nagesu had grimly identified its markings as being from one of the most senior disgraced lines. The wretch had been close blood kin to Nagesu – the fair haired man had not confirmed their authenticity with any triumph or pleasure in his reserved gaze. But his word and the bloody relic of Daisuke's dead father had been enough to reassure the Council that the immediate threat of the Urahara was at an end – or at least, to take the pressure off his District for some time to come.
All had gone smoothly. All had gone exactly as he had planned it, and exactly as Keitarou had told him.
Everything, that was, except this.
Keitarou had been meant to return the day following his inauguration. And instead here he, Seimaru was, two days after he had first been presented with the white haori of the Gotei shinigami, still wondering about the elusive man's whereabouts.
Had he even reached Riku's location? Had they spoken? Had he simply disappeared now that he had succeeded in making Seimaru head of the Clan, fearful that perhaps the grandson would betray him in the same way the grandfather had? But Seimaru was not Shouichi. Seimaru understood that he needed Keitarou – at least, he needed the opportunities a man like Keitarou offered him. For, in their last conversation before the Urahara had left on his errand northwards, he had hinted at something that had filled Seimaru's ambitious young heart with excitement.
Reidoku, once rendered safe, could enhance his spiritual potential.
Reidoku, once the work was fully completed…could gift him Bankai.
Seimaru knew that only a handful of shinigami had ever mastered this exhalted level of zanpakutou power. Not even his Grandfather, with all his shikai ruthlessness had managed to make that jump. Yet Keitarou had dangled the opportunity and Seimaru could not help but feel excited. That he would be the first Endou to bring his power to such a peak – and that when he had, nobody would dare oppose him ever again.
"Seimaru-sama?"
The door opened at that moment, revealing the sentry on duty who bowed his head respectfully as he waited for his master to respond. There was an element of fear in the man's politeness, and Seimaru already found that he liked it – knowing he held these people's lives entirely in his hands now, and that, since the imprisonment of Misashi some days earlier, he now had no disapproving shadow glaring over his shoulder, acting as a silent inhibitor to all he wanted to do.
The estate had felt it too – the shockwaves of Misashi's sudden arrest. Nobody had contested it – not Sumire and, a faint smile touched Seimaru's lips, not Eiraki either. And though the hated Uncle still lived, Seimaru had comforted himself with the fact this was only a temporary state of affairs.
Just until he reached a level whereby nobody could question him.
Just until he could kill Hirata, Misashi could live.
But of course, killing Hirata was also tricky.
He sighed.
Hirata was in District One, and more, in possession of proof that could yet cause him trouble before the Council of Elders. Seimaru was not sure whether it was Midori or Hirata himself who held the letter, but he strongly suspected it was Hirata. Otherwise, perhaps, Midori would have taken it and acted on it for her own ends – but although Seimaru was sure it still existed, the Shihouin princess had not yet produced it before the Council. She had not approved of his inauguration, but nor had she stood out against it. And, had she had the evidence, Seimaru felt sure she would have done so without hesitation.
Yet she had not. So the evidence was elsewhere. And that elsewhere meant, most likely, the Academy – in the hands of the hated Hirata.
"What is it?" He asked the man-servant now. "Tell me quickly – I don't have time to waste on allowing you idleness."
"Yes, sir." The sentry bowed again. "There is a man to see you, sir. A kinsman, sir, of your honoured mother, Lady Riku. He has travelled far, my Lord, in hopes to speak to you in person. He seeks an audience…and claims you called him to the main estate."
"A…kinsman of my mother?" Seimaru started, then, "What name does he give?"
"Minazake Roukei-sama, my Lord." The sentry responded promptly, and Seimaru's eyes narrowed.
"Minazake-dono, is it? Very well. Send him in. I shall deal with him myself."
"Yes, sir. At once." The sentry withdrew smartly, and the next moment the door opened again, a tall, lean figure striding in and pausing before the young Clan leader. He bowed, a dark, neatly groomed tail of hair falling over his shoulder as he did so.
"My thanks for entertaining my whim of coming here like this, Lord Seimaru." He said softly, and at the familiar lilt in his voice, Seimaru reached forward, grabbing the man by the shoulders and hauling him up so that he could meet the other's gaze. As he did so, relief and anger flooded through him and he thrust the visitor away from him, indignation in his gaze.
"Your whims indeed." He muttered. "Why did you not write to tell me of your delay? Five days have passed, and not a word…and now…"
He paused, staring at the other man.
"Minazake Roukei." He whispered. "Who is this?"
"As your man told you, my Lord. A kinsman of your lady mother." The visitor's eyes twinkled and he reached into the rich fabric of his patterned reddish obi, producing a folded sheet of washi paper which he held out to his companion. "I apologise for the delay in my return, Seimaru-sama – but in order to make the connection firm, Riku-sama had to locate a line in her family to which I could believably be connected. Minazake Roukei was her second cousin – his immediate family are all dead, including him, conveniently, since he came to die as an infant and was only recorded in the family documents as a by-note. Riku-sama has located the record of his birth, however, in the archive at Hokujou and has passed it to me along with a letter confirming who I am. His date of birth correlates closely enough to my own for there to be few questions raised."
Seimaru took the folded sheet, glancing at it then,
"And your hair?"
"I stained it black after my first meeting with Riku-sama, since Endou-ke hair is generally black." His companion shrugged. "I think it suits me – though I admit it gives me rather a more unusual look than I had first imagined."
Seimaru pursed his lips, gazing over the other man from head to foot.
His Clan attire he had obviously also acquired from the North, he realised, from one of the several high quality tailors that populated that region of Seventh District and cut from fine fabric that had clearly been carefully hand-dyed into its rich brown hue, the edges woven and embroidered with claret thread in the form of the hunting bird – the spiritual emblem of the Endou-ke. Beside Seimaru's own elegant and formal dress as Head of the Endou Clan, the other's seemed somewhat more subdued, yet the young leader knew at a glance that it had been put together by a professional and from expensive imported silks. The obi was of a red so deep it was almost mahogany in hue, and across this was a more unique Endou emblem – the hunting bird with the moon behind it in shadow.
It was not a crest that was represented at the current Endou court, nor one that had been seen there for some time, yet Seimaru knew it was the image identified with his mother's proud branch of the clan. It could only be displayed so openly with the direct order and consent of a member of that family – and as he recognised this, Seimaru realised too that it meant Riku truly had agreed to play a part in the deception.
She had claimed the imposter as her blood kin, and if she had done so, it was unlikely anyone else would raise any objection.
Besides, Seimaru realised, even though his companion was an outlawed, exiled, disinherited scientist, not for the first time he could see the true noble grace and elegance in the lean man's bearing. His thick hair, usually muddy brown and tied casually was now coloured black and, for the first time in their acquaintance had been properly groomed and fastened with a silver clasp depicting the hawk head of the Endou-ke. In fact, had it not been for those same, distinctive, mocking eyes, Seimaru would have doubted that it was his servant who stood before him. The grey-coated scientist had disappeared…and a Clansman now stood ready to take his place.
Despite himself Seimaru was a little unnerved by this realisation.
"That attire suits you, Aizen." He murmured. "You were born Clan, and even denied that heritage, you can hold yourself still as a noble son. Perhaps the colours are wrong for your bloodline, but still, the bearing is right."
"Such a thing offends you, sir?" Keitarou seemed concerned. "It is, after all, a façade. Simply an appearance…designed to fit the progression of your plans. It seems that Riku-sama is also eager for you to succeed – hence once she understood the reason for my coming, she acted accordingly. But I am not Clan. I have not been Clan in almost my whole life. I wouldn't like you to think I thought otherwise."
Seimaru paused, then sighed, shaking his head.
"No." He said frankly. "On the contrary I was considering how you will, I think, pass the scrutiny of the Endou council in this way. Delayed you might have been, but if a few days have allowed you to gain my mother's approval, then those few days were well spent."
"I again apologise for any distress or inconvenience it caused." Keitarou bowed his head once again. "It was not intentional, but I felt any form of letter might bring you more trouble – as I am, after all, supposed to be virtually a stranger to both you and this area from this point on."
"Minazake, huh." Seimaru clicked his tongue against his teeth. "I will try to remember. Minazake…Roukei. It does roll off the tongue, I must admit."
"I don't concern myself with what I am called." Keitarou admitted. "Names mean little to me now. But when Riku-sama suggested this persona, I admit, I accepted it with speed. After all, my true name is 'Keitarou'. And while the kanji is different, I thought that I might easily become 'Kei', and therefore reduce the chance of confusion."
"As usual, you think ahead and all around a problem before solving it with ease." Despite himself Seimaru smiled. "All right. Now you are here, we have much work to do. All has gone as you assured me – Grandfather's death, the investigation, my inauguration – and all without incident. You have proven yourself to me and I trust that the next stage in our plan will also go as smoothly."
Keitarou's expression became thoughtful.
"Misashi-sama is…no longer a concern?" He asked quietly, and Seimaru shook his head.
"He's at my pleasure in the Clan prison. Alive, but not in any position to cause me grief." He said cruelly, amusement glittering in his pale gaze. "His wife has done nothing but cry and keep to her quarters. And Eiraki…has done what an obedient, dutiful, terrified whelp of a girl does when her Clan leader gives an order. She has stayed in the annexe and has not ventured out of it even once. Her servants report to me regularly, and all report the same. That Eiraki has not tried to leave her lodgings, nor shown any visible reaction to her father's incarceration. She has better sense than her brother."
"And you are still willing to sully the hand of your blood cousin with a fiancé of my calibre, my Lord?" Keitarou questioned. Seimaru snorted.
"A foolish question. It benefits me, so of course I am." He said flatly. "You said, after all, that you could win over the girl. And, that in return for my allowing you full custody and jurisdiction over the District boy to do with as you please…you would eradicate Grandfather and ensure that both Hirata and that annoying scrap of evidence he thinks he has against me were well taken care of."
"Yes." Keitarou nodded. "Shouichi-sama is already a closed matter. As for Hirata-sama."
He smiled, his unusual eyes becoming calculating as he considered.
"Eiraki-hime is a caged bird and as a stranger, and I will show her a potential form of escape." He said quietly. "You cannot go to District One, and you cannot kill Hirata-sama by your own hands unless he comes here to fight you. As a Clan Leader, you cannot now cross even into District Eight without it being seen as a potential advance guard of war. Yet I doubt very much that, given your family history, Eiraki-hime will show you trust, even if she shows you obedience."
"Such a thing doesn't need to be said." Seimaru muttered. "Our families have hated each other since Father and Uncle were boys. There will never be trust between us of any kind. Hence why I keep Misashi-jisama's life dangling in front of the girl. I will not kill him – not yet – but she doesn't know that. And for now it's the best way to keep her obedient to my commands."
"But if I, a stranger, can win Eiraki-sama's trust, then perhaps it will be different." Keitarou said composedly. "If Eiraki-hime were to believe that I too was somehow in danger from you, I'm sure I could lure her into following my lead. Here, Eiraki-hime and Sumire-sama are little more than caged animals. But if they were to be allowed to leave…"
"You want me to set them free? So they can go to Hirata and demand his help? Perhaps to raise an army of Shihouin or Yamamoto to fight against me?!" Seimaru was dismayed, and Keitarou shook his head, faint amusement in his eyes.
"That will not happen." He said lightly. "Eiraki-hime will act on my instructions, and they will be according to your will. They will, of course, seek Hirata-sama. That would be the primary objective. You told me, after all, that Hirata has…evidence against you?"
"Against us both." Seimaru said blackly. "Hence why I'm so tied in what I can do."
"But Hirata-sama would, surely, trust his own sister with the evidence of which you are so afraid, my Lord?"
Keitarou made the suggestion softly, and Seimaru's eyes widened.
"And you think…Eiraki would trust you enough that…"
"I don't see why not." Keitarou nodded. "If she sees me as her ally, why would she not trust me?"
He shrugged.
"From there I can easily obtain and destroy it – or return it directly to your care so that you can do so yourself. And as for Hirata-sama,"
His smile widened.
"Either he will die in District One, at the hands of someone who is not connected with you. Or he will return to District Seven and you will be able to eliminate him yourself." He said lightly. "Either way, the end result remains to your liking. You are, after all, a noble Gotei Shinigami. He is just a student – and, from your words, can barely hold a sword."
"How…at the hands of someone…?" Seimaru's eyes became slits, and Keitarou shook his head.
"It is a technique that is a secret between the exiled Urahara. I cannot speak of it, even to you." He said glibly. "It is of no threat to you – you are far too strong as both a fighter and a man to succumb to such a base trick from an untrained exile. But Eiraki-hime is a weak, unschooled child."
"You won't tell me what this technique is?" Seimaru looked suspicious, and Keitarou shook his head.
"I cannot. If ever the secret is divulged, the trick no longer works." He said softly, and though he met Seimaru's gaze clearly, the Clan leader had a nagging sense that he wasn't being told the whole truth. "But I assure you, if I can gain Eiraki-hime's trust…then all will be well. You need not worry that she will raise an army. Whether she consents to it or not, Eiraki-hime will be acting in your name and according to your interests."
Seimaru was silent for a moment. Then he gestured to the door.
"Then it is time I introduced you formally to your fiancée." He said finally. "And allowed you to get to work at obtaining the feeble girl's trust. I suppose I don't need the details of a skill that cannot hurt me, since if you kill Eiraki, or she is killed through these acts, so be it. Make her useful to me, and use her how you see fit. I want Hirata – either dead or alive – and I want to hang his corpse from the battlements. So long as, in the end, I am the only one left standing – that is all I ask. Like Grandfather before me…I do not wish to be hampered by useless relatives."
Keitarou inclined his head slightly, and Seimaru led the way into the corridor, pausing only to instruct the sentry on duty that nobody was to enter his study until he returned. He then swept down the hall, aware of his companion in his slipstream as he made his way through the gloomy Endou manor house to the door that led to the annexe.
"Eiraki now makes her home here." He explained, as he caught Keitarou's startled expression out of the corner of his eye. "Just as my fiancée was imprisoned here to keep her out of trouble, it is easier for me to keep an eye on my troublesome cousin if she is isolated and away from the influence of those she knows. All her maids are strangers to her – none are people she can trust. She realises it, I think – that she is being watched and that I will punish any wrong step."
Faint amusement touched his features.
"In light of that, getting her to trust in you or any kind of escape scheme may prove difficult."
"I will do my best." Keitarou responded lightly. "After all, if I do not continue to remain useful to you…perhaps one day Seimaru-sama may choose to cut me adrift also in such a fashion."
"Ah, but you have the sense to see that, and therefore the willingness to act and obey." Seimaru responded, as guards hurried to open doors for them to enter the closely surrounded building. "That is why you are useful, Aizen. Or no, from now on, I must call you Minazake so as not to arouse anyone's suspicion."
His gaze became sly.
"It is a step down in birth for you – from nephew of the Clan Leader to second cousin of the Clan Leader's mother." He said mockingly, but Keitarou merely smiled.
"On the contrary, it is a step up from exile and abandonment." He said evenly. "And it is just a façade, therefore pride and shame aren't really involved. It's another experiment to me, that is all. An experiment to see if I can fool your kinsfolk and achieve our goals. I believe I can – but it's always nice for a scientist to prove a hypothesis."
"Then the next part of your experiment lies through those doors." Seimaru gestured towards the hime's chambers, striding up to them and banging loudly on the wooden divide.
"Eiraki! I am come to see you. Attend me at once – I have a visitor to speak to you."
There was the sound of a flurry inside the room, then the door clicked and slid back to reveal a young, dark-eyed maid who bowed low before the young Lord.
"Where is my cousin?" Seimaru demanded, and the maid scuttled back so that the two men could see into the parlour beyond. Eiraki had been seated by the window, ostensibly reading a book, but at the sound of her cousin's voice she had got to her feet, apprehension in her vivid blue eyes as she glanced from one guest to the other.
"Seimaru-sama." She whispered, then bowed her head. "I'm sorry if I have inconvenienced you."
"You inconvenience me by existing." Seimaru told her cruelly. "But for the time being, I have use for you, so don't snivel and grovel at me so and pay attention."
He stepped aside, allowing Keitarou to enter the room fully.
"This is Minazake Roukei-dono – a cousin of my mother's family and the man to whom I expect you to be from this point betrothed." He said matter-of-factly. "It isn't a choice – it is already decided and will be formally announced now that Minazake has finally arrived in District Seven."
He paused to send Keitarou a dark glare, and Keitarou bowed his head.
"My abject apologies, Seimaru-sama." He said softly, his tones suddenly more subdued and gentle than Seimaru had ever heard them before. "I was held up on the way, and then…"
"Shut up." Seimaru cut across him, inwardly marvelling at how easily his servant could slip into a new character even in those few moments. "Your excuses don't matter to me. You are here, at least. I trust you don't mean to further offend me by refusing the hand of my cousin, even though she is as you see?"
"I am at your service, Seimaru-sama." Aizen raised his gaze sombrely, then turned towards Eiraki, lowering his head once more.
"It is my pleasure, Eiraki-hime." He added. "To finally make your acquaintance at last."
Author's Note: Kibana
This is the guy who brought the message across the border to Tokutarou about Midori when she first escaped from District Seven in 2nd Manu. He was born in District Eight, and so has no underlying loyalty except to Misashi as his immediate master. And even though he's good at being humble and well-mannered - he's actually a soldier who used to serve Shunsui's uncle until his rebellion against Tokutarou's authority.
At that point he left District Eight to protect his family and became a mercenary soldier - one who caught the attention of Misashi because of his foreign birth. Misashi being unable to train himself ensured that his chief servant was able to act on his behalf...and having a man of foreign blood ensured he had no ties to the Endou-ke, therefore was more likely to remain loyal to him alone.