Chapter Sixty Two: Shattered Bonds
So this had been Keitarou's home for the past several years.
Nagesu stood in the doorway of the underground workroom, a look of consternation in his pale eyes as he gazed around at the dark, cold environment his cousin had made his own. That he had been here was in no doubt - papers still lay on the desk, and despite his weariness Nagesu was aware of his cousin's aura still lingering faintly in the heavy musty air. Shikiki and Juushirou's were here too, a mingling of spirit power that suggested Keitarou had carried out some kind of experiment or training on the young ones, and he pursed his lips, adjusting his glasses on his nose as he glanced down at his young guide.
She can't be more than eight or nine, yet she lived in this place at his behest. And what Genryuusai-sama said, about her talents - did she truly bring that boy back from the dead? Or was that just an illusion - was Ukitake never really dead after all?
Out loud he said,
"So this was Keitarou's laboratory?"
"Mm. I suppose so." Shikiki rubbed one foot absently against the back of her other leg, shrugging her shoulders. She was not uneasy being down here, Nagesu realised, yet she was not comfortable either, and an unpleasant thought flickered through his mind.
"He never hurt you here, did he?"
"Hurt me?" Shikiki looked startled, shaking her head. "No. Kei-nii looked after me. He protected me. He didn't hurt me."
"I'm glad about that." Relief glittered in the clever pale eyes. "It doesn't seem like a very nice place to stay, so I wanted to be sure that nothing bad had happened to you here."
"It wasn't nice." Shikiki admitted. "But it was only dangerous if Seimaru-sama came. And then I'd have to hide, because he scared me. Kei-nii always made sure I didn't get hurt, though."
She bit her lip.
"But he's gone now, hasn't he?" She whispered, her fingers brushing absently against the leg of Keitarou's desk. "Just like the other people, Kei-nii's gone too."
"Yes." Nagesu sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes tiredly. "He has, I'm afraid. I don't know any more than you do what he intends to do or whether he will come back."
He moved across the dark chamber, pausing to glance down at the scrawled sheets on Keitarou's desk. They were laid out as though someone had not had time to move them, but Nagesu's wits were sharp and as he skimmed over their contents, he realised that this was probably an illusion - that someone had placed them there to make it look as though this was the focus of Keitarou's current research.
"Senkaimon." He murmured, picking up one sheet and running his finger down the columns of spidery kanji. "Doubtless this explains how you were able to warp that Gate in District Eight, and how you managed to bring the Ukitake boy here - if that is indeed what you did. Your notes are interesting and probably highly accurate. But you told me yourself that you'd been working on something different...something far more interesting to you than this."
He set down the sheet of paper, turning his attention to the other documents piled up in makeshift boxes around the little work area. They were neatly labelled but in a shorthand code that Nagesu could not read, and as he flicked his way through the records, he realised that, like what was on the desk, these records all related to research topics of a minimal and uncontroversial nature.
There's nothing here about the girl, or about Ukitake.
Nagesu sat back on his heels with a sigh.
So you had enough time to get back here, then, after our battle? Enough time to fully suppress your reiatsu, return here and remove anything you thought was dangerous and that you would rather not have us know? There's nothing here about reidoku, either, and your vault is unlocked and empty, I can tell even from here. You came and you took what you thought we shouldn't have...and then you disappeared into nothing once more. Just as you and your mother did when we were children - once more, Kei-kun, you've evaded the head of the Urahara Clan.
If I wasn't sure before, this would convince me for certain. You survived our battle. Your corpse does not lie buried beneath rock in that place. And perhaps, one day, we will meet again. Still, even if you have got the better of the Council a second time - you have left something and I will take that at the very least. These notes...I'll work through them and see whether anything here might give a clue as to what you might have started or where you might next go. The girl, too - she lived with you, and she doesn't seem a fool. She may yet be the one with the most insight - and if he wakes, the Ukitake boy, too. You haven't quite gone without a trace this time, my cousin - and although seeing you dead would not bring me joy, I have no other path to walk now than the one Father walked, too. At least, so long as you insist on twisting Keitsune-jisama's memory in this way.
He got to his feet.
"Shikiki, are there rooms beyond this one?" He asked, and Shikiki nodded.
"There's a long corridor." She agreed. "An' doors off it, like cells - cos this place used to be a prison, Kei-nii said. Only it isn't now. But it still looked like it. And then there's a big room...a big round room. An' sometimes I did training there an' lately, so did Juu-nii. And once a Hollow came and attacked us, but Juu-nii stopped it and that's when we made friends."
She eyed Nagesu curiously.
"You're a shinigami too, aren't you, Oniisan?" She asked quizzically, and Nagesu nodded, patting Sekizanha's hilt.
"This is my sword. Sekizanha." He agreed. "Why do you ask?"
"I always thought that shinigami were bad people." Shikiki admitted. "Cos they came an' they took folk away - like Dai-nii. But then I met Juu-nii and he said that some shinigami are good and some are bad and that everyone is different - you can't just tell by looking at their sword whether they want to help or hurt you."
She sighed heavily.
"Shun-nii is a shinigami too. He had a special sword too, cos I saw it." She continued. "An' he's a bit stupid but he's not a bad person either. An' the old man who was with Juu-nii - I could tell he was super worried about Juu-nii not waking up. He said all kinds of nice things to me about my power and that I was special an'...and I think he was a nice person. An' you're Kei-nii's cousin, an' you're a shinigami too. So I guess...maybe Juu-nii was right. Not all shinigami are bad people."
"No. Not all shinigami are." Nagesu knelt down at her level, resting his hands gently on her shoulders as he met her gaze solemnly with his own. "Everyone is born differently, and everyone has their own path to find and purpose to meet before they die. Some people stray from the right path, and become lost. That's all. Bad people aren't always bad all the way through, and good people make mistakes. But I like to think that we can learn from those - and try to be better as time goes on."
Shikiki eyed him for a moment, then,
"Oniisan, did you love Kei-nii?" She asked softly, and Nagesu sighed, nodding his head.
"Very much." He admitted. "When we were very small, we'd play together all the time. I taught him how to write his name - and he and his family would always be visiting ours. His father and mine were brothers, and very close. They used to work together on a lot of things, and so we'd be left to amuse ourselves."
"I see." Shikiki seemed to be thinking this over. "Kei-nii said his family all died. But you didn't die. You were still there."
"Mm." Nagesu hesitated, then made up his mind. "No, I think that to Keitarou, his family had all died. You see, Shikiki, when I was the same kind of age you are now, my Father and my Uncle stopped speaking to each other. My Uncle...Keitarou's father...he'd done something dangerous and people were angry with him. I think...I think maybe he just made a mistake, but it was a bad mistake and people died because of it. Quite a lot of people...in quite a lot of families. And because of that, my Uncle was arrested. He wanted Father to rescue him - but Father did not."
Shikiki's eyes became huge, and Nagesu nodded.
"I didn't understand then, really, what had gone on." He owned. "But even if I had, I doubt I could have changed it. My Father could not do anything, because if he had, more people would have been killed. Our whole Clan, in fact, might have fallen apart - and as head of that family, protecting it was his job. So he couldn't do anything else...but let my Uncle be taken away."
Shikiki's gaze clouded.
"Kei-nii's Otousan was killed, wasn't he?" She murmured, and Nagesu sighed.
"Yes." He said regretfully. "And when I knew, I cried. I cried a lot, Shikiki. I loved my Uncle - he was a truly kind man. And at the same time he died, Keitarou and his mother disappeared. That was a hundred years ago. I think...Keitarou has probably stayed angry for a long time. And I...when Father died, I inherited the Clan from him. So now I am the leader of the family Keitarou so hates - we will probably never be friends again."
"That's sad." Shikiki said pensively, and to Nagesu's surprise she reached out her thick, stubby fingers, grasping his hand loosely in hers. "But you still love Kei-nii. You said so. So even though all that happened, I don't think you want to hurt Kei-nii - do you?"
Nagesu's mind flitted back to the earlier battle, and he sighed again.
"I don't want to." He agreed. "But what I want and my duty are like they were to my Father. I have to protect my Clan, now. My family. My children. My wife. And all the people who live in District Three. So it's better that Kei-kun isn't here now. It's better all around if we don't meet each other, really. And I think...now you've spoken to me...it would probably be better if you didn't meet with him again, either."
"I don't think Kei-nii wants me to." Shikiki said sadly. "Else he wouldn't have gone away without me. Juu-nii and I left this place without permission - I s'pect he's angry with me too, now, so he won't want me to come back."
"I'm sorry." Nagesu said gently, and Shikiki shook her head.
"It happens a lot, to me." She said matter-of-factly, though Nagesu had raised enough daughters of his own not to be fooled, and he could see the glitter of tears in the young girl's eyes. "Besides, so long as Juu-nii gets better, that's what matters. Kei-nii did a bad thing to Juu-nii an' both Juu-nii and Shun-nii might have died. Shikiki too. So I...I think if Kei-nii had come back, he'd know I was angry at him too. Because I like Juu-nii a lot. And I don't like people getting hurt."
"No. It's not easy to stomach, is it? Seeing those you love in pain."
"Are you angry, then, with Kei-nii?" Shikiki asked anxiously. "For killing Shouichi-sama an' hiding all this time?"
"I don't suppose I'm as angry as I should be." Nagesu got carefully to his feet. "Because at the end of the day, he's still my family. And I still care about him, even though so many bad things have happened. Which is why I need to find out what he was working on and learn as much as I can from this place. Will you help me gather things together, Shikiki? Then this room can once more be sealed up and the people in District Seven can somehow start to move on."
Moonlight over District Seven.
Shunsui stood at the window of his small bedchamber, gazing pensively out at the slightly hazed silvery orb as it glinted down lazily over the frozen landscape below. Word had reached the estate a few hours earlier that Hirata and his companions had located Misashi, and that they would remain at Hokujou until the morrow on account of the Endou claimant's fragile physical state. That he and his father were both still alive relieved Shunsui's frazzled nerves, but secretly he had also been dismayed by the news. He had hoped at least that Hirata would be back at his family's main house before nightfall.
Because Hirata might understand the things I'm thinking and feeling, since we came here together, and I wanted to talk things out with him. I guess you've got me into that habit, Juu - but now, when I want to talk to someone, I really can't. Nii-sama is already worried enough about me, and I won't burden him with any more. So long as he thinks I'm all right, that's what matters most. And I suppose, I want Hirata to forgive me, too. Juu's sleeping, and I should be too - but...
"It's late, Kyouraku-kun."
A soft voice from the doorway made him turn, wincing and almost crying out in pain as he jolted his heavily strapped right arm. A gentle tut-tutting followed by the sound of footsteps broke the room's quiet, and then Retsu was beside him, eying him with thoughtful, sensitive eyes.
"You were supposed to be sleeping." She chided lightly. "I don't remember giving you permission to move around."
"I'm restless." Shunsui admitted, letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Sensei. I did try to sleep but...there are some horrible pictures in my head at the moment and I hoped that maybe I could flush them out and replace them with something else. The night scenery is pretty from here, so I thought it might make me forget...but it just reminds me that we were out there, not so long ago."
He pursed his lips.
"Plus, it's hard to get comfortable with my arm tied up like this." He added. "I know it has to be, but I'm aware of even the slightest movement."
"Then I will find you something to dull the pain and ease your sleep." Retsu decided, making to leave, then stopping, turning back to look at him carefully.
"Endou-kun will be here tomorrow." She remarked. "I think you will benefit from speaking to him, won't you?"
"Maybe." Shunsui looked rueful. "You read my thoughts, Sensei."
"No..." Retsu was thoughtful. "But I can read your aura, and I understand your distress. Endou Hirata is a close friend of both of you - and he will understand more keenly, I imagine, than anyone else what happened out there today. Besides, he will probably have his own demons to face, too."
"His own..." Shunsui faltered, and Retsu nodded.
"I may be wrong." She said with a sigh, "But when Seimaru-sama's reiatsu flared and flew out of control for the last time, Endou-kun's reiatsu also flared to mirror it. And...Seimaru was not killed by anything but his own power. I do not know how it came about - but it was not a foreign zanpakutou that killed him. It was something else."
"Reidoku." Shunsui whispered, his eyes widening. "Then...Hirata killed...?"
He trailed off, and Retsu nodded.
"That is my belief." She said gravely. "But I have spoken of it so far only to Genryuusai-sama. Nobody else need know it until the boy himself returns and decides what he is to do. Since his father lives, he does not need to declare it to prove his claim - and nobody will make him, if he does not want to speak of it."
"But you told me because of how I'm feeling about fighting Juu." Shunsui understood, and he smiled. "Of course. I guess...I had forgotten that you're a healer, like Mitsuki-chan and that you...you'd be able to sense things like that too, much more than anyone else. Thank you for telling me, Sensei. In that case...probably we need to talk even more."
"For the time being, however, Ukitake-kun is stable and sleeping peacefully." Retsu told him. "Perhaps, better than my soporific medication, it would relieve your heart a little more to see that for yourself? I realised that you have not seen him since your fight ended - and maybe, if you were to see him now, it would put your mind at rest? His breathing has improved a good deal thanks to the kidou barrier and he has gained in strength - even though it's only by a little, every step is important."
Shunsui's heart leapt and he stared at his companion in surprise.
"That...would be all right?" He asked softly. "I don't know if I'm ready to face Juu awake yet, but if he's sleeping...just at least then I know he is and that nobody's been lying to me. Not that I think they have," he added hastily, as Retsu's eyebrow arched slightly, "But I haven't been able to clearly feel his reiatsu since we came here. Usually I can, but it vanished in the fight and it didn't come back, even when Shikiki was healing him. And..."
"He is very weak, and you are not entirely strong yourself." Retsu responded. "His reiatsu is currently at a very low level. The blade that controlled him left residual poison in his system and though there is no chance that that manipulative power can be reawakened, it must work itself out of his body on its own. The young girl's power was great, but limited. She saved his life - but she is only a child, and her power is not yet at a level where she is able to heal his whole body. Perhaps, with time and training - but for now, she did all she could and the rest remains with me and with Ukitake-kun himself."
She smiled.
"But more than anyone, I believe Ukitake-kun wants life." She added philosophically, running her index finger gently over Shunsui's bandaged arm. It glittered faintly as she did so, and Shunsui felt the pain beginning to fade. "More than anyone, I believe him to be one who will fight. I am not so worried about him as others are, to be truthful. I am more worried...about other things."
About...other things?
Shunsui blinked at her, then,
About...Hirata and I?
"Well?" Retsu offered him another smile, and the fleeting glimmer of an almost maternal concern in her soft eyes was gone. "Are we going to see Ukitake-kun now, or would you sooner try to sleep a little first?"
"I want to see Juu, please." Shunsui said firmly. "If it's really not causing any trouble - and if it won't hurt him."
"On the contrary, I believe it might be beneficial." Retsu responded. "Even when patients are deep in sleep, they can sometimes hear the voices of those they know and care about and right now, Ukitake-kun's family are far away. District Seven is too politically unstable to bring them to his side, and currently he is too weak to be moved. So the next best things are his close school friends - you and Endou-kun too, when he returns from Hokujou tomorrow."
"He might not see me as a friend any longer." Shunsui said darkly, though he obediently followed the older woman out of the small bedroom and down the hallway a short distance to another, identical door. "Not if he remembers what happened out there."
"I wonder if your friendship is so weak as that." Retsu reflected pensively, pausing before sliding the divide back. "After all, you acted in the snow out of friendship, did you not? It would be a sad thing indeed if that bond was so fragile it shattered so easily."
"Yes, but I..."
"Ukitake-kun's zanpakutou possesses two blades." Retsu cut across him, her words quiet but nonetheless compelling Shunsui to listen. "Two spirits. Two voices. In and You. The balance of the Yin Yang and the ability to understand and deliver justice - these things are all the foundations of Ukitake-kun's sword."
She shrugged.
"You did not act unjustly, and for one whose existence is founded on such principles, I am sure he will understand that fact." She concluded. "Perhaps better than you do yourself."
"My sword also has two spirits." Shunsui murmured. "Such as it is right at the moment. I held it, though - in that battle, just as you said to Nii-sama. I can feel them now, more than ever before. But I still feel a little how I've always felt - that being a shinigami requires resolve to kill and I don't want to kill. Especially not friends. All I've learnt from this is that I'm capable of doing it if the need arises - not that I want to do it or that I'll ever be used to doing it."
"Nobody expects that." Retsu chuckled softly, and Shunsui stared at her in surprise, confused by her reaction. "Nobody should hope to kill or become inured to the art of killing. Even Genryuusai-sama, who has fought many battles, could not easily look at an ally and cast him down in cold blood. You should not weigh so many things so heavily on your heart, Kyouraku-kun. Share those burdens with these spirits that have now made themselves known to you. That is part of their purpose, after all - to share in what you do and enable you to do what needs to be done."
She touched him gently on the left shoulder, then,
"I will go and find something to help you to sleep." She murmured. "Spend a little time speaking to your friend, and I will return momentarily."
"Mm." Shunsui did not want her to leave, but she was gone before he could voice any protest, so instead he sighed, moving slowly and hesitantly across the room to where his friend lay sound asleep.
He looked peaceful, at the very least, and there was none of the pain or fear twisting his features like he had seen during their battle earlier that day. The boy was breathing more normally, just as Retsu had said, and as he put his left hand gingerly to Juushirou's left ribcage, he could feel the reassuring thump-thump of the other's stubborn heart.
His reiatsu was faint and even at this range Shunsui could only vaguely make it out. But it was there, and so was Juushirou, and despite himself relief flooded over him as he knelt carefully down at his classmate's side.
Shikiki was right in the end. I was stupid. Even now there are a whole lot of things I don't know. Things about Father. Things about me. Things about other people, too. And things about living and dying and how easy it is to go from one to the other. Even if I thought I knew...till this I never really did.
He settled himself gingerly, resting the injured arm against his body as he moved his good hand to touch Juushirou's brow. It was hot and fevered, yet this too brought Shunsui some strange amount of relief.
"You were cold as ice before." He said soberly. "I'm used to your fevers, so this somehow...seems more natural."
He sighed.
"I don't know what to say, even though Unohana-sensei says I should talk to you." He added. "I don't know if you can hear me or if it's all my mumbling to myself anyhow. I'm not sure if you can remember or if you even know who I am. But that you're here and that you're alive...will do for now. Because Unohana-sensei was right. I hadn't seen you since we were out in the snow. And seeing you like this - being taken care of - makes me feel a little more at ease."
He moved to stand, but as the sleeve of his night robe brushed against the edge of the bed, something pulled it back and he started, almost losing his balance as he turned to stare at his friend in surprise. Thin pale fingers were looped clumsily yet determinedly around the folds of the expensive foreign fabric, and Shunsui's eyes widened, his gaze flitting to Juushirou's face.
Two smudge-like eyes gazed back at him in the half-lit chamber, confused and unfocused yet somehow unmistakeable. Juushirou had made no attempt to speak, yet his grasp did not loosen from Shunsui's sleeve and the older boy bit his lip.
"Juu?" He whispered, and the eyes flickered slightly, focusing a little more clearly on Shunsui's face as though Juushirou's battle-weary brain was trying to make sense of the sounds it was hearing. The fingers twitched slightly, and Shunsui pulled himself free of the other boy's hold, moving his good hand to touch the back of Juushirou's lightly, and pushing it gently back down onto the bedcovers.
"You weren't as asleep as all that after all, huh?" He murmured softly, tears glittering in his dark eyes as he stared down at his friend. "I'm sorry, Juu. I didn't mean to wake you - Unohana-sensei said I wouldn't disturb you, yet here we are."
Juushirou's hand shifted a little, then clumsily he raised it again, his arm shaking and unsteady as he brought his palm down against his chest. Pain flickered into the hazel eyes, and Shunsui swallowed hard, not needing words to understand what his friend was feeling.
"It hurts, huh?" He asked, his voice slightly uneven as he forced his tone to stay light and friendly. "Unohana-sensei said you still had some bad stuff inside of you, so I guess that's probably why. You should rest and let yourself heal - right now you don't have any need to be awake, so go to sleep, huh?"
Juushirou stared at him, and Shunsui sighed.
"It would be easier if you didn't look at me like that. Or at all, really, till I know what to think of things myself." He said heavily. "But I can't be cross with you. It isn't your fault, after all, if you don't know...if you can't understand what's going on around you yet."
He rested his good hand once more against Juushirou's ribcage, feeling again the beating rhythm of his friend's healing heart. A fleeting memory of the wakizashi piercing through Juushirou's chest assailed him and he tensed, pulling his fingers back sharply as though they had been burnt by a sudden flame. Juushirou flinched at the unexpected movement, alarm in his hazel eyes, then once more the pale fingers reached out, this time grabbing Shunsui loosely around the wrist. Shunsui tried to pull away, but Juushirou's hold was firmer this time, and as Shunsui met his friend's gaze, he saw a familiar sheen of obstinacy creep into the hazel eyes.
Despite himself, he smiled faintly.
"Somehow I believe you are Juushirou, still." He whispered. "And you have things you want to say to me, but your brain is too tired and confused and you can't work out how. So this is all you can do for now. I don't know what those things are - whether they're good or bad or if I want to hear them. But I...don't think either of us are ready for them yet. So please, Juu, let me go. You need to sleep and so do I. We're both wounded soldiers but we'll both make it through - and later on we can talk about everything."
Later, when it's less vivid in my mind.
Juushirou's brow wrinkled, and Shunsui was almost sure he saw his friend scowl at him disapprovingly from beneath lowered lashes.
"I'm sorry, Juu." He said quietly, shaking his head as he gently worked his good arm free of the claw-like grasp. "Not tonight. Not from either of us."
He sighed.
"Perhaps when Hirata comes back tomorrow, he'll be a better visitor for you." He added frankly. "I suppose nobody's told you that - but Hirata is alive and safe and will be back here with us soon enough. He'll want to see you, no doubt about that. He'll talk to you, because he does. And I..."
And I'm suddenly lost for words, even though more than anyone you're the person I confide in the most.
Shunsui frowned, digesting this.
Has this, then, made us strangers? Will we have to begin all over again? Does Juushirou know me, or is he just anxious for company and confused about who and where he is? And if he knows me, does he know what happened out there in the snow? I don't know what to say to him until I know what he knows.
"Well, I see you had a better effect than anticipated on the patient."
Retsu returned at that moment, and Shunsui turned, meeting her smile with a troubled look of his own.
"I'd like to go back to my room." He said quietly. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to disturb him. I didn't realise I'd wake him, and I just..."
"But he was not being kept asleep by anything but his own shock and trauma from the fight." Retsu shook her head, moving to touch Juushirou's brow then taking the boy's pale hand, sliding it neatly but firmly beneath the blanket. "There, that will preserve some body warmth, Ukitake-kun. You have a fever, and it's cold here, so you should not be letting warmth escape so easily."
She smiled at Shunsui once more.
"I expected him to wake when you spoke to him." She added lightly. "Whether that be today or tomorrow or six weeks from now. I don't know if Ukitake-kun remembers anything or everything from what happened. But just as Urahara Keitarou's reiatsu remains lingering in his blood, so yours does too. The weapon was not a normal sword, it was a spirit blade - and such things leave a deeper mark."
Gently she brought her hand over Juushirou's brow, and Shunsui saw his friend's hazy eyes close fully as his body slipped back into sleep.
"He will rest more deeply now, till morning at least." She said, seemingly pleased. "But his aura seems a little less fragmented than it did. I think you have healing properties, Kyouraku-kun. I should take you to visit my patients more often, perhaps."
"My reiatsu is...still..." Shunsui faltered, and Retsu nodded.
"Your weapon broke down as soon as you realised what had happened. The young girl said it vanished straight away - you didn't withdraw it." She agreed. "It's not hurting him, but it is there, lingering around the place where he was wounded. When you came so close to him - did you touch him at all?"
"His brow - to check his temperature." Shunsui agreed, and Retsu pursed her lips.
"Then probably your doing so stirred him. As I had hoped it would do." She admitted. "I'm sorry that in some ways I rather tricked you. But also, I am not sorry. For now you know that Ukitake-kun is without doubt alive, do you not? And though you may still have to sort out in your own mind what words to best explain things to your friend - you no longer need to fear his loss completely. He is living, and while you are both living..."
"We can still act. I know. It's a philosophy I like throwing at other people." Shunsui acknowledged. "But I'm having it thrown back at me a few times of late. Perhaps the truth is that I'm just horribly hypocritical."
As they stepped into the hall, Retsu let out a soft chuckle.
"To see him has both shocked and helped you." She observed contentedly, leading him down the hall towards his own room. "You have killed nobody, and your friend's wounds will heal. There is damage, yes, but this damage was not caused by you. His body was already under some strain, I think, when you two met - the young girl mentioned that he had been coughing. The fight would have ripped more through him - yours was just the final, decisive blow. Now you see that that blow was what Shikiki's magic has reversed. The wounds Ukitake-kun now carries were not inflicted by you."
She shrugged.
"In fact, I would say that though the rest of his body is still in a poor state, his heart is more healthy now than it was before all of this." She reflected thoughtfully. "With all the surges in wild spirit power and all the fevers he's borne over the years, his physical health has never been good and such things run a strain on the heart after a while. Chronic illnesses do - often those who succumb to them succumb because their heart can no longer stand this damage. Ukitake-kun's heart was surviving, and I was monitoring it even before Genryuusai-sama asked me to - but even so I imagine it would have curtailed his life expectancy in the long run. Yet when I examined him after bringing him back here, I was surprised to find how strongly and resolutely it was beating. I can detect no damage to it whatsoever - none of the flaws or weak spots that I had already identified for potential treatment in the future. Shikiki's barriers healed Ukitake-kun's heart but she took it one step further without even realising it. It took so much of her power because she healed his heart entirely - not simply the damage done by your sword."
"But..." Shunsui stared at her, and Retsu nodded.
"So you see, I'm not worried about him." She said matter-of-factly. "With a heart and a pulse so strong as that, he will not die. It will take some time, but he will probably not bear any permanent physical harm from this. You, on the other hand, bear a mental scar that I do not want to hamper you. You can let it go now. The evidence of your act is erased by Shikiki's barrier - and you have no more reason to feel guilt for it."
"Mm...yes, I do." Shunsui shook his head, sinking down onto his own futon as he watched the healer measure out a dose of thick herbal medicine. "Because forgetting it would be running away from it. I'm good at escaping things, but I don't think my sword spirits are going to let me do that any more. I had a thought in there that...that maybe I didn't want to tell Juu what had happened. Since the wound was gone...I didn't have to tell him. But I...I think I do have to. And I want to be the one to, Sensei. If it's all right with you and with everyone else - I want to be the one to talk to Juu about...everything."
Retsu's smile widened and she held out the small ceramic cup of medicine.
"Genryuusai-sama would be very happy to hear you say that." She observed. "As am I. If you learn from this adventure, it wasn't in vain. Now take this, and lie back. It won't let you dream, so you should be able to sleep safely and discard your worries till the dawn. You need rest too - a broken arm doesn't heal without proper care and attention, and I won't let you put your body's needs second to those of someone else. I am the healer and I will do the healing. Your job is to be healed now - that and nothing more."
"Yes, Sensei." Shunsui nodded, taking the cup and downing the contents in one go. It was bitter and strong to the taste, yet he did not mind, setting the cup aside and laying down. As Retsu drew the blanket up to cover his arms, he closed his eyes, feeling Amaki and Seibara once more lurking at the edges of his wits.
Tomorrow, maybe I'll speak to Juu and maybe I won't. It depends on how I feel - and on how he is, because I don't want to tell him unless I know he can take it in. But now I'm decided, that's what I'm going to do. So stick with me please, Seibara, Amaki. To take this, use it and move forward - and hope that Juushirou can do the same.
The sun had risen slowly and reluctantly over the northern peaks, and as Hirata prepared himself for the day's journey, he frowned, taking in the thin slithers of light that darted across the uneven lines and joins of the old chamber. He had never stayed at Hokujou before and he hoped he never would again, for the sound of the wind howling through the rafters had kept him awake much of the night and try as he might he could not shake the sensation of two piercing golden eyes watching him like a predator waiting to swoop down to grab its prey. Consequently he had found himself rising before dawn, and by the time the sun had fully decided to enter the morning sky, he was robed and ready for the day ahead.
The previous day was something of a blur still in his mind. Seimaru was dead. His aunt confined once more. His father living and doubtless soon to be accepted as the next Head of the Endou Clan. Everything was over, yet it had only just begun. Hirata was not so much of a child to think that the fight had been won just yet.
He touched his fingers to his face, regretting once again the loss of his glasses. It made the world blurry and indistinct, and he hoped that without the attentions of a manservant to guide him he had been able to put on the various complicated pieces of Clan clothing that he had found foisted on him by Kyouki the evening before. Where she had found them he did not know, though from their age and the faintly musty smell surrounding them he guessed that they had come from storage within the castle from the time when the family had used this as more than simply Riku's prison. This had sparked the realisation that that the Head of the Shiba Clan had probably spent a good part of her night snooping around the deserted halls and corridors. Aside from the men who guarded Riku's door once more, none of the retainers had been permitted entry to the castle itself that night – so there had been nobody to stop a curious Clan leader from investigating intriguing leads.
He moved to the door, reaching to open it and stepping out into the hall beyond. His father was sleeping three doors down, he knew, and although in the hazy morning light he could not make out clearly where the door handles were he found that by closing his eyes and focusing on his steps he was able to discern the current of the brisk northern wind through the narrow halls. Hokujou was really amazing, he reflected pensively, even as he made to open the door of Misashi's chamber. That the weather would be so brisk and breezy here had proven to be to his advantage in a way he had never thought of before.
"Hirata."
As he stepped into the chamber, a voice made him pause and he started, turning his blurry gaze towards the sound of the voice. His father had risen, he realised with a jolt, and was also similarly dressed, an extra brown robe wrapped firmly around his fragile body as he stood beside the window, gazing out across the landscape beyond. What Misashi was seeing, Hirata did not know – but somehow he suspected that even with his glasses, he would not be able to perceive the surroundings in the same light as his father.
"Otousama." A lump rose in his throat as he registered the fact this was their first spoken meeting since he had left for the Academy almost two years before. Tears pricked at his eyes, but he forced them back, knowing that now was not a time for him to cry. Misashi did not speak for a moment, then he let out a heavy sigh, and Hirata could hear the relief in his father's slow exhale of air.
"I hoped so much that we'd have a chance to speak again." Misashi's own voice was low and uneven as though he too was fighting back a wave of emotion. "But to see you stand before me now, a man and no longer a boy…it was more than even I hoped for, Hirata. That even now…even by this point…"
He faltered, his voice breaking, and Hirata made his way carefully across the room, reaching out to touch his father's arm.
"We have a lot to do." He said softly. "District Seven is in disarray and you…you're barely fit to be standing, let alone anything else. Yesterday you were quite unconscious – should you really be up and around?"
"As you said, we have much to do." Misashi said simply. "There is no time for anything else. We must ride from here today. We should have gone yesterday, but…"
He sighed, a faint shiver running through his body, and Hirata bit his lip.
"A message was sent to the main estate." He said quietly. "That you were alive and I also and that we would return today. A carriage is being sent for us – that is what I was told before I went to bed last night, anyhow. Till it arrives, we've nothing to do but wait. So sit down, Father. Rest a little more. You were kept a prisoner after all – you need to conserve your strength."
"To think that you of all people would be telling me such things." Misashi managed a rueful smile. "You truly are a man now, aren't you? No longer looking to me for support or guidance but instead trying to offer it – I don't think I have ever had more occasion to be proud of you than I am at the moment, Hirata-kun. This Clan needs you – very badly indeed."
"So, here you both are." Before Hirata could respond, the door slid back again, revealing Midori who bowed her head towards the two Endou with a smile on her face. "I'm glad to see you risen, since the carriage has been sighted cresting the hills into the estate grounds and we will leave as soon as we can. Raiden and Jinkei have already ridden from here with Kyouki-sama to make sure all is prepared back at the main house for your return – so all that remains is for you both to do the same."
She pursed her lips, eying Misashi carefully.
"Although are you quite sure, Misashi-sama, that you should be considering making the journey today? You don't look, if I may say so, in a fit state for such a trek."
"I appreciate your concern, Midori-sama." Misashi shook his head. "But as you rode to save your Clan, Hirata and I have a duty to ours now. I know yesterday's events – Raiden reported to me late last evening when I rose from my sleep. I ate a good meal then, all things considered, and I feel better for being away from the constant aura of the Sekkiseki. Endou-ke are not built to be easily toppled – I'm not in any danger of my life now."
"Well, as you wish it." Midori's smile widened, and she nodded her head. "I had a feeling you would say that, but my conscience dictated I should ask. I am your ally, after all – though this is perhaps the first time we have been able to speak quite openly and without any risk of being overheard. The Shihouin Clan will offer what assistance we can to the Endou Clan in rebuilding District Seven – I came here with that intention and I won't abandon my obligations so easily."
"I already owe you more of a debt than anyone can repay." Misashi brought his hand down on Hirata's shoulder. "I know that my son has been in your care and that you and your brother have done much to guide him in his time in exile. You've also been a source of contact for both of us, especially in keeping Seimaru's worst intentions at bay. I don't feel we can ask any more of you when we already have such high debts to pay."
"But without your help, I would never have been able to save the Shihouin-ke." Midori said simply. "We made a pact, Misashi-sama, some two years or so ago now. Do you not remember? To save both my Clan and yours, you helped me to escape. My Clan is saved but yours is only just starting to walk that path. Therefore I still have an obligation. And I choose to uphold it. There's no use arguing with me. Hirata will soon tell you that I don't easily change my mind about things."
A rueful smile twitched at Hirata's lips and he nodded.
"The same can be said of Otousama, however." He murmured softly. "Perhaps that is truly what has made your alliance survive even through such adversity."
"Perhaps so." Midori acknowledged, moving to the window as there was a commotion form outside. "Yes, and that's the arrival of the expected carriage. I know you'll want to walk down to it yourself, Misashi-sama – so I won't offer you my assistance. But please take it slowly. I intend to ride with you, so you shouldn't think you can easily escape my company by rushing."
"There is still much I need to be made aware of." Misashi said gravely as they slowly made their way down towards the waiting carriage. "Seimaru has died – this I know – and my sister in law has once more been confined in her quarters. The Council are here – but beyond that…such few random facts Raiden managed to give me before Kyouki-sama insisted on him leaving me to rest. Will you give me a greater picture of events, please? You too, Hirata. I want to know all I can – so I am prepared for what awaits us."
"You've covered the main points." Midori reflected. "What precisely happened here is still very unclear to me, too – since on arriving here we were all dispatched to different errands. Kyouki-sama and I had the job of taking on Seimaru – either into custody or to take his life so that he was no longer able to wreak havoc over the people here. We were then charged to locate the heirs to the Endou manor – which we have done – and everything else was out of our hands. Though an Urahara is strongly suspected in all of this – the pursuit of him was left to others, and not to us."
"Urahara Keitarou." Hirata whispered, and Misashi's eyes narrowed.
"Aizen Keitarou." He said, shaking his head slightly. "That's the man you mean, isn't it? Father's scientist. Seimaru's scientist. The man who operated in shadows and who worked on illicit experimentation under the guise of who knows what."
"Yes." Midori agreed. "Whether he's been captured or killed I don't know – but he is definitely a person of interest for the Council in all of this. And for me…since I'm sure he had some involvement in Aitori's actions last year too. Father knew of him – this Urahara Keitarou person – and we're quite sure he and Seimaru were working together on whatever was going on here. Probably also in conspiring to kill your late Father in order for Seimaru to take power here – as well as kidnapping a certain promising District shinigami for whatever nefarious ends of his own. From what I understand that was Riku-hime's involvement – in forging a Clan link to this Urahara so that he could claim kinship to the Endou and move more easily in Seimaru's name."
"I see." Misashi sighed. "I thought over and over how Seimaru might have killed Father, but I could see no way in which he could have succeeded. Besides, the grief he showed when the body was found – the shock and dismay on his face were like I'd never seen before. For one to look and feel like that and yet be behind the murder – I did not believe my nephew to be such a good actor as that. Yet…"
"If Keitarou did the killing, perhaps it occurred at a time and place Seimaru wasn't expecting." Midori suggested. "Either way, I'm quite sure that's probably what happened."
"Shunsui-kun and I thought so too." Hirata said darkly. "This Urahara person has the power to control other people with his sword. Maybe he made Seimaru act like that to fool you and the rest of the Endou. He certainly used it to control Eiraki-chan and make her do things in District Eight that frightened her and put a good friend of mine in danger."
"Eiraki…?" Misashi was stricken, and Hirata nodded.
"Thanks to Ukitake-kun, she was all right when Shunsui-kun and I left District Eight." He said soberly. "But I don't know…what Ukitake-kun had to sacrifice to get that to happen. And I don't know…if maybe he was being controlled too. Because he…he didn't think that Keitarou was an enemy. And…and when we left the vicinity of the main house, I felt his spirit power disappearing. Something happened there…because of that man."
"I felt the same as you." Midori agreed. "And so did Kyouki-sama, because we discussed it late last night. But we'll know the facts of it soon enough, Hirata. For the time being, that you and Misashi-sama are alive is enough to be focusing on."
She ushered them out into the cold snow, and as they stepped outside, someone clambered down from the carriage, pausing to gaze at them in sombre, sober silence. Misashi stopped, and Hirata drew breath sharply as he interpreted the other's soft, faintly pulsing reiatsu.
"Genryuusai-sensei." He murmured, and the old man bowed his head slightly, moving across the snow towards them.
"Endou Hirata." He said quietly, and there was a moment of silence that seemed to last forever. Then the old man held out his hand, grasping Hirata's left wrist and pulling it up. Gently he dropped something into the boy's palm, and at the sudden coldness Hirata gasped, closing his fingers around it tightly in surprise.
"You are an Endou once more, therefore your crest should stay with you now." Genryuusai said gravely. "And also, on hearing Kyouki-dono's report, I brought these, too."
He held out something else, and as Hirata took it carefully, he realised it was a spare, unbroken pair of spectacles. With a rueful nod he unfolded them, slipping them onto his nose and blinking as the world suddenly came into focus.
"I seem to be good at breaking them." He murmured, as with trembling fingers he once more fastened the Endou-ke pendant around his neck. "Thank you, Sensei. For…this and for bringing me back my…"
He hesitated, curling his fingers briefly around the pendant a second time, then,
"I know that you told me if I ran off after my Clan you would no longer permit me back as your student." He whispered. "And I accept that…I accept that that will happen, now. But I…I'm glad, anyhow, that I was sent to study with you. I think…because of that…I've learnt a lot."
"Hrm." Genryuusai turned, gesturing to the carriage, but it was not until all four were safely inside and the vehicle had begun to move that he spoke again. Then his moustache twitched thoughtfully, and Hirata had the impression that the old man's gaze was boring into him, reading through to the core of his soul.
At length his lips parted once more.
"I believe I told you that if you broke the bounds of District One and left the school for your homeland, I would discard you as my student." He said softly, rubbing his beard absently as he spoke. "I do not recall, however, saying anything about your actions during a school recess."
"Sensei?" Hirata's eyes became huge, and Midori let out a soft chuckle at the younger boy's expression. Genryuusai spread his hands.
"Such discussions can wait, however." He continued, turning his gaze to Misashi. "Misashi-dono, this is the first time we have spoken face to face since you entrusted your son to me almost two years ago. He has worked exceptionally hard and I am glad to give you such a good report of his progress – but even more glad to see you yourself are alive to receive it."
"Thank you, sir." Misashi bowed his head low in acknowledgement of the old man's words. "For taking and training my son – I am grateful for everything you have done."
"Hirata himself has done most of it – he and the friends he has come to value almost as family." Genryuusai offered Hirata a smile, and the boy returned it faintly. "I remember very clearly what you wrote to me in that letter – that you wanted your son to achieve his potential and that you hoped by doing so one day he could come and fight on equal grounds among his kinsfolk. I understood your message then – that in Hirata you saw the future of your Clan and you would go to whatever lengths necessary to ensure his survival and training experience. You hoped one day you would see him fight and kill his cousin – that one day he would take the leadership of the Endou-ke and bring sanity and honour back to your family. Those were your ambitions – were they not?"
"They are cruel and callous ambitions for a father to harbour for his son, but yes." Misashi admitted slowly. "Those were my exact feelings, Genryuusai-sama. And…and I still feel that way, now. That to burden Hirata with so much is unfortunate, but…but with all that's gone before…I feel…"
"Hirata will not be accepted as Head of the Endou Clan." Genryuusai shook his head, and Misashi's expression became one of dismay.
"But…?"
"It is not possible." Genryuusai responded. "Even though I have heard from Kyouki-dono that the boy did as you hoped for him – that Hirata himself took down Seimaru and therefore in Endou eyes could be called the rightful claimant – he will not be acknowledged as such by the Council of Elders."
The old man spoke evenly and matter-of-factly, yet Hirata could feel the tension rippling through Misashi's body.
"But why?" He whispered, shaking his head as if unable to understand. "By Endou law…by Endou law, if he…with witnesses…if my son truly did…Hirata, you truly did fight Seimaru? Kyouki-sama said to me also that it was so, but…you…did? Truly did…take his life?"
"Yes." Hirata said quietly. "I did."
Though not by honourable means.
"Then why not, Genryuusai-sama?" Misashi was clearly quite upset by this point. "If not Hirata, then the Clan…what future for the Clan? Mother would never forgive me if I miscalculated…if I let the family be ripped apart because…"
"Shh. Calm yourself." Genryuusai shook his head, and Midori grinned.
"You've spent far too long pitching this onto Hirata's shoulders, Misashi-dono." She scolded lightly. "But Hirata's only seventeen and still in training. He's too young in every sense of the word – though one day he will probably make an exceptional leader. He's still a child now – and the Council can't ratify any child to take over a family, let alone one in as much disarray as this one. The subject has already been discussed in Inner Seireitei. We came to this District knowing that."
"I knew it too, Father." Hirata agreed. "That this wasn't my Clan – that wasn't what I was fighting for, exactly."
"Then…?" Misashi looked blank, and Genryuusai reached a wizened hand across to touch the other's shoulder.
"You seem to have forgotten your own position in all of this." He said softly. "And that you exist as more than a facilitator or your Lady Mother's tool from beyond the grave. You are Shouichi-dono's only surviving son and the recorded heir apparent to the previous lord Seimaru. I have confirmed it this morning with Raiden-dono by reading the documents of your Clan and it is quite clearly written that the official succession passes from the childless Seimaru to your own branch of the family. I have also made sure that the Endou-ke will acknowledge a claimant by bloodline as well as by battle and in this case, the Clan would feel more steady under adult rule than taking a gamble on a boy who has been exiled from his land for nearly two years. You are the first claimant to the leadership of the Clan, Misashi-dono. This is your Clan now. The Council came here to act in your name – and the Endou administration are ready and willing to accept you as the true heir to Seimaru and blood son of Shouichi-dono."
"Me?" Misashi looked genuinely stunned, and despite himself Hirata grinned.
"I'm your heir instead now, Father." He said frankly. "And that's fine with me. Even if I killed Seimaru – I'm not really proud of how I did it and I don't think I'm ready to lead a Clan yet. But you…you are. You could…you know that. Everything fell to pieces here when you were locked away – Raiden and Jinkei said so. The Clan need you more than they do me at the moment. I'm the future, perhaps. But right now…you're the head of the Endou Clan. Grandmother would have wanted it that way – and so do I."
"But I have no sword…I am no shinigami." Misashi whispered. "Such a thing…for a Clan like this…"
"Hirata is also not yet a shinigami, and to take him from his training now may mean he never becomes one." Genryuusai said frankly. "You must look to the future, not just to this moment, Misashi-dono. Your son is as you told me – very gifted and blessed with perception and spiritual skill. But he is physically weak and inexperienced and his sword skills are still very basic at best. Three, maybe four more years of good training would make a difference to that. He has after all shown a willingness to learn, but not all children have talent in all areas. This Hirata is still in transition. Whether he becomes the shinigami I know he could be depends on the decisions made now. He has reached a crossroads by taking so much into his own hands and facing so many adult questions while still so young. But he should still be protected for now. And if you took the Clan, that could happen. Until your son is of a level that none can oppose him – until the Endou-ke is firmly and strongly once more on its feet."
"The Endou-ke have been plunged into chaos by Seimaru, but also by Shouichi-sama." Midori said gravely. "They need security and level-headedness, not blood and warfare while everything settles back down. We can help, but this is a family who do not naturally trust outsiders. That's why we wanted to find you alive, too. You're as needed for this Clan's survival as your son is. And that's why the Council came here – to arrest Seimaru for misdeeds and take hold of District Seven in your name."
"Does that mean…you still intend to train me, Sensei?" Hope flickered in Hirata's pale eyes, and Genryuusai nodded.
"I sensed something in you last year when you defied Seimaru and chose to stay in District One." He said quietly. "That beneath your uncertainty and fear was a stubborn resolve that would see you through even the most adverse of circumstances. In that moment I felt that your father had been right. You were the only one in the Endou-ke who could take on Seimaru…and who could, somehow, defeat Seimaru. I didn't expect it like this – or that it would happen so quickly. But that it has has made me all the more certain of your abilities. If you will come back to the Academy…then I would be glad to continue to train you."
Hirata glanced at Misashi, who let out a heavy sigh.
"I have been short sighted." He admitted. "In not realising that because I didn't view myself as a claimant, others might feel otherwise. I even told Raiden and Jinkei that I would not take the Clan – but if I had, what would I have saved? If I had…could I have prevented the things that followed? If, without a zanpakutou, Hirata managed to defeat Seimaru – what could I have done to achieve the same end?"
"Without Midori-sama and Kyouki-sama I wouldn't have defeated him. Without the things he was involved in and the situation being as it was, I would've been killed." Hirata shook his head. "But Father, Sensei and Midori-sama are right. If you don't accept the Clan leadership, then the District will be forced into protectorship, won't it? At least till I come of age, but even so…even so…"
"You want to continue training in District One, and that may not fully finish till you are twenty one." Misashi frowned. "But what Genryuusai-sama says is also true. To waste your potential by hurrying your position – that was never my intention. I just worry…my Father was Gotei, and…"
"Seventh District's squad will be placed under interdict for various misdemeanours." Genryuusai said simply. "Guren-sama has sent a damning summary report already which details various abuses – including those ranked as shinigami who lack even basic sword skills, as well as shinigami being used to raze and terrorise citizens of the District rather than hunting and slaying Hollows. The men will be treated with mercy providing they cooperate with the Council – after all, they are sworn to obey orders given, and so far they seem keen to do as they're told. But there will be no Seventh Squad after the Council's next meeting – of that I am quite sure."
He smiled.
"Although not a regular member of the Council of Elders, my opinion does carry some weight there." He added lightly. "And for the time being, I am representing my Clan as regards this particular operation. Therefore I intend to suggest that Seventh Squad be placed on hiatus until the administration of District Seven can be seen to have stabilised and shinigami provision is once more viable. Currently District Eight is policed mostly by the Tenth and Eleventh squads. It would be my hope that the Ninth and Twelfth Squads would be deployed to act on the behalf of this region until such times as a formal squad of its own can be reformed. I will suggest a hiatus period of ten years. That should be more than enough for the Endou-ke to bring their domain under control."
"And for Hirata to complete his training and learn how to be a Clan leader, too." Misashi's eyes narrowed. "Very well. If those are the terms, I will accept your proposition, Genryuusai-sama. You speak mildly, but I am not ignorant to how much influence you have in all the big Clan decisions, and I know your words will carry weight with whoever should hear them. That being the case, I have no choice but to accept – but only on this one condition. That when my son is deemed trained and ready to be a Gotei Captain and a leader, the District passes to his control. I am an administrator, but I was never allowed to be a fighter. And in the long term, such a person will never maintain control over a family such as this – even if right now that is what is most needed."
"Father…" Hirata gazed at him in consternation, and Misashi grinned.
"When that time comes, I will step into the shadows but continue to assist you in any way I can." He promised. "Our family have proven themselves dysfunctional and broken over the past few generations – but not this time around."
"The Shihouin Clan would approve of such a suggestion." Midori nodded. "As the ally of the Endou, I'm sure my people would prefer not to be fighting bloody civil battles to try and gain control. This idea seems the best one – and when Hirata is ready, Kai and I will endorse his claim and help him to be accepted at the Council."
"Then it is decided." Genryuusai seemed relieved, and Hirata realised at that moment that gaining Misashi's agreement had never been seen as a sure thing. "The Endou council have been ordered to assemble, and when we arrive back there, you will both be called before them. Now you are settled with your futures, it will be easier to present to them and for them to accept."
Hirata chewed on his lip, then,
"Sensei…I wanted to ask you…I mean, I need to ask you…about…Shunsui-kun and about…about Ukitake-kun."
"Ah. Yes." Genryuusai's gaze once more became grave, and fear leapt into Hirata's pale eyes. "I was waiting for you to ask me – and I might have been tempted to shield you from the answer. But for one who will become the heir to a difficult Clan in a District full of troubles – I won't avoid your question. You have the right to know the end results of your decision to come to District Seven without guidance or support."
Hirata's heart clenched, and Genryuusai sighed.
"Both boys live." He said at length, yet the relief that Hirata felt should come did not as he interpreted the concern in the old man's gaze. "Yet both have suffered from this encounter. Perhaps irrevocably. I do not know. Thanks to the manipulations of Urahara Keitarou and his sword."
"What happened to Juushirou, Genryuusai-sama?" Midori asked quietly, and Genryuusai frowned.
"He is currently quite ill, though thanks to the intervention of a talented young healer, he lives." He said quietly. "He was taken over and controlled by the highest level of spiritual manipulation and it has done serious damage to his body and his soul. Retsu-sama has said that he will recover – but the process will be long and slow and it may yet prove to set him back in his quest to master his zanpakutou. Still…at the present time…the hold of that man's sword has been decisively broken and he will most probably survive."
"And Shunsui-kun?" Hirata whispered.
"For him, a broken arm is the only physical proof of conflict." Genryuusai said grimly. "But Urahara's sword caused Juushirou to act against him – to attack him – and to stop him Shunsui had to use his own skills to bring his friend down. The blow he struck should have been a fatal one – that it was not was fortune that could not be forseen. That he had the resolve to act so gives me pleasure but…"
"He's the kind of boy who might not forgive himself for causing harm to his friend." Midori said sadly. "That's what you mean, isn't it?"
"He is his father's son, and his father never tolerated such sins either." Genryuusai said cryptically. "Though both boys live and will heal in body…I have worries for them when it comes to the lasting impact on their minds and their consciences. I cannot hide it from you in particular, Hirata – that all that has happened has been a consequence of your family's dysfunction and greed."
Hirata lowered his head, digesting this for a moment. Then he nodded.
"I understand." He said, somehow managing to keep his words level. "And for that reason, I'll keep working hard. I won't let the Endou go like that again, no matter what. And I won't…I won't be angry with Shunsui-kun or with Ukitake-kun for the decisions they made or the things that happened. Because…because I've got blood on my hands too."
"Children made adults in a brief, fleeting moment of violence." Midori murmured. "For me it came when I took my blade into my hands and struck down the man who beat Kai to within an inch of his life. Then I learnt it…that I was powerful and that my decisions carried weight and could bring danger, too. Now its their turn, isn't it, Genryuusai-sama? Kai learnt it when he fought with Tomoyuki and almost got himself killed. And Hirata, Juushirou and Shunsui-dono…they're learning it now."
"To survive in this world, it's not a bad lesson to learn young." Misashi reflected. "Even if it seems harsh, it has to be learnt. If those boys will be shinigami, Genryuusai-sama – if they will be of use to Seireitei as you hope – they will have to face that lesson. That their decisions impact on others. That they are to blame for things and must take responsibility for things they have no direct control over."
"And that's why you'll be the next leader of District Seven." Midori cast him a smile. "Because you see things so clearly, just like that."
"Shunsui-kun and Ukitake-kun got involved in this to help me, because I'm their friend and because Eiraki was used as a decoy and a weapon by the enemy against us." Hirata murmured. "Sensei, when we get back to the main house, I want to speak to them. I want to…"
"After you speak to your Clan." Genryuusai shook his head. "Your friends can see you afterwards. Shunsui in particular, I think, will benefit from your company. Juushirou was still sleeping when I left and perhaps will continue to sleep for a while yet. But your Clan comes first now. If you're to be considered an adult in any sphere, Hirata, you must begin it here."
"All right." Hirata sighed, but nodded his head. "I understand. This has always been about my Clan, after all – the least I can do is try and help put it back together."
Author's Note
It's come to my attention that some folk are having trouble catching up with the story posting and aren't having time to read one chapter before another is posted up. I'm also insanely busy at the moment, and I don't want to neglect my duty of replying to reviews and stuff any more than I already have done.
There are only two or three chapters left of this story now, plus one overall epilogue chapter and they will be updated as people catch up with what's been written so far - hopefully once each week. :)
So just in case anyone is wondering why the slow-down, I thought I'd explain xD At the moment with everything going on in RL and stuff, I am fairly certain Meifu will end with this story, so if that's the case, I'd like to go out in style and with all readers caught up and not feeling hurried to do so!