Chapter Twenty Five: Shoubu
"I realise that I'm probably talking to a deaf person, and that you'll probably continue to ignore me." As the two boys reached the edges of the training arena, Shunsui cast his companion a plaintive look. "But my conscience will probably bite me if I don't at least try once more, so I'm going to say it anyway. Whilst there's still a chance for you to change your mind and turn back, I'm going to remind you that you don't have to do this, Juu."
Juushirou frowned, impatience sparking briefly in his hazel eyes as he made his way over to the asauchi rack of weapons that stood beneath a flimsy wooden shelter on the furthest side of the arena. Originally there had been proper sheds here, but generations of students with sword releases had managed to put paid to most of them, so now it was only the simplest of shelters that covered the weapons and kept them from being soaked by rain. Only Senior students were allowed to use these for training purposes without signing them out with a teacher first, and it was that fact which had allowed Akira to make his peremptory challenge.
In short, Seniors did not need to seek permission to spar with swords at any time of day or night. It was that which had kept Shunsui trailing after Juushirou even despite his resolution to fight – for the chances of any staff member intervening in the battle of blades was remote, regardless of the previous night's events.
Which leaves just Ryuu and I to try and stop him from fighting.
Shunsui sighed heavily, then followed his friend towards the rack of weapons.
Being the best friend of an idealistic idiot is a thankless task at the best of times. I have no idea what you're trying to prove or who you think you're proving it to, but I wish you'd stop being so bull-headed and think about things for a moment. You're only going to get hurt, and even if you won't acknowledge it, I know that you're still not well.
Carefully Juushirou ran his finger along the rack of sheathed weapons, selecting one and closing his right hand around its hilt.
"No, I know that I don't have to." He said aloud now, pulling the katana from the rack and glancing at it briefly for a moment before sliding it into his obi. "I'm choosing to do it, Shunsui. That's a quite different thing."
"With a fever?" Shunsui arched an eyebrow, and Juushirou shrugged.
"When in squad, I won't be able to nurse my ills every time we're called into action." He said pragmatically. "And besides, this is more than just a random training bout. You understand, don't you? If I walk away every time he challenges me, it will just seem more and more like I'm afraid of facing him. I gave him my word. I don't intend to break it now. I don't want people to think I'm unreliable or a coward."
"You don't have to prove anything." Shunsui objected, and Juushirou snorted.
"Of course I do." He said evenly. "I'm Anideshi."
And with that he turned away from his friend, heading purposefully across the training ground to where Akira was already waiting.
The other boy had his weapon drawn from its sheath, and at first glance Shunsui could see that it was not one of the school's regulation asauchi, but the custom made katana engraved with the crest of the Yamamoto Clan on the hilt. Though it was not Akira's zanpakutou, Shunsui felt a faint stir of dislike swell inside of him as he took in the other's stance. Akira had clearly come here to make a point. He was Yamamoto, so was the school. And Juushirou was just a District boy who had usurped a position he had no right to hold.
His gaze flitted to his friend pensively.
Maybe that's what's on Juu's mind. That this is a territorial fight for the right of Anideshi. Hell, on the terms of this jumped up Yamamoto idiot, perhaps Juu does have to prove he's there by rights. But right now, can he? He's not weak with a sword...that's something that's beyond doubt. But...he isn't a hundred percent fit. Yesterday's drenching has taken its toll on him, and he didn't get to sleep for very long, once Sensei had done grilling him. I wonder if Akira even realises that. Could he have slept through it all, or does he know about it? Perhaps he simply doesn't care, so long as he gets his way?
"I wondered if you were actually going to come." Akira broke the silence, eying Juushirou with derision. "You certainly took your time in appearing. I was about to give up."
"I apologise for my lateness." Juushirou spoke calmly, the fingers of his right hand slipping around the hilt of the sheathed katana as he did so. "Last night I had to deal with an incident involving a first year, and so I didn't get to bed until quite late. For that reason I overslept a little this morning - but I am fairly sure I gave assurances that I would be here as soon as possible."
His gaze flitted to Ryuu, who nodded his head.
"I told them so." The Kuchiki boy said flatly. "Unfortunately it seems that the word of a Kuchiki is not good enough in such situations."
"That's a shame." Juushirou pursed his lips. "Still, I'm here. Do you still want to spar with me, Yamamoto-kun?"
"Yamamoto-kun." Akira snorted. "I thought I told you how I feel about you calling me that – as though I'm a junior student you expect to look up to you. Let's get this straight now, Ukitake. You are my kouhai. You entered this school a year behind me, and where you came from only you know. I've heard enough stories about you and the things you can do - well, I want to see them for a change. I'm fed up of just being told, by you or by other people. Most of all, though, I'm fed up with that smug 'I can do anything' attitude you insist on foisting on people day in and day out. If you are Anideshi by any reason other than Genryuusai-sama's wild whim, now is the time you prove it to me."
"All right." Juushirou nodded, drawing his sword from its sheath and resting it against his leg. "I've no objection to that. I don't know what you've been 'told' about me, or what attitude you're talking about, but its like I said yesterday. I'm quite happy to spar you, if it will make you feel better."
"Right." Akira glanced across to where Kanshi and Aoi were standing on the sidelines, Kanshi looking fed up at being dragged from his bed so early, and Aoi looking more than a little perturbed at what was about to take place. "Kanshi and Aoi are here to witness this for me. Since Kuchiki and Kyouraku are both here, they may act the same for you. I intend on fighting you fairly, and I don't descend to low tricks...so I hope you intend to fight the same way. As you haven't bothered to draw a sword – or even turn up – for much of our Ouyoudou so far this term, I've no way of knowing what kind of swordsmanship District children learn."
Shunsui winced inwardly as he saw the flash of indignation flare in Juushirou's fevered hazel eyes. His friend was twice as emotional and irrational when in the grip of one of his regular attacks, and Shunsui knew that it would not take much for him to throw caution to the wind and simply follow his impetuous instincts.
He's sicker than I thought he was at first. No wonder he pulled away from me in the nest - he didn't want me to feel just how high is fever was running. Damn you, Juu. This is real madness – why don't you see that?
"I'll show you, then." Juushirou did not meet Shunsui's gaze, instead casting Akira a challenging glance. "Well? What are the rules?"
"The first to disarm the other is the winner." Akira said flatly. "No Kidou. No zanpakutou. No shunpo. Just swords. Understood?"
"That seems fair enough to me." Juushirou nodded his head, and Shunsui let out his breath in a rush.
If he doesn't have to use kidou or shunpo, he won't be calling on his spirit power. Perhaps it will be all right. If he can disarm Akira quickly...but then, Akira's no mean fighter. I've seen him...Juushirou's not sparring an amateur. This guy gave Enishi a good run for his money before Minabe called time on their training fight - whereas Enishi can still wipe the floor with Juu most days in a battle of straight swords.
"In that case, we ought to get this little party underway." Kanshi glanced up at the sun, then, "I think we've about an hour or so still before our seminar with Sensei. If you guys are ready..."
"We're ready." Akira said briskly, and Juushirou raised his sword, nodding his head.
"Ready." He agreed.
Kanshi frowned, then he raised his hand.
"Hajime!" He exclaimed, and almost before the word had dropped from his lips Akira had sprung forward, swinging his sword determinedly towards Juushirou's as though intending to try to disarm him in the very first move. Juushirou had anticipated him, however, and he ducked to the side just in time, bringing his own weapon up to strike it against his classmate's expensive katana. The clash of metal rang out several more times as the two blades met at ferocious pace before Akira let out a yell, driving his weapon towards Juushirou's undefended left side. Shunsui drew breath sharply, but Juushirou once again had anticipated the move, darting out of the way and swinging his own weapon up to meet Akira's.
But can he keep this up?
Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he ran his gaze over first his friend then the challenger. Akira was taller and broader of build than Juushirou, and that he had more physical strength was without doubt. Though Juushirou had learnt to fight quickly to avoid putting too much pressure on his delicate body, Shunsui knew that in his current state he could probably not maintain it for a long period of time.
"You couldn't talk him out of it, then?"
Ryuu's voice at his side made him start and he glanced up, shaking his head.
"He wouldn't have any of it." He murmured. "Said he had to prove that he was Anideshi. His pride took on this challenge, but to be honest, Ryuu..."
"I know." Ryuu's lips thinned. "He's not entirely well. I can tell just as much as you can. He's never as reckless as this unless he's starting a fever. And I saw it...in his eyes, just now, when Yamamoto was taunting him. He's intending to fight this to the end, no matter what the outcome."
"It's one of his more annoying traits." Shunsui muttered, as the swords met again, this time Akira managing to push Juushirou back a few steps before the white-haired boy managed to sidestep and launch his own counter attack. "He's stubborn most of the time, but like this..."
"It's not that I don't believe in his ability." Ryuu bit down hard on his lip. "Just in the current physical state he presents, and that in conjunction with Yamamoto's desire to win...I wonder whether he will do more harm than good by accepting this challenge now."
"He'd already accepted it before that first year got himself into trouble yesterday." Shunsui responded. "And he said backing out would undermine his position. Probably he is right about that. But there's still only so much one body can undergo before it gives up. Juu got drenched last night looking for Tsukabishi...not to mention the fact he faced off with a tricky Hollow and had to answer for it before Genryuusai-sensei. In those circumstances, postponing would have been the most sensible thing to do. But he wouldn't hear of it."
"Ukitake has Kuchiki blood running through his veins, alongside the District blood of his own family house." Ryuu said gravely. "Sometimes...even that dilute amount is enough to make one act recklessly in favour of honour and pride."
"Ryuu?" Shunsui glanced at his companion, who sighed.
"Ignore me." He said heavily. "I am a little jaded towards my Clan at present...and certainly, being born of its blood is doing Ukitake no particular favours right at the moment."
"No, on that count I agree with you." Shunsui ran his fingers through his messy brown hair as he watched the two boys circle each other cautiously, before Akira drove forward yet again, narrowly missing slicing through the sleeve of Juushirou's hakamashita to the flesh below. "Akira's a good fighter, and he's been training a long time. Enishi's said that there have been times Akira's beaten him fair and square - and I've never seen Juu beat Enishi in a straight sword fight before."
"That's because it hasn't happened." Ryuu said succinctly. "Shihouin is the only one who has managed that feat to date."
"That's what I thought." Shunsui said grimly. "Juu's such an pain sometimes. I had assumed that now we were Seniors he would've had enough common sense to put his health before his pride, so I'd assumed he was going to talk to Yamamoto - that was the impression he gave Hirata and I both last night, else you can guarantee we would've done something off our own bat to scupper this little confrontation. I only realised he was intending to go through with it this morning - and I wasn't able to talk him around. Mitsuki's potion probably helped him - but honestly, I don't think it did enough."
"Mitsuki can't work miracles." Ryuu muttered. "Her remedies may drop fevers, but they can do nothing for rampant idiocy."
"That's true." Despite himself Shunsui smiled. "I suppose there are some things that just can't be cured."
"Ukitake is also the kind who, once his mind is made up, it is impossible to make him do anything different." Ryuu shook his head. "You know it as well as I do. No matter how little sense he shows, if he was resolved to fight this morning, short of tying him up, we would not have stopped him."
"Also true." Shunsui sighed heavily. "It doesn't make me feel any better knowing it, though."
At that moment there was a yell from the field as Akira lunged forward, sweeping his weapon from left to right and pushing against Juushirou's weapon with such force it seemed as though the other boy must lose his grip. Somehow Juushirou held on, but the momentum of Akira's attack sent him flying against his companion, and both boys tumbled heavily onto the uneven terrain.
"Juu!" Shunsui was alert in a moment, even as Akira began to pick himself up. "Are you all right?"
"Akira, that wasn't part of the rules." Kanshi said bluntly, and Akira grimaced, shaking his head.
"I didn't intend to charge him either. I thought the idiot would let go before I hit him." He said, rubbing his shoulder absently as he did so. "Most sane people let go of their weapon when it's just a training spar like this. If he'd done that and got out of the way, I wouldn't have hit him."
"Akira's right." Aoi pointed out. "They collided because Ukitake didn't let go of his sword."
"Letting...go...of my...sword...is...conceding defeat." Juushirou dragged himself into a sitting position, and Shunsui saw that his left arm was wrapped protectively around his chest as he glared at his companion. "I haven't...let go...because I'm not...done fighting yet."
"Don't be stupid." Akira snorted. "You may have clung on like an idiot, but I rammed right into you. You're winded at best. Your loss, Ukitake. Accept it and relinquish your blade."
"I said...I wasn't done." Juushirou's eyes narrowed. "You...made the rules. If...I haven't...been disarmed...I haven't...been defeated yet."
He coughed, pain flickering across his features, and Shunsui was alarmed to see specks of blood at the corner of his friend's mouth.
"Juu, Akira's right!" He exclaimed. "You don't need to keep fighting...not like this. You know that..."
"I said I hadn't finished." Juushirou's glare silenced even Shunsui's attempts, and he dug the tip of his sword into the earth, using the weapon to pull himself fully to his feet. He coughed again, left hand going to his mouth, and this time Kanshi let out an exclamation of his own.
"Ukitake? Dammit, Akira, he's hurt. He's coughing blood...you can't keep fighting him in this..."
"If he says he's not done, then he's not done." Akira waved his friend away, his gaze fixed firmly on his opponent. "I'll take him at his word, Kanshi. He's right. I haven't disarmed him. If he's still fool enough that he wants to take a further battering...well...that's up to him. He's Anideshi, lets not forget."
There was a faintly mocking irony in his last words, and Shunsui saw Juushirou's gaze harden, wiping the blood from his lips with his sleeve as he nodded.
"Good." He said softly, his words a little hoarse. "Then let's go."
Almost before he had finished speaking, he had darted forward, and though Shunsui could detect the swirling of his friend's shaken reiatsu, there was no hesitation in Juushirou's swing. Akira muttered a curse, bringing his own weapon up to meet his companion's attack with relative ease.
"You really can't think that you've the strength left after that to take my sword from me." He said derisively. "Be real and accept defeat, Ukitake. You're not proving anything by..."
"I'm not trying to prove anything to you." Juushirou cut across him, bringing his weapon back and driving it forward again with barely a moment of pause. "I'm fighting because I can and I said I wasn't done. I'm following your rules and I mean to honour them. If you're so sure you can beat me...you want to do it properly, don't you?"
"I'm not objecting." Akira growled back, shifting his weight from right to left as he easily parried Juushirou's swing. "But it's fairly obvious to me that you aren't going to win. I'm only trying to save you getting completely wiped out."
"Thank you...for the...concern." Juushirou gasped back, darting to the left to avoid Akira's swing. Shunsui saw his friend's grip tighten around the hilt of the katana, and he inwardly let out a groan.
In this frame of mind, there's no reasoning with him at all. If Akira doesn't disarm him quickly...it might get messy for all concerned.
"Have it your way." Akira shrugged, bringing his weapon sharply down in a diagonal thrust towards the hilt of Juushirou's weapon. For a moment it seemed as though the white haired boy had frozen on the spot, then Shunsui saw the fingers of his left hand twitch slightly, and his eyes widened as he realised what his classmate intended.
Reckless, foolish...idiotic. But dammit, what else is there left to try? It's the one sword strength he has that Akira doesn't. If he can use it...maybe it's the only thing left he can use.
As these thoughts ran through Shunsui's mind, Juushirou ducked out of the way of Akira's swing, turning and launching his own offensive back in the other boy's direction with a sharp, driving thrust. Then, as he drew closer to where Akira was already preparing to deflect his attack, he switched his grip, passing the blade from the right hand into the left and bringing his weapon down firmly against the flat side of his classmate's blade. Taken off guard, Akira's grip faltered for the briefest moment, and Juushirou capitalised, bringing his sword back up again to knock the ornately patterned weapon completely free from the older boy's grasp.
It spun through the air a few times, glittering in the sunlight before embedding itself in the ground some two or three metres away, and Akira could only stare at it in disbelief as he realised what had happened.
"Ippon, Ukitake." Kanshi's voice reflected both respect and incredulity, then, "Hey! Ukitake, are you all right?" As Juushirou sank to the ground, dropping his own sword as a fit of coughing overtook his fragile frame. Shunsui darted forward now, dropping down at Juushirou's side and putting a supportive arm around the shaking boy's upper body as he choked, blood spilling once more from his lips onto the earth below.
"Dammit, he really is hurt." Aoi sounded frightened. "We should go get Unohana-sensei...we should..."
"I'm all right." Juushirou gasped out, raising his gaze to shake his head. "I'm fine, Michihashi-kun. Really. I..."
The rest was lost in another bout of coughing, and Shunsui sighed, holding his friend firmly as the shudders wracked through his body.
"You're not fine." He said reproachfully. "Stop talking and just breathe for a minute, all right? Otherwise I will be taking you to the Healing Bay, Anideshi or not."
"Shunsui..." Juushirou managed his friend's name before a fresh spasm of coughing overwhelmed him, and Aoi and Kanshi exchanged alarmed looks.
"Shouldn't we take him there anyhow?" Kanshi demanded. "If he's coughing blood, Kyouraku, surely that means he has some kind of internal injury? When Akira charged him like that - what if he cracked a rib or something worse? Leaving it might be dangerous - this was just a spar, not an all out battle of life and death."
"Kanshi's right." Aoi nodded anxiously. "We should at least ask her advice. Just in case."
"If he doesn't want to go, we won't make him." Shunsui sighed, tightening his grip on his friend as the spasms abated, and Juushirou drew heavy, rasping gasps of air into battered lungs. "But it's probably okay, if he doesn't. You shouldn't look like that, either of you - Akira didn't cause this. It was Juu's own idiocy that did."
Juushirou tensed beneath his touch at this, but he was clearly beyond words at that moment, and Shunsui pushed forward, taking advantage of the brief lull in his friend's ability to converse.
"Juushirou has a lung condition called haibyou." He continued quietly. "And thanks to yesterday's events, he woke this morning with a fever. One of the reasons that he was late here this morning was because I was trying to persuade him not to take part in this silly show of power. But Juu seemed to think that keeping his word was more important, even if it brought on a haibyou attack."
"Haibyou?" Aoi blanched. "The white...plague?"
"You know about it?" Ryuu eyed him quizzically, and Aoi nodded.
"My father specialises in medical research within District Three, and for a long time they tried to find a cure for it." He agreed gravely. "But they couldn't isolate it or find a way to overcome it. Most...most people died. Several were children. They just couldn't..."
He trailed off, and Shunsui sighed.
"Juu isn't the kind of person to let it dictate his life or his ambitions." He said quietly, raising his gaze to meet the mute expression of the Yamamoto Clan's younger son. "Akira-kun, he came here today because keeping his promise to you mattered to him. If you think that Genryuusai-sensei's Anideshi has no respect for you or your position or ability, that should tell you otherwise."
There was a long silence, punctuated only by Juushirou's struggles to steady his breathing, then Kanshi stepped forward.
"Kyouraku, I'll help you take him inside." He suggested evenly. "Obviously he's proven his point - but there's no sense him pushing himself further. From what you said, I guess its okay if he doesn't go to Unohana-sensei, but like that..."
"I...can speak...for myself." Juushirou struggled to assert himself back into the conversation at that point, pushing Shunsui back. "And there w...was no n...need to talk so much about...things that...don't matter, Shunsui. I...I'm all right."
"No, you're not." Shunsui told him frankly. "So shut up. We gave you your way and let you fight. Now you give us ours and let us take you to the nest. We'll tell Sensei your soaking last night made you ill and so you're sleeping off a fever - he won't mind, and he'll probably expect it, having seen the drowned rat you made rescuing Tsukabishi."
"But..."
"No buts. Kyouraku is right." Ryuu spoke up now. "Shut up and stop arguing, Ukitake. You make no sense when like this, and it's pitiful to make such a fuss when you've won your match."
Despite himself, Kanshi grinned at the obstinate expression that flooded Juushirou's eyes.
"You really are an interesting bunch, that's for sure." He reflected. "More so than I'd realised."
He turned to Akira.
"You know, it seems there is a reason Sensei chose Ukitake." He remarked. "I never saw anyone do anything quite so stupid in a spar before...or with quite so much penache. I certainly wasn't expecting it."
Akira met his gaze for a moment, then he shook his head slightly, moving to retrieve his sword.
"I'll see you in class." He said quietly. "Aoi, if you're not lingering to play nursemaid, you come with me. Let Kanshi do as he pleases...we're not needed here."
Aoi hesitated for a moment, but Akira clearly had no plans to wait around, so with a sigh he turned on his heel, scurrying after his roommate across the uneven ground.
Once out of earshot, Shunsui pulled a face.
"That was a poor reaction." He observed, and Kanshi sighed.
"Akira's got his fair share of pride." He said frankly. "He'll need to think it over for a while, that's all. Besides, he's probably as surprised as I was."
He glanced at Juushirou.
"I didn't know you could fight left-handed."
"Of course I can." Juushirou struggled to his feet, reluctantly accepting the proffered hands as he took a deep, steadying breath of air into his lungs. "If I couldn't, I wouldn't be able to...use my zanpakutou, would I?"
"Souryou hasn't seen Sougyo no Kotowari." Ryuu reminded him. "There's no reason he - or Yamamoto - should have known anything about that."
"You fight left handed with your zanpakutou?" Kanshi looked quizzical, and Juushirou shook his head.
"Two-handed." he responded, and Kanshi's brow creased.
"Two...?"
"Kyouraku and Ukitake both have dual-bladed zanpakutou." Ryuu said categorically.
"But...it's one katana...isn't it?" As they began to walk back towards the building, Kanshi still looked confused. "Kyouraku's I knew about - well, it's two swords, anyhow - a proper daishou pair, so far as I can tell. But I didn't realise..."
"Sougyo splits...from one to two...when I release it." Juushirou said softly. "Hence I had...to learn...to fight with the other hand too. Otherwise...it's a weakness, not a strength."
He managed a faint smile.
"I'm not...as good at it...as Shunsui. He's...ambidextrous, so he...has the jump on me." He added. "But...I'm getting better at it."
"Definitely passable, these days." Shunsui grinned back. "Certainly enough to switch grips and take Akira off guard."
"Mm." Ryuu pursed his lips. "Although what has been achieved this morning, I am not sure. I did not get the feeling that Yamamoto has accepted Ukitake any more than he had before the fight."
"Probably not." Kanshi admitted. "Like I said, Akira's proud. And he...well, he's felt that he should have been Anideshi this year. What happened with our old class...isn't his fault. On the contrary, Akira was always well ahead of everyone. He's not talentless, nor a slacker. So it came as a shock. For Aoi, Suzuno and I - well, we're not slackers either, but we're obviously not in his league. He's never been challenged by anyone particularly before."
"Then we all got shuffled, and now this." Shunsui observed. "Finding out that we got equivalent or higher marks in some things as Fourth years too - that must've rubbed it in even more."
"It did." Kanshi sighed. "That people a whole class below us could outrank us - none of us thought that could happen so easily, to be truthful. But none of you are pushovers. We're all realising that if we want to rank at all this year, we're going to have to work twice as hard in every area to keep up. Akira's the only one who's not in that position - but he's no longer out in front, and...well...it will take him a while to get used to that. With the assessments coming up...I think he's afraid he's going to lose his top rank. And I think...there's a good possibility that he is."
He glanced at Shunsui.
"Sora talks a lot." He said unnecessarily. "But sometimes I listen to the things she says. She seems to think you're some kind of a prodigy yourself. And you know, I'm starting to wonder about it. I know you ranked top of your year since first year. But you don't seem to put in effort the way everyone else does."
"That's because...Shunsui's...a genius." Juushirou's words were hoarse and slightly edged, and Shunsui gave him a dark glare.
"I am not. And I do not like that word." He said firmly. "But as for the assessments, Souryou, we'll see. I don't go out to take top place. When it happens it does. If it happens this time, it won't be by my design. I prefer a quiet life and I'm not very competitive."
He frowned.
"Maybe I should fudge my papers, if it would calm down Akira-kun's ire a little bit." He wondered.
"No." Kanshi shook his head. "Akira's proud - I told you that, didn't I? He wants to do things under his own steam. He isn't a bad person - even if he can be unreasonable at times. And he wouldn't like it, if you did that."
"Pity." Shunsui grinned. "I thought I might get to sleep through a paper or two."
"If that's the case, Souryou, I assume that you can vouch for Yamamoto's character on another matter?" Ryuu asked quietly, and Kanshi shot him a startled look.
"In what sense?" He asked, and Ryuu's gaze darkened.
"Some unpleasantness has happened surrounding Ukitake and a First year by the name of Tsukabishi." He said evenly. "I am freshly returned here, so I do not know all the particulars. Whilst it seems probable that this has no connection to you or your friend - I have seen today the genuine resentment he holds for Ukitake and, if I may say so, that this morning's fight has not abated it. Therefore I must ask..."
"I don't believe Yamamoto-kun was involved." Juushirou shook his head, swallowing hard before he spoke to contain the twitches in his chest and throat. "It isn't...his style."
"Unpleasantness? Like what?" Kanshi's brow knitted together, and Shunsui grimaced.
"Someone scared a kid witless with threats of one kind or another, trying to make him steal Juu's sword and dispose of it." He said quietly. "The lad was so frightened he wound up running away. Last night, Juu, Hirata and I went to hunt him down - and Juu killed a Hollow trying to protect him. The youngster's back here now, and safe - and Juu's sword is also locked safely in the Nest. But we still don't officially know who was behind it, or who made Tsukabishi so afraid."
"Akira isn't like that!" Indignation flared in Kanshi's gaze. "However proud or obstinate he can be, he's not that kind of underhand person!"
"We didn't think so. The suspicion looks more likely to point to others." Shunsui admitted. "But I suppose I understand why Ryuu asked."
"Akira's not that type." Kanshi said firmly. "He doesn't bully children into doing things he wouldn't do face to face."
"I agree." Juushirou said softly. "I don't like Yamamoto-kun, and he doesn't like me. But he's not made a secret of his feelings. He's challenged me up front enough times. It's all right, Souryou-kun. Even if it looked like a Senior was involved...I wouldn't believe it was Yamamoto-kun's doing."
"You mean that, don't you?" Kanshi's anger faded as he gazed at the injured boy in surprise, and Juushirou nodded.
"If people have issues with my being Anideshi, those are m...my weaknesses to find and iron out." He agreed softly. "Yamamoto-kun also has his reasons...for disapproving of Genryuusai-sensei's choice."
He coughed again, and Shunsui patted him gently on the back.
"All right. Enough talking for you, Anideshi-sama." He said lightly. "Let's get you to the nest and you can lie down. You'll feel better once you do, and now you've sated your pride for the day, you'd better rest meekly from this point on."
Juushirou sighed, but as he met his friend's gaze, Shunsui saw resignation in his expression.
"All right." He murmured. "The nest it is. Let's go."
"I honestly don't know what to think at the moment."
Guren let out a heavy sigh, resting his hand pensively against the cold stone wall of the mausoleum as he cast his companion a hopeless glance. "I thought that coming here might steady my thoughts a little and make it clearer, Futsuki - but in truth, all I'm doing is looking for my son when he's not here to reach any more."
"There's nothing wrong with attending the memorials of those you loved, Guren." Futsuki frowned, eying his younger half-brother keenly as he did so. "But I sense something more to you this morning. A reason why you sent for me so early despite my late errands last night, and a reason why there is an uneasy sense of...something around the grounds today. To speak to me before Ribari's grave...something must be troubling you deeply indeed."
"I suppose I'm still trying to put the pieces together." Guren admitted, turning back towards the shining new marble plinth that indicated the final resting place of his only son's mortal remains. "Within the space of a month I have lost the person who gave me the most pride and joy in this world, and all hell seems to have been let loose around me. The truth is, for as long as I've ruled this Clan, I have never felt so helpless. I've tried so very hard to keep focused on the family and its needs. But...there are times..."
He rested his hands on the smooth stone surface.
"Times I would like to see him, just for a moment, and understand what it was that happened that night."
Futsuki's eyes softened, and he nodded his head.
"He was a fine young man." He agreed evenly. "A very fine prospect and a very grave loss to all of us. But I see it, Guren - in your eyes, in your words, in your general demeanour. It's as though someone stripped from you a part of your soul. You have to have time still to grieve - but in the meantime, you must not let yourself be dragged apart by the murmurs and uncertainty surrounding this house. The Clan needs you. More now than it has since the day Senaya-sama passed away."
"Father..."
Guren's expression clouded for a moment, and he nodded his head.
"That was the last time I felt such grief and anger as this, and I find both hard to conceal or control." He murmured softly. "I confess it, Futsuki - I feel as though I am swithering and uncertain before my vassals because I'm attempting to keep my real feelings checked and reined in. I think...I would frighten people, if I allowed myself to act as I truly wish. I believe...maybe I would frighten even myself."
His fingers brushed against the hilt of his zanpakutou.
"When Father died, Seiren and I stained our blades with traitor blood." He added flatly. "How many heads we took, how many rebels we routed - I've forgotten it all in the haze of grief and anger and the drive for revenge. If I think too hard of Ribari now, I know the same rage will overcome me. But I cannot appear that way to my people. Most of all, not to my family. So I try to detach myself, and act reasoned and calm. I am deceiving myself though, that I can keep my calm and manage this matter as Father would have done."
"Senaya-sama was...a very different kind of shinigami." Futsuki pursed his lips pensively. "And in my life I have never known or heard of another who was his like. You shouldn't try to be him, Guren. You have never been in his shadow - you should not try to emulate the past lord. His era was not this time. We have had relative peace for some years thanks to your rule...and even the hostility towards the Shihouin has lessened."
"I wonder if that fact has killed my son, though. I wonder it very much." Guren admitted, resting his hand briefly on Futsuki's arm. "Thank you though, Futsuki. Just as when we were children, when I needed an older brother's advice, I always had one to reassure me. I value that, especially in a time like this."
"Well, I owe a good deal to your Lord Father." Futsuki smiled. "Many lords would not have married a widow for love, when tradition indicated he should take a chaste and untouched bride. Mother's bloodline was good, but in that situation, discarding me to some outpost would have been a logical course of action. Instead he treated me as his own, and had me raised alongside his own children. Although I have always known my position to be less than yours or Seiren's, I have never felt slighted by the main branch of my Clan. And you are my brother. You might bear the weight of this Clan on your shoulders, but you have always been my brother. I will give you what advice and guidance I can until I'm not able to any more - Senaya-sama would have expected it of me. Even in the aftermath of this terrible incident."
"I don't believe it is over. On the contrary, it just begins." Guren said grimly. "Which is why I asked you to come here. A discussion of this nature at the grave of my son is not necessarily appropriate. But I would have him witness it anyhow - here where we are unlikely to be disturbed."
Futsuki frowned.
"This relates in some way to Shirogane, doesn't it?" He asked quietly, and Guren nodded his head.
"It does. So you've heard, then? Well, I'm not surprised if you have."
"Indeed." Futsuki agreed. "Since it was my wife who largely gave him his mothering as a youngster - I would venture to say I know more of him and his ways than most others at the Kuchiki estate."
"That is why." Guren raised troubled eyes to his half-brother's darker ones. "We are only half blood to each other, Futsuki, and yet I trust you and your opinions perhaps more than I trust others."
"Others...like Seiren?" Futsuki was surprised, and Guren sighed, shaking his head.
"I trust Seiren. I know he is loyal to me." He said heavily, reaching up to rub his brow as a dull ache began to settle against his skull. "But we are not close in other ways, and he is too close to the heart of this succession business for me to make out if he is right or wrong. I know he would not betray me - whatever else I think of my twin brother, I do not suspect him of treason. Not even to get Ryuu named as heir - but you see, Futsuki, because of Ryuu and that connection, I am...concerned."
"The story I heard said that Seiren had tried to arrest Shirogane last night." Futsuki observed thoughtfully. "But Shirogane had no intention of being caught, and fled the scene. Since then there have been searches but no sign of him - correct?"
"That is the bare bones of it." Guren acknowledged. "Seiren believes he has found evidence - and a witness - who can implicate Shirogane in a plot against Ryuu. Perhaps even in one against Ribari, too. And...maybe...against me."
"I see." Futsuki's brow creased in consternation. "Those are heavy allegations indeed. What evidence has he?"
"Circumstantial evidence at best."Guren replied. "But truthfully, it is compelling testimony. The witness is a young Kyouraku exile who has some knowledge of assassins, and she claims to have seen a Shihouin strike down the stable staff, just as Shihouin slew my Father years ago. She also claims to have overheard conversations between Shirogane and another unknown about a threat on Ryuu's life. Whilst I have no reason to believe the word of foreigner, I also have no reason not to believe her. She is unconnected to this whole matter - except for what she apparently saw. Seiren believes Shirogane tried to silence her, and beat the girl badly. It is true she has been physically harmed, and all other elements...such as her memory of the Kyouraku and the crest she carries...make her seem to be authentic. Yet...yet..."
"With respect, Guren, no matter how many Clan crests she carried or what she claimed to see, I would sooner believe she was lying than Shirogane was any kind of a traitor." Futsuki said bluntly. "I know the boy and I know his temperament. He can be intolerant and arrogant and sometimes he is cold and dismissive of others around him - particularly those he feels are beneath him. But he is a Kuchiki and he holds that fact with pride. More than that though...I believe he looks on you as something of a father figure. You have believed in him, given him position and trust. I cannot see him betraying that, or you. Although Shirogane does not show his feelings often, I am certain that he holds both you and your poor son in high esteem."
"You believe it would be impossible for Shirogane to plot against me or against Ribari?"
"Yes. I believe so."
"And against Ryuu?"
"You think that this matter may have arisen since Ribari-sama's death, on account of the discord between Shirogane and Seiren?" Futsuki questioned, and Guren nodded.
"It's not possible to ignore the dislike they hold for one another." He admitted. "So I wondered whether...the drugs administered to Shirogane the night Ribari died might have had a permanent effect on his brain. He has seemed more reckless and more unsettled since then, and perhaps.."
"I don't believe Shirogane has ever paid much attention to Ryuu." Futsuki shook his head. "And I don't believe he is out of his wits now. If you want my honest opinion on it, I think the boy has just found grief for the first time. He's always detached himself in the past - but you designated him Ribari's shishou. As such, you intended them to forge a close bond. To Shirogane - an orphan with no surviving siblings - you gave a family that he had a place in. I can understand that, for though my mother was your mother, I was in much the same position when first we came to the main house. As your Vice Captain, as Ribari's teacher...in one fell swoop that fragile family he had was taken away. And...I know his pride. I know deep down that he hates it - that the son you entrusted to him to train was someone he could not save."
"Seiren said that lately Shirogane had shown unnatural interest in Ryuu. Also in Mitsuki, Teitou's daughter." Guren remarked.
"Mitsuki is an unusual girl, but her gifts for healing are trained now and her behaviour more stable and even responsible." Futsuki remarked. "She saved Shirogane's life, and she is also a pretty young hime of about the right age and equivalent bloodline. Perhaps he has come to see her differently since then - he is a young man and neither of them are currently betrothed, therefore it isn't inappropriate for such things to begin. I would not put anything sinister on him showing her such interest."
"You think Shirogane might have...developed an attraction for Mitsuki?" Guren was floored, and Futsuki shrugged.
"Stranger things have happened." He said simply. "And he could make a far worse choice, considering his heritage and her own. Teitou is a good man who commands respect from most at our court, and don't suppose he would object to the idea of Shirogane as a prospective son in law. Perhaps he has already seen the possibility, in fact, since he has raised Shirogane's name in a positive light a few times of late."
He smiled.
"All Fathers are ambitious for and protective of their daughters." He added sheepishly. "When she decided to choose Clan life over joining Sixth squad, I faced the same challenge with Meroka, negotiating the best possible pairing for her in a place where she would be content and respected. If Teitou has seen things that way, I cannot fault him. A daughter is a more difficult burden to place safely in marriage than a son, so if I had been him, and I had seen signs of such an attachment forming...I would have been relieved."
"Relieved." Guren echoed softly. "I see."
"You have to remember that Mitsuki came to Shirogane's side when he was vulnerable and that makes a difference in such matters." Futsuki added. "You and I - even Seiren - had arranged matches, but we all know that there is a difference between a marriage of politics and the interests of the heart. Besides, as I said, Mitsuki is now very pretty. She's inherited all of her mother's latent beauty with just enough of her Father's features to remind people that she is a Kuchiki, despite her healing skills. Shirogane could choose worse to foist his interest on - though I am sure he would never address a subject of that nature to you or I, even if this was not such a dangerous situation."
"Hrm." Guren frowned. "And Ryuu? Do you think that what Seiren has observed can also be explained that way?"
"Shirogane dislikes Seiren. It may simply be a way to annoy the Uncle who is frustrating him so much by keeping such close tabs on him." Futsuki reflected. "Or it may be because Ryuu is close to Mitsuki, and therefore a stepping stone between the two. I don't know, Guren, but I do think there are any number of reasons for Shirogane to have changed his behaviour - none of which indicate treason. I don't know about this hime witness or what other evidence Seiren has. But I find it impossible to believe Shirogane capable of betrayal. I would stake my life on it, in fact."
He offered a rueful smile.
"Though I don't say he wouldn't try to kill Seiren in an open bout of swords - I don't believe he's the kind to operate in the shadows. And certainly not ally with another Clan to bring about his aims. Don't you think it's too convenient? That it should be a Shihouin who was seen killing the stable hands, and that the only person who saw them happened to be an exiled hime from another Clan? We have no Kuchiki witnesses, and even so, Seiren...?"
"Seiren may be letting his dislike for Shirogane overreach itself." Guren acknowledged. "But he did tell me he had also been the subject of threatening letters regarding Ryuu, and I have seen one such example of a letter, too. Seiren believes - with some cause - that these might have been written by Shirogane. I wondered if they could have been done in a delusion following Shirogane's experiences in the forest, but you think he is in his right mind, so..."
"I do." Futsuki agreed. "His hatred for Seiren has become less disguised recently, that's all. But I think Seiren provokes that as much himself as Shirogane does, to be truthful. Seiren is ambitious - more ambitious than most, given his own situation of helplessness. Ryuu is his hope and his prospect - and has been since the boy took his first breaths. In some ways, maybe he loves his son too much, and Seiren's impetus to protect Ryuu's interests probably goes beyond his desire to prevent conflict at the court. You must remember, Guren, that when Ryuu was born, you had no son of your own. When Ryuu was a baby, it was generally thought..."
"That he would be my successor." Guren nodded. "I haven't forgotten. And I don't deny that Ryuu probably will once more fill that hole. I have married once, and since lost one wife and one son. I have no intention of doing either thing again - the pain of such losses is too great. If Ryuu is capable and strong enough to inherit this family, then I will leave it to him with an open heart and a clear mind. I am not opposed to Seiren's ambitions...but I do wonder if they cloud his judgement."
"Undoubtedly." Futsuki reflected. "Whether he realises it or not."
He sighed.
"Will you let me join the search for Shirogane?" He asked. "I might be able to talk the boy around, and bring him home. And then..."
"Perhaps you could." Guren acknowledged. "But I have few people who are objective and in whom I can currently trust. I daren't involve Seiren any more than I have to now that all this has occurred. If he's right, I might bring Ryuu into further danger, and if not, I might do damage to this Clan which cannot be repaired. But I've thought it too - that it is strange that so long after Father's death, it should be a Shihouin and that that Shihouin should have killed menial staff for no apparent reason. Especially since that Shadow Cat has done all she can in recent years to distance herself from such underhand operations. Unless that reason was to be seen, in which case..."
"There is a possibility someone wants war between the Shihouin and the Kuchiki once again?" Futsuki questioned. "Perhaps someone dissatisfied with Midori-sama's way of changing the Shihouin, who wants a return to the old ways and sees striking at an ancient enemy as a way to do that?"
Guren shrugged.
"It occurred to me. But as you said, this is a different age from Father's." He agreed gravely. "A more peaceful age in many respects in District Six. And I do not want to act with rashness, even though as a father I want to take my sword and impale Ribari's killer on the end of it. I want to know that this Kyouraku hime can be trusted. That what she tells us is true, and not motivated by something else. If she is who she claims to be, there's a chance she's simply using the uncertainty here to launch revenge on her family, being that the Shihouin are Kyouraku allies now, and to wage war on the Shihouin would naturally involve waging war on District Eight as well. Without her evidence there is nothing to link the Shihouin to any of this - so I want something more concrete before I can act. Seiren is not making it easy for me, though - so I'm going to have to ask for your help."
"I see." Futsuki's eyes narrowed. "So you think the wench may be taking advantage of Seiren's insecurities to feed some political agenda of her own?"
"She doesn't seem a likely candidate for such a thing, and she is bruised and beaten, which gives credence to her story of assault." Guren sighed. "But what if the reason Shirogane confronted her - if he did - was because he found something that was damaging to our Clan? Seiren said he was looking up Kyouraku crests in the archive - what if that was the reason why?"
"Without Shirogane here, we can't know that." Futsuki pursed his lips. "But I understand now what you want from me and why you called me here. You want to know about this hime, don't you? And what exactly her motives are in District Six."
It was going to be a nice day, by the looks of it.
Enishi whistled softly to himself under his breath as he strode across the grass that led from the Kidou Arena to the main school building. He had spent the previous hour with Kazoe, being drilled on various spells, but although he had managed to split a hole in one of the fences, overall he felt it had gone quite well, and it was a weight off his mind indeed to know that the intensive training session was now behind him. Kazoe was never unfair, but usually demanding, so it was always a relief to the sturdy Yamamoto when he knew his coaching was at an end.
He had risen early, and as a result, he had only picked up the bare bones of Ukitake's adventure the night before from Mitsuki as they had met on the way downstairs. Had he been as perceptive as Shunsui or Juushirou, he might also have noticed the tension in the girl's aura - but Enishi was not given to complicated evaluations, and he had simply assumed that the young healer was tired and worried about Juushirou, soon discarding it as an overall concern. They had not had a chance to speak much either, for Mitsuki had been summoned by Retsu and Enishi had not dared to be late himself, and as a result Enishi was blissfully ignorant of the bulk of the night's events. Confidently he had assumed that in all likelihood his white haired friend would have put off the confrontation with his cousin Akira, and therefore would be resting in bed, safe and sound as he recovered from his trip into the rain.
Though it's a damn shame for him that even now things like that upset his chest.
As he crossed the pebble path towards the main building, he pursed his lips pensively.
Ukitake's no weakling, but even with all his training there are times his body lets him down. He could be a really strong fighter too - it really is a shame.
"Then maybe you can explain it more clearly for the both of us, huh?"
"No! Senpai, please! I haven't told anyone...I haven't...so..."
As he turned the corner, he heard the sound of voices, and a frown crossed his features at the desperate note in those last words.
"You let us down, Tsukabishi." The next words caused him to pause, his brow furrowing as he tried to work out where the sound was coming from. "You had a debt to repay and we intend on making you repay it. You're hobbled with those things, so don't think you can run and escape like a rabbit this time. We've got you pinned - you'd better start saying your prayers."
"What the hell is going on here?" Enishi burst through the undergrowth, his confusion becoming indignant anger as he surveyed the scene before him.
Two students, about his own age, though neither one as broad-framed stood over a third, and as Enishi's gaze rested on the youngster's pathetic, tear-stained features, he remembered that he had heard the name Tsukabishi before.
That was the kid, wasn't it? The one who Ukitake and Kyouraku were on about - the one who they went hunting for in the rain last night. The one who was going to steal Ukitake's...
His eyes narrowed as he took in the boy's frightened face more clearly.
That's also the kid I saw outside Ukitake's nest that time, too. I see. I didn't think anything of it, then, but I guess it's not a coincidence. Looks like these are the ones who were behind all of that business. Shame on them, forcing a kid to do their dirty work. I should have picked up on it sooner, but I won't let it go now.
"It's nothing to do with you." Kobayashi was the first to respond, swinging around with a defiant swagger.
"I've just made it to do with me, though." Enishi said evenly, casting Kobayashi a frank look. "Since that kid doesn't look too happy right now to me, and I figure you're big enough to know when you're bothering a young'un like that."
"Tsukabishi has business with us, Houjou." At this Azusa recovered himself, shooting the senior a look of dislike. "It's as Kobayashi said. None of your business."
"I wonder what Sensei would say about that." Enishi remarked, and Kobayashi's eyes narrowed.
"You might be a Senior, but you're no better than we are, and you can't act all high and mighty." He snapped. "Everybody knows that the only reason you got promoted over us this year was because you're a Yamamoto - and because you're older than most people in our year, let alone in your own. The Clan would've been ashamed of you if you'd been kept back - but don't pretend it gives you any special right to speak to us."
Despite himself, Enishi felt an indignant rush of pride and annoyance surge through his broad frame, and his eyes darkened.
"Is that so?" He asked quietly, and Azusa snorted, folding his hands across his chest.
"It's so." He said simply. "We all know it, Houjou. We've all talked about it, and we see what happened. Your grades from last year - we know those, too. How you failed Kidou, pretty much...and everything else."
For a moment Enishi felt rage flood his senses, then at the last minute he checked it, forcing it back as he met Azusa's gaze.
"Well, I can't do anything about that." He said honestly. "But I'd rather have a dodgy grade or two here and there than be cowardly enough to pick on a mite like that one. Look at him! He's damn near shaking with fear because of the two of you. Don't you feel even a little bit ashamed? You're grown - but no wonder Sensei didn't promote you. He couldn't have Senior students who acted like that - so I guess that explains his choice more clearly, doesn't it?"
"Why, you..." Azusa's eyes flared with indignation at this, and he lunged forward, but for all his weakness in Kidou, Enishi was not one to easily lose a fight and though the attack had come from nowhere, he swiftly parried the thrusting punch Azusa had tried to land on his jaw, neatly wrong-footing his companion and pushing him aside so that he landed with a thud on the grassy floor.
"Fighting isn't allowed on campus." He said evenly, his gaze flitting to Kobayashi as he spoke, for his fighter's instinct told him that the other boy was also gauging his chances of taking the tall Senior off his guard. "So I'm not going to fight with you. You don't really interest me - I want to talk to the kid."
"Tsukabishi still has business with us." Kobayashi said blackly, and Enishi's eyes darkened.
"Fighting isn't allowed on campus." He repeated softly. "But if you carry on tormenting this lad, I might chance that rule and make an exception. I don't like it when folk are cowards - I don't like bullies and I don't like sly, dishonest folks who hurt others for no reason except their own gain. You can insult me as much as you like - I'm big enough to take it on the chin, and discard it just as quickly. But turning on a First year is unforgivable. You know that, don't you? That I'm not just going to walk away and pretend I didn't see this."
He smiled slightly, but it was a cold smile, and despite his own impressive stature, Kobayashi seemed to quail slightly under the uncharacteristically icy gaze.
"I'm not quite the idiot you think I am, nor the failure." He continued quietly. "I'm capable of doing damage to both of you without breaking a sweat, but I'd consider that the same as what you're doing to Tsukabishi here. I won't do it - I'm not like you. But you should be glad of that fact, because I know you had something to do with Ukitake's sword almost being stolen yesterday. And I'm pretty sure this has been going on some time."
He bent down at Tsunemori's side, aware that the youngster was now staring at him in unmitigated terror, but he paid no attention to this, simply hauling the boy up in his arms as though he was no heavier than a rag-doll and reaching down for the wooden crutches that had fallen forgotten to the ground when Tsunemori had first been ambushed by his tormentors.
"We'll go for a walk somewhere, because I want to know some more from you about all of this." He said briskly, tightening his grip on the crutches and swinging them round to jab the end lightly against Kobayashi's sternum.
"I'll advise you to keep away from the First years from now on." He added simply. "Else it might be misunderstood. And I don't like beating on people weaker than me. But I will do it, if it teaches you how kids like this one are made to feel when you thunder all over him."
With that he pushed Kobayashi to the floor, striding quickly and purposefully between the two dazed fifth years with a confused Tsunemori still clutched firmly in his grasp.
"It's all right, kid. You don't need to look so frightened."
As they entered a quiet part of the surrounding forest, Enishi cast his burden a sheepish grin, depositing him gently on a dry patch of ground and squatting down across from him. "I know I'm a bit bigger than you are, but I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanted to get those animals off your case."
Tsunemori stared at Enishi blankly, his face white and his eyes huge. For a while there was silence, then tears began to trickle down the boy's cheeks and he let out a loud sniff.
"They scared you, huh?" Enishi's eyes softened and he reached out a friendly paw to pat the boy on the shoulder. "I heard a little bit about what happened last night. They put you up to it, didn't they? Ukitake's sword and all that. It was them, wasn't it? Kobayashi and...and Kamaki?"
"Y...yes." Tsunemori's voice was little more than a wavering whisper, and Enishi sighed.
"Even though Ukitake brought you back safe last night, it's still not over, then?" He murmured, more than half to himself.
"They'll kill me, now." Tsunemori clutched his fingers together, his knuckles as white as his face as he gazed at Enishi in fear. "Because you...they...when I'm alone...and I can't..."
"Well, that won't happen, because I'm going to tell Sensei all about it." Enishi said matter of factly. "I'm a Senior, so it's my duty to take charge at times like that and report things that need to be reported. I might not be enough to dissuade them, but Genryuusai-sensei is. He'll stop it, Tsukabishi. Don't worry about that."
Tsunemori shook his head miserably.
"You can't." He whispered. "Please, Senpai. If you do...they...I won't be able to stay here. And...I don't...have anywhere else."
"Why would you think that?" Enishi was genuinely surprised. "You're not in trouble over last night, are you? Aside from hobbling around a bit - if you were let loose from the Healing Bay already...?"
"I asked Unohana-sensei to let me go to class,and she said it was all right." Tsunemori reached up to wipe his eyes, but more tears fell. "Because when I'm in class, I...I feel safer. Because I'm not on my own then, and my class are...not mean to me."
"Even though you're a skinny shrimp, you're quite tough, I reckon." Enishi looked thoughtful. "Not much muscle, perhaps, but to take a soaking and an injury and still be up and about the next day is no mean feat. Your foot's not broken, is it?"
"No." Tsunemori shook his head. "Just sp...sprained. But it means I...can't escape very quickly. And they find me. And..."
"Then I have to report it." Enishi said frankly. "That's the only solution, if we're going to make it stop."
"But then they'll..." Tsunemori buried his head in his hands.
"They'll what?" Enishi demanded. "When Sensei gets hold of them, do you think that he's going to be following their instructions?"
There was a long silence, then Tsunemori swallowed hard with a gulp, raising hopeless eyes to Enishi's.
"Was it true?" He asked unevenly. "What K...Kamaki-senpai said? Ab...about you f...failing Kidou?"
"Ah. Yeah. That." Enishi rubbed his chin ruefully. "I didn't fail it, but it's not a strength of mine. Between you and me, kid, I'd rather not study it at all. But you don't need to pay too much attention to things like that."
"No...no." Tsunemori swallowed again, then, "It's just...I wondered. Because...you see..."
He hesitated again, then,
"I can understand my classes, but I...I'm not good at writing things down." He said uneasily. "I have trouble with k...kanji and I d...didn't take the entrance exams for the Academy at all. Sensei l...let me come here because I had power and potential and I d...didn't have anywhere else to go after Mother was killed by a H...Hollow. But b..because of that, nobody knows. That I can't read or write properly. Uebashi-sensei and Kazoe-sensei are always cross with me, and Kamaki-senpai said that if anyone found out, I'd be s...sent away..."
"Idiot." Enishi broke through the boy's words with a snort, shaking his head. "You just said it, didn't you? Sensei let you come here because you had power and potential. Of course he isn't going to discard you because you have trouble getting your radicals straight. You're District, right? Well, I don't know much about District education 'cept from Ukitake, but even so...I don't suppose that Genryuusai-sensei expects all his students to come here with beautiful calligraphy skills. That isn't what the Academy is here for."
He settled himself more comfortably on the ground.
"I'm not real good at this reassurance stuff." he admitted. "And I don't know whether or not the word of a Clan Senior helps at all. But Genryuusai-sensei is my kinsman, and I don't think he'd do something like that. I think he'd want you to ask for help - and I think he'd probably give it. That's how he seems to me, anyway."
Tsunemori looked blank for a moment, then he sighed.
"But now I've done all of this stuff already." He said sadly. "And...and it's true, isn't it? That A...Anideshi got hurt last night. That because of me he got sick...and now...I heard Unohana-sensei talking about it with someone, and...because of me..."
"Ukitake's that type, though." Enishi got to his feet, scooping up his companion's crutches and hauling the boy upright, pushing the wood supports into the surprised boy's hands. "But you've given me an idea about what to do next. Ukitake should be resting up, so he won't have anything pressing on his agenda - why not come see him? There's some time before your classes begin, I think - and he's better at reassuring kids than I am. I just say it as I see it - but that's not always the best way. Probably I scare you as much as those other louts, huh? Being big often makes it that way."
Tsunemori stared at Enishi, then a faint smile touched his lips and he shook his head.
"Houjou-senpai is kind." He whispered. "I'm sorry, Senpai. I shouldn't have been scared of you at all. Thank you for rescuing me."
"That's all right." Enishi grinned, ruffling his fingers through the boy's hair. "So we'll go see Ukitake, all right? You can tell him all this and I'm sure he'll figure out the best thing to do. And you can see he's still in one piece. Like you, he looks fragile and fit to break at a gust of wind. But he's pretty resiliant when he has to be. And I don't think he'll be at all mad with you - so the sooner you settle with him, the quicker everything can be resolved. Right?"
Author's note:
Does nobody have breakfast in this story any more?
I think Tokkun will explain it at some point in more detail, but for the people who are asking about Sadehira and Matsuhara's crests, this is something quite individual to each Clan, and wouldn't necessarily be noticed immediately by members of an outside Clan. Shirogane noticed because he saw the crest and then went to look up Sadehira's. However, Seiren and his people only identified it as Matsuhara's crest. Shunsui carries the same crest as Matsuhara and Tokutarou's is simiilar but with the addition of Shiba ornamentation to identify the other side of his heritage. A Kyouraku would know straight away the difference between Sadehira's and Matsuhara's crests - but someone from an outside Clan may not notice unless they did specific examination. It's like the Shihouin knives in Second Manuscript - to Kai and company, they are all different, but to anyone else they appear more or less the same. Sadehira and Matsuhara's crests are of an era, so it might be assumed that as brothers they carry the same heraldry. It is not uncommon for people to do this within Clans - not everyone has their own specific insignia.