Chapter Twenty Six: Being Anideshi
Juushirou had been drowsing slightly when Enishi's characteristic loud pounding against the wood of his door had stirred him and he blinked, for a moment confused and disorientated about where he was and what was going on. Hauling himself stiffly into a sitting position, he realised that he was once more on his own, and he frowned, half-wondering if his big friend had come to check up on him after his morning's adventure.
Shunsui and Ryuu had left him some thirty minutes earlier, Shunsui with an assurance to let both Genryuusai-sensei and the rest of their group know where he was and Ryuu with a sharp admonition to stay put and rest. He had sensed the genuine concern in the manner of both boys, and so had acquiesced - if he was honest with himself, now his pride had calmed somewhat, he too felt annoyed that he had been so easily goaded into battle.
Souryou too had departed almost as soon as he had made sure his classmate was safely settled in the nest, but Juushirou had felt a new sense of cameraderie from the older boy after the spar, and he comforted himself with this scant achievement. At least he had obtained the respect of one of his four newest peers.
Still, though, deep down he knew he had pushed himself. And, when he reflected on it, he remembered only too clearly what Shunsui had said.
It won't change anything, me fighting Yamamoto-kun this morning. I can't make someone who doesn't like me like me just by swinging a sword at him.
He rubbed his eyes with a sigh.
All I've done is cause worry to people, been stubborn and reckless yet again and pushed myself stupidly. And probably I'll have to explain to Sensei why I felt well enough to spar but not to come to class - because I doubt he's oblivious to this morning's events, even if he does nothing about it. What is wrong with me at the moment? What am I trying to prove, anyway? Am I so bothered about people not liking me that I'm starting to focus on all the wrong things instead of all the right ones? I was going to spend today looking into the matter of Tsukabishi-kun and the Fifth years bullying him, but instead I wound up...and now...
"Ukitake? It's Enishi. Can I come in, or are you asleep?"
Something in the Yamamoto boy's heedless question brought a faint smile to Juushirou's pale lips as he realised he had not answered his friend's first call, and he settled himself more comfortably against his pillows.
"I'm awake." He called, his voice hoarse but still audible despite the burning pain across his lungs, and the next moment the divide was cast back, revealing the bulky Senior. Juushirou opened his mouth to greet his friend, then paused, realising with a jolt that his companion wasn't alone. Clutched in his arms, as though he were cradling a sack of straw or a scarecrow was the first year student Juushirou had rescued the night before, and as his eyes opened wide with surprise, Enishi grinned sheepishly, letting Tsunemori down and helping him roughly but kindly back onto his crutches.
"This one needs someone to talk stuff over with." He said, by way of preamble. "He and me, we've had a bit of a chat under the trees, but I don't know the answers to some of the things he's worried about. I found him being singled out by a couple of the Fifth years in the grounds, and I soon put them off their game - but I want to take the matter to Sensei, and well, Tsukabishi here isn't so keen."
He patted Tsunemori firmly on the shoulder, then,
"I told him you'd know better than me, being District and being Anideshi." He added, somewhat incoherently. "Besides, he was worried his adventures last night made you sick. I figured it was easier to show him than tell him - that you don't break that easily, no matter how much storm and rain is thrown your way."
Juushirou stared at Enishi for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the pale, anxious features of the young first year. Relief and gratitude crashed across his wits and he smiled, nodding his head.
"It's all right, Tsukabishi-kun. Come on in. I'm quite all right to have visitors." He said gently, softening his tones and beckoning for the youngster to come forward. "Thank you, Enishi-kun. If you spoke to the Fifth years, you know who's responsible - and so I think you should go to Sensei, and tell him what you know."
"I intend to." Enishi agreed. "I told Tsukabishi it'd be all right - convince him for me though, will you? I'm not real good at the fancy chatting stuff, and I'm Clan - not District - so maybe I don't understand fully how the mite is thinking."
He cast Tsunemori a warm grin, and to Juushirou's surprise, the young boy returned it with a faint one of his own.
"Seems to me you understand him just fine." He murmured. "But you can leave him with me a while. I'll see if I can help - I intended to do that today anyhow, if I could."
"Aye aye, Captain." Enishi winked, saluting his friend playfully. Then he was gone, banging the door behind him, and Juushirou and Tsunemori were left alone.
Enishi may be clumsy sometimes, big and awkward and not fond of all the fancy Clan occasions. And maybe he's weak at Kidou and usually finishes bottom of the class lists.
Juushirou eyed Tsunemori thoughtfully, gesturing for the young boy to sit down on the side of his bed.
But when it comes to kids in trouble, he has a big heart. Maybe I'm going to help Tsukabishi-kun now, or maybe I'm not. But I think it was still you who helped him most, Enishi-kun. He seems less frightened now...than he did before.
Out loud he said,
"It is the best thing, you know, if Enishi reports the people who were bullying you."
"I know." Tsunemori let out a heavy sigh, lowering his gaze slightly, and Juushirou was aware that the youngster was still somewhat apprehensive about being inside the room that he had entered illicitly such a short time before. "Senpai, I...I'm sorry. I mean, I'm r...really sorry. You were kind to me - nobody's been mean to me, and I did such a bad thing, and now..."
"Shh." Juushirou shook his head. "I already told you I wasn't going to tell Sensei anything."
"But I told him." Tsunemori admitted, raising his gaze, and Juushirou was surprised to see a faint flicker of determination burning there. "Mother...would have wanted me to tell him. Because I didn't want you to get into trouble because of me. Because I did something to you and you...you saved me."
So Sensei was right. Tsukabishi-kun did want to help me, too.
Juushirou pursed his lips.
"Then it's all right." He said easily. "I'm not in trouble. Sensei only told me that next time I should report it if I can't find one of the juniors, and really, he's right. I should have done - maybe you wouldn't have been in danger and we'd have got back to school quicker. Either way, though, the matter is over. If you told Sensei and he hasn't punished you, he isn't going to now. And I already told you that I wasn't cross. So you needn't look so worried. Let Enishi report the people who were tormenting you, and then..."
"Houjou-senpai said it wouldn't matter, but I don't know if he's right." Tsunemori mumbled. "Senpai, you asked me...yesterday. Why I wouldn't tell you who it was. Because I thought I'd be sent away. Houjou-senpai said I wouldn't be...but even so...I...I don't know what to do."
"About what, exactly?" Juushirou softened his tones. "What's the thing that's bothering you - the reason they were hurting you to begin with?"
"I...I shouldn't really be a student here." Tsunemori stared at his hands. "I can't read or write properly, and I didn't take any exams. I was just...brought here. I have nowhere else to go. So if I was sent away..."
He faltered, his voice shaking, and Juushirou felt a wave of sympathy rise up inside him.
"I see." Was all he said, however. "So because the books we use here are so complicated, you were worried about keeping up? And you were afraid if people knew your secret..."
"I'd be sent away." Tsunemori nodded, his expression becoming pitiful. "Because Kamaki-senpai said so. That Sensei wouldn't let me stay here, if he knew."
His eyes widened, and he clapped his hand over his mouth in alarm, but Juushirou smiled, reaching up to push the youngster's hand down.
"I had already guessed it might be him." He said evenly. "Because I shouted at him on the first day. I was unsettled and I probably spoke to him more harshly than I should have - it seems a very little thing to kick off a grudge, but I suppose I can see it happening, being that they were kept down. I'm sorry they used you as their target though, Tsukabishi-kun. And you know, they're completely wrong. I'm sure Enishi told you this as well, but if Genryuusai-sensei let you come here, it means he has some faith in you. It isn't a mission of mercy."
"But I have nowhere else to go." Tears trickled down Tsunemori's cheeks. "My m...mother died and I...there is..."
"Even if that's true, the only people who can study here are people who have the potential to be shinigami. Otherwise it would be dangerous for them to come." Juushirou said simply. "If Sensei didn't want you here, he would have found some other provision for you - someone else who could have looked after you until you were an adult in your own right. But if he brought you here, it's not your writing or reading he cares about."
"Houjou-senpai said that too." Tsunemori admitted, and Juushirou grinned.
"Genryuusai-sensei is a lot older than we are." he said unnecessarily. "And he's met lots and lots of people over the centuries, I'm sure. He must know that everyone comes from a different background and has different levels of knowledge. Not all District children have a chance to read or write before they come here."
He shrugged.
"A couple of years ago my family took in a young girl." He added thoughtfully. "She'd been orphaned in District Seven and was all alone there. She has strong spirit power too - but till she came to live with us, she couldn't write even her own name. Now she's learning with my own sister and brothers, and she's picking it up well. But she's never really let it phase her. She's learnt a bunch of things in her life that were more important to her than learning to read and write, I suppose. And I'm sure the same is true for you. She'll learn how, and so will you, if you talk to Sensei and ask him for help. But it doesn't mean you haven't already learnt important things. Not everything has to be done in the same order."
Tsunemori's eyes widened, and Juushirou fought back the urge to chuckle, mindful of the pain that still resonated in his chest.
"This world is the Clan's world, but we're not all Clan." He added. "And while we can't have all the things they have, there's no reason why we can't do the things they can. But because we're District, we don't have to do them how Clan people do them. We can do them our own way - there's nothing wrong with that."
"Anideshi is...District too." Tsunemori murmured, and Juushirou looked surprised.
"But you knew that, didn't you?"
"Yes." Tsunemori nodded. "But...last night..."
He blushed, then,
"When you fought the Hollow, I thought...it couldn't be true." he admitted awkwardly. "Because you...were like the shinigami...who killed the Hollow that took away my mother. And...and...I thought...only a Clan person could use a zanpakutou like that."
"Believe me, I didn't use Sougyo at all sensibly last night, but we'll put it down to cold and rain." Juushirou said ruefully. He eyed the boy for a second, then,
"I'm scared of Hollows as well, you know." He added honestly. "A Hollow killed my Father - just like you said one killed your mother. So of course, I'm frightened of them too. I haven't had a lot of time to practice fighting real ones - so I panic a little when I'm faced with one. But Father...Father dying taught me that people in the Districts need to be shinigami, much more than the people from the Clans do. To protect our own people, its something we ought to want to learn. We can't always rely on Clansfolk to do it all. There are more of us than there are of them. And I know...Father would want me to work hard and learn how to protect other people from being taken. Even though I miss him and I can't bring him back."
"Senpai's Father was killed by a Hollow too?" Tsunemori was stunned, and Juushirou sighed.
"When I was fourteen. A year younger than you." He agreed. "So I do know what you've been through. You lost you mother quite recently, didn't you? I can tell," As Tsunemori nodded. "A lot's happened since then but you're still trying to process not having her near you."
"I'm not used to being around lots of people, or...or following schedules...or even staying in one place." Tsunemori admitted. "My classmates are kind but I don't really know how to talk to them. And well, I miss my Mother still. I miss her a lot. So I suppose...I don't really like being here. But I know...there isn't anywhere else. So..."
"She would worry about you, if she thought you were unhappy." Juushirou said quietly. "If she thought you were lonely and scared and crying, she would be worrying about you from the world beyond this one. What that place is I don't know - whether they can see us, I'm not sure. But I think...she'd still know, if you were unhappy. And I think she'd be worried...don't you?"
"I...I suppose she would." Tsunemori admitted, wiping his eyes. "She always worried about me, when she was alive."
"Perhaps you should try talking a little to your classmates. Just a little, to begin with." Juushirou suggested. "Not all of them, maybe, but one here or one there. Because you're talking to me now, and I'm sure that if you tried, you could talk to them as well."
"I..." Tsunemori looked startled for a moment, then he smiled faintly. "I suppose I am, aren't I? But Senpai is easy to talk to. I don't know why. You just are."
"I'm sure your classmates are, too." Juushirou assured him. "If you say they're kind, I'm sure they want you to join in with them and be part of the group. Certainly when Shunsui went to speak to them when we couldn't find you, he thought they were worried about you."
He smiled, taking a breath into his worn lungs, then,
"And I'm not in much good shape at the moment, but if you want extra help with your writing, I'll help you." He added. "I don't think you're stupid, and I know once Sensei realises you have a problem, he'll want to help you somehow too. But I feel like...I owe you my help for being the reason you got into such a lot of trouble with Kamaki and his friends. Because he hated me he picked on you. And I want to redress that balance."
"It's not your fault." Tsunemori shook his head slowly. "And...and...I wanted...to tell you. When you were kind to me, and then they were horrible, I felt...like this inside."
He held up his hands, clenching his fists as though to indicate his own discomfort.
"I didn't want to do bad things to you, and then when you were worried about me, I felt even worse. So I kept running away from you instead. But I didn't want to. I wasn't cross with Anideshi because of it. I was cross with...with Kamaki-senpai and with me and that I was...wasn't able to do anything at all. Because even on first day - you were only protecting me."
He reddened slightly.
"I thought you were a kind person." He whispered. "And that Kamaki-senpai was wrong to say such bad things about you. But I c...couldn't stand up to him. So I was the one...who did something bad."
"In that case, we'll put the whole thing behind us." Juushirou suggested with a smile. "We can be allies from now on, now the misunderstandings are settled, can't we? Because I don't think any worse of you for any of this."
"Allies?" Tsunemori was surprised, and Juushirou's expression became rueful.
"I have a lot of younger brothers and sisters." He said pensively. "I'm the oldest of seven, and now with Shikiki too that makes eight. I suppose it comes automatically to me to want to play big brother with younger kids. But this time, perhaps it meant I pushed myself too much where I wasn't expected. You're not used to that - Hirata even said that you were scared by it and that you weren't ready for me to reach out to you at all. Maybe I even made it worse by always asking you if you were all right instead of holding back. But now I think...maybe the situation has changed. Now you are talking to me, and I don't think you're scared any more - are you?"
"N...no." Tsunemori reddened further, to the tips of his ears at this.
"Good." Juushirou looked approving. "And you do know that I only want to help you? So we'll start again, and not let people like Kamaki get in the way."
"Kamaki-senpai is jealous of you." Tsunemori said thoughtfully, kicking his feet absently against the bed support. "Because people like you, Anideshi. Lots of people do and Sensei does too. Kamaki-senpai is cross because he wasn't put into Senior Class, but I don't think he'd be a very good Senior. Houjou-senpai said he was a coward. Do you think that's true?"
"Anyone who bullies someone younger than them is a coward." Juushirou said with certainty. "Believe me, if anyone had been treating any of my siblings in the way Kamaki and the others have been treating you, I'd be very very cross indeed. Enishi is exactly right. Kamaki and his friends are cowards and you should not listen to them any more."
"Perhaps I'm a coward too." Tsunemori sighed. "I don't really know. I'm not very brave, so maybe I am."
"But you spoke up to Sensei to defend me, didn't you?" Juushirou reminded him. "You were scared, but you told him the truth. That proves you're not really a coward. Being scared isn't the same thing as being cowardly."
"Isn't it?" Tsunemori looked doubtful. "I'm not sure about that."
"Fright is a survival mechanism." Juushirou replied. "Being afraid of something is proof that you're alive and you want to stay that way. It's how you deal with being afraid that matters. Everyone gets scared. I told you already, didn't I? That I'm afraid of Hollows, even now. But I'll keep fighting them. And eventually, maybe, I'll get to a point where I'm not so scared any more."
He coughed, wincing slightly as he jarred his chest, and Tsunemori looked anxious.
"Senpai! Are you all right? Did I really make you sick, last night?"
"No. No, you didn't." Juushirou waved away his concern with a sheepish smile. "My lungs are never very good, but I made myself bad this morning by having a rather too vigorous sword practice session with one of my classmates. He's a better fighter than me, and I got a little reckless. You needn't be so worried. This isn't your fault at all."
"I see." Tsunemori looked relieved. "I'm glad, then. I was worried...that I'd hurt you somehow again."
Before Juushirou could respond, the sound of a bell resonated distantly through the chamber, and Tsunemori started, reaching hurriedly for his crutches.
"I'll be late for class!"
"I'm sure whoever's teaching you will understand that it takes you longer to get around on those things." Juushirou offered him a smile. "I'm glad you came to see me though, Tsukabishi-kun. And I hope that you'll come talk to me again. I meant what I said about helping you - and I'm sure that everything will be worked out now, one way or another."
"I hope so." Tsunemori nodded vigorously, his tail of dark hair flopping loosely over his shoulder. "And I'm glad Houjou-senpai brought me here too. Will you...say thank you to him for me please, Senpai? Because what he said...made me feel like...I could come and talk to you and it would all be all right."
"I will. I promise." Juushirou said firmly. "Enishi is a good person and a kind Clansman, and he'll stand up for you kids tooth and nail no matter what. So if Kamaki or anyone else dares to bother you again, and I'm not around to deal with it, make sure you go to him. He'll put it to rights. Okay?"
"Okay." Tsunemori grinned, for the first time a real grin, his sombre eyes lighting up as he nodded again. "And...and thank you for your help too...J...J...Juushirou-senpai!"
With which surprisingly cheeky parting remark he hobbled out of the room, his face red once more and his movement swift despite his bad ankle.
Juushirou-senpai, huh?
Juushirou was startled for a moment, then a smile touched his own lips.
I see. Hirata was right, then, wasn't he? Tsukabishi is like him in a lot of ways. He just needed someone to reach him. Now, thanks to last night - and thanks to Enishi too - I think I've done it. At least something's gone right today...and I've managed, somehow, to settle the Tsukabishi business without bloodshed or further tears.
He closed his eyes for a moment, running his thoughts over the conversation in his head once more.
Was that what you meant, In'you? Even if a few people don't like me and can't accept who I am, it's not a reason to think I can't achieve what I set out to achieve. Enishi's forthright faith in me makes me a little ashamed of myself. I've been too easily knocked back by the wrong things, but I won't let that happen so easily again. I won't be drawn into spatting with Yamamoto-kun so easily, nor will I let myself be provoked by people like Kamaki. That's not why Sensei made me Anideshi. He did that to see whether I could cope with it...and so far I'm going out of my way to tell him that I can't. Well, no more. They can think of me what they like. It's people like Tsukabishi who really need me to come through for them. And I have. I will. If I'm going to meet Sensei's challenge...that's what I have to do.
He opened his eyes, gazing up at the faded Clan patterns that decorated the ceiling of his chamber.
In the First year, that was my resolve. I decided to come here and do my best regardless of what everyone else thought of me. I've let myself be jaded by silly things, but it doesn't change why I'm here. Shunsui warned me back then that I should be careful of getting tainted by Clan opinion, and maybe I've been too focused on overcoming prejudice, rather than just being myself. I've come to believe I've something to prove, when in reality, it isn't me who has to prove anything at all. If I take that line, it means I have something to be ashamed of, and that would be disrespectful to Otousama and Hahaue who believed in me enough to let me have this life.
Today's spar was foolish, and it didn't make Yamamoto-kun change his opinion of me. Therefore I'm not going to fight it - or him - like that any more. I came here to follow my own path - that's what I'm going to do, no matter how much opposition there is. Just like I promised Kamikura-sensei and myself that first day I came here. Being Anideshi means being proactive, not reactive. I've done nothing but react so far this term - it's about time I started trying to lead instead.
He coughed, rubbing his chest with a grimace.
But if I don't get some rest now, Shunsui and Ryuu will both be on my back, Anideshi or otherwise. I suppose in that respect at least I'd better do as I'm told. Otherwise I'll be in for another scolding and even if it's deserved, I've had enough of those for one day already!
"Shunsui! Shunsui, is it true?"
As Shunsui pushed open the door of the Senior Sakusen classroom, he felt a hand on his arm and he turned, casting Sora a quizzical look as he took in the curiosity in her bright green eyes. Always wanting to be at the forefront of the action, there were few quicker at picking up gossip than his young friend and he sighed, folding his arms lazily across his chest and leaning back against the wall as he prepared himself for one of her characteristic interrogations.
"Is what true?" He asked wearily. "I can't read minds, Sora-chan – you'll have to be a little more specific if you want me to answer your questions."
"About Juushirou and Yamamoto fighting this morning, at the training ground." Sora's eyes burned with inquisitiveness as she gazed up at him. "Mitsuki said that Juushirou was pretty sick last night – but then I heard that he and Yamamoto had gone at it in the training arena this morning, and so I wondered…"
She paused, turning to glance around her and then lowered her voice.
"I wondered whether he'd finally whacked some sense into that thick headed idiot."
"I see." Despite himself, Shunsui grinned, patting her gently on the shoulder. "Well, I think there were two idiots on display first thing, not one. Yes, it's true. Ryuu and I were both there and saw the whole horrible spectacle. And I don't know about bashing any sense in. Juu really wasn't up to fighting anybody – if you ask me, it would've been better off not done."
"But he did win?" Sora was not to be put off. "I heard it being whispered about – that Juu had beaten Yamamoto in a sword fight first thing this morning."
"How on earth the whole school gets to know these things so quickly – and more, how you do – is beyond me." Shunsui eyed her keenly. "Juu disarmed Akira. That's as much as I can say about it. I won't call it a victory since he wound up coughing blood and we about had to carry him to the nest. He's all right," As Sora's eyes widened with dismay. "But he let his pride get the better of him. So Ryuu and I have more or less confined him to staying in his room till we say otherwise."
He sighed, shrugging his shoulders.
"He shouldn't have done it." He murmured, his gaze flitting across the room to where a bad-tempered Akira was hunched over his desk, clearly paying no attention to whatever Aoi was saying to him. "It won't improve anything, but he let his pride get poked and you know he's not sensible when that happens. Plus he was fevered. Last night took a lot out of him. He was in a funny state of mind all round – if I didn't know Juu better, I'd think he just wanted to batter frustration out on someone and Akira happened to be there."
"Mm. That seems to be going around at the moment." Sora groaned, and Shunsui's brow creased as he registered the expression on her face.
"What do you mean, going around?" He asked quizzically, and Sora let out her breath in a rush.
"Mitsuki and Naoko." She said succinctly. "If you haven't noticed yet, you must be worried about Juushirou. You don't normally ignore the girls quite so easily as that."
"Mitsuki…and Naoko?" Shunsui's gaze followed his companion's across the classroom, his eyes widening as he took in the tension and the wide space between the two girls.
"A fight?" He murmured, and Sora shrugged.
"A big one." She agreed. "I don't completely understand it. I walked into my room last night to find them yelling at each other and then Naoko stormed out. Neither one has spoken to the other since. Naoko's been more or less keeping her distance from us both, actually – because Mi-chan is my room-mate, I suppose, and I guess in a way she assumes I'll be on Mitsuki's side. But I don't like it much. I like Mi-chan and I like Naoko – but right now that stand isn't a forgivable one."
She pulled a graphic face.
"I don't like being in the middle of a feud."
"What caused it?" Shunsui wondered. "I thought it was odd that you weren't asking me if Juu was in one piece, but if Mitsuki's been preoccupied, maybe she didn't say anything to you about his coughing blood up this morning, huh?"
"Not a thing. She's barely spoken a word about anything since we got up, and she picked about at breakfast." Sora sighed. "As for what caused it? Something Naoko said that Mitsuki disagreed with. From what she said to me last night, I think tiredness had a part to play in it – but well…I think it was mostly about Juushirou, to be honest."
"About…Juu?"
"About Mitsuki's continued affections in that direction." Sora shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "Naoko's a realist. A pragmatist. She doesn't see any point in following something that has no future. And she's also quite traditional, too, in how she sees things. Mi-chan thinks that Nao thinks she should just graduate, get married and go hole herself up inside District Six. Apparently that offended her somehow…anyhow, the result is a big mess of angst on all sides."
"Girl fights, huh." Shunsui rubbed his chin pensively. "Thank you for the warning. I'll keep we-e-e-ell out of it."
"I wish I could." Sora pulled another face. "But I can't really avoid it. I suppose in most respects I am on Mitsuki's side – but even so…I know Nao would only say things like she did with the best intentions. She's not a malicious person – but I don't think things are going to die down."
"Mitsuki's surprisingly stubborn when she wants to be." Shunsui nodded. "A real Kuchiki through and through, beneath the Healer surface."
"She is." Sora agreed sadly. "Oh well. Class will begin soon, so I suppose I'd better go and sit down in awkward silence ready for when Sensei arrives."
"All right." Shunsui cast her a grin, before heading across the room towards his own seat.
"What did Sora want?" Ryuu cast him a quizzical look, and Shunsui shrugged.
"She wanted to know about Juu and Akira." He said simply. "She's attached to the grapevine, that one – somehow she knew all about the fight already, and wanted me to confirm the details."
"It's probably not something that should be gossiped about." Hirata looked worried. "It's bad enough he decided to fight it, but…if Sensei was to know…"
"I think Sensei probably already knows a fair amount." Kai said reflectively. "He's like that. He watches everything but only intervenes if he thinks he should. I s'pect he knows Ukitake and Yamamoto clashed swords this morning. More, he probably decided to let it happen. He probably thinks of if as an extra-curricular way of monitoring the both of them, knowing how he works."
He smiled regretfully.
"Kuchiki, I wish you'd bothered to tell me the fight was still on. I would have liked to have seen it – especially Ukitake disarming that guy."
"It wasn't your concern to be involved." Ryuu said dismissively. "Mine either, as it happened – I was simply going to his room with the idea of checking on his well-being. I didn't think even he would be so stubborn as that – but Kuchiki pride seems to run deep inside anyone with District Six blood, no matter what their station."
"That's probably true." Shunsui's gaze flitted briefly to Mitsuki, his eyes becoming thoughtful as he once more read the clouded grey eyes and fixed, tense body language. Sora was doing her best to start a conversation, it seemed, but she might as well not have bothered, for at best all she seemed to be getting were brief one word answers, and for the most part, Mitsuki did not attempt to respond at all.
You idiot, Juu. This morning, Mitsuki would probably have benefited from a smile or a word from you to cheer her up – instead she's probably brooding on your state of health as well as her fight with Naoko. Sometimes you really are a dolt…you have to become more of an opportunist or you're going to let all your best chances fly by.
"But he did disarm Akira?" Enishi asked thoughtfully. Shunsui nodded, turning his attention back to the conversation.
"He did. It was a bit of a cheat move, switching his sword grip from right hand to left, but it worked for him and he disarmed the guy." He agreed. "I can't imagine that Yamamoto sees it as a fair win, really – being that he had the upper hand almost the whole fight before that."
"Taking an enemy off guard and capitalising on their assumptions is part of sword fighting, though." Kai said sensibly. "It's a good lesson for Yamamoto, I reckon. Having watched him fight, I think he assumes things too easily. He seems to have expectations of his opponent and how he's going to deal with the fight – something that throws that out of the ring is therefore the best way to beat him. Besides, Ukitake is two handed these days. Unless the spar rules were beforehand that only one hand could be used – he hasn't cheated. He's used his skills. That's all."
"Perhaps." Ryuu inclined his head slightly. "But that does not necessarily improve things from Yamamoto's perspective."
"Do you think things will get worse?" Hirata looked anxious, and Shunsui sighed.
"I don't know." He owned. "Souryou didn't seem to be too put out by it – actually, he helped Ryuu and I get Juu to the nest, so I think some ground's been covered in that area. Souryou seemed to think that Juu'd proved his point at least. I'm not sure about Michihashi and as for Yamamoto himself, I think that's still a big grey storm-cloud waiting to spit lightning."
"Bad analogy. Ukitake's spirit power is stormy, not Yamamoto's." Ryuu pointed out and Shunsui nodded.
"Yes, but it's the best description I have for the way Akira-kun looks at Juu on a daily basis. A storm waiting to happen."
"Well, at least the matter of that little first year mite is settled." Enishi stretched his arms over his head, stifling a yawn. "I've had a busy morning, with one thing or another."
"Settled?" Shunsui cast him a glance, and Enishi nodded.
"I happened to run into Kamaki and Kobayashi crowding the Tsukabishi boy in a not too friendly way out on the field." He agreed. "It was an accident, really – I was coming back from my Kidou coaching – but once I knew what was up I wasn't going to just let it be. The kid and I had a chat and I took him to Ukitake, so like as not he's all fine now. Ukitake's good with kids, isn't he? Though I didn't realise he'd been fighting this morning – he might've coughed blood, Kyouraku, but he didn't look so very sick to me."
"He's tougher than he seems, admittedly." Shunsui grinned. "And he did perk up a bit, once we'd convinced him he was better off lying down. So you caught them in the act? Well done, Enishi. That'll take weight off Juu's mind – he was going to pursue that matter today."
"Maybe he really will stay put now." Ryuu reflected. "Unless he feels the urge to run and report these miscreants to Sensei."
"I already did it." Enishi seemed pleased with himself. "He said he'd look into it right away, so that's probably why he's a little late this morning. The end result will probably be that the two idiots keep their heads down and don't go anywhere near the First years."
"Probably." Kai looked thoughtful. "But at least the matter's handled. Sensei will deal with it smartish, no doubt about that."
"He said I was making out like a proper Senior, taking charge of the little ones." Enishi admitted. "I think it's been quite a good morning, given that. And I didn't even blow anything much up in Kidou today either. Just a fence, and it was an old one. So all in all I think today must be a lucky day."
"Not if you happen to be Kamaki or Kobayashi." Shunsui said dryly.
"Nor Yamamoto." Ryuu added. "I think it will take his pride a little while to recover from the bruises inflicted by Ukitake's sword."
It was unnaturally quiet in District Six.
Nanaki settled herself down on the covers of her bed, gazing pensively across the chamber to the window where every so often blossom-laden branches of the nearby sakura trees brushed gently against the frames. Since her meeting with Guren that morning, she had been confined once more to her room – for her own safety, she had been told, but she was not foolish and she knew that it was as much to keep her where they wanted her as it was to make sure she didn't take any more serious injuries. Though Seiren had accepted her story completely, she had still sensed some faint resistance in Guren's tone and manner, and as for the other brother – the lower born one, Futsuki – he did not seem inclined to have much patience with her at all. Though they had spoken only briefly, his words had been curt and unrevealing, and Nanaki knew that of all of them she would probably have to be most on her guard around him.
Still, she didn't mind. She had had no signal yet from her companions, and although she knew the men that stood guard outside her door were armed with sharp weapons she could not counter, she was not afraid for her own safety. The Kuchiki were good at believing women were incapable of acting for themselves – and Nanaki meant to exploit that element as much as she could. They were therefore unlikely to kill someone that they thought was a foreign hime, and she had done her best to portray herself as helpless and meek, the picture of a refugee looking for outside help.
At this a faint, slightly malicious smile twitched at the corners of her mouth.
That was one part she didn't need any practice in playing.
She sighed, rolling back the sleeves of her kimono to glance pensively at the scratch marks she had inflicted on her body before her tumble down the stairs. It had been a very risky endeavour, she realised that now, for the fall had no doubt contributed towards her dizziness and hazy memory first thing that morning. Even now her body and head ached, though it had rescinded to a dull throb for the most part, and though the scratch marks stung, the ointment that Seiren's physician had applied to them had prevented them from becoming infected. Already they were beginning to heal, and after examining them closely for a short while, Nanaki decided that her skin was young and strong enough for her to avoid permanent scarring.
Though if it was for his sake, I would accept scars and wear them with pride and pleasure. He told me that whatever I needed to do to further our cause, I should do. Well, I'm not the kind of girl who goes around like a whore offering myself to whoever seems a good target. But something like this, I don't mind risking. And it's worked in my favour so far.
She allowed the heavy cream fabric to fall back against her skin, folding her arms loosely across her body.
Now I just wait. When they return, I know he'll send for me. Once he realises…there'll be a signal, and that's the time I'll need to go. So until that time, I'll sit quietly and play the docile escaped hime from District Eight. I only need them to believe me for a short time. Only until he's back here and I have somewhere else to go. I've done my work – better than even I expected, in fact – so I know that he'll be pleased.
She got to her feet, moving languidly to the window and slipping her thin fingers beyond the open shutters, reaching across to the sakura tree and carefully but deftly breaking a sprig of blossom from the tip of the nearest branch. A mischievous glitter in her blue eyes, she glanced at it, taking in the delicate, fragile nature of the pink blossoms that the Kuchiki so revered, and despite herself, a low chuckle sounded in her throat.
There have been no Sakura festivals in District Six this year, on account of the bocchan's death. And now Guren is once more sent into confusion, because his nephew is missing too. I wonder what will be done about Shirogane. Is he more useful to us alive or dead? I suspect alive – whilst the family can't track him down, suspicions about his guilt can only get broader. Now Guren knows about the Shihouin connection, too…
She moved to the mirror, carefully sliding the spray of pink flowers into the waves of her dark hair.
And I didn't lie about that. A Shihouin did kill the stable hands. And I did see it, just as I told them I did. It wasn't very pretty and I'd rather not have seen it at all. But I didn't lie about anything, so when it comes to checking out my story, they won't be able to find holes in it there. The Kuchiki hate the Shihouin, and Guren has tried to launch war on that District before, over family blood spilt. The Shihouin have allies who will come to their aid, and so the Clans will turn on one another, bit by bit. The Council will become a warzone, and into the void…
She smiled, touching the very edge of a slightly curled petal before lowering her hands to her lap and meeting her gaze in the mirror.
It won't all happen immediately. But it will happen. It must. The Clans can't hold Soul Society to ransom forever. Maybe the Kuchiki is an experiment, or maybe not – but either way the end result will be the same. The ruling families of Soul Society will turn on each other and on themselves, being destroyed in the process. And in the meantime, we can only grow stronger…to a position where nobody will ever hunt us down again.
She sighed, a faint sense of wistfulness touching her heart.
I wonder how things are going in District Eight. I wonder if he's found what he was looking for. I hope everything is well…and that he comes back to District Six soon.
There was something uneasy in the air over District Eight that evening.
As Riri carefully doused the candles in the main chamber one by one, she paused for a moment, her gaze resting on the small box that had once held the precious pendant belonging to her Father. She had heard nothing of it or of Momiji in the time since the fire at the other girl's house, and as time had gone on she had resigned herself that her friend was most likely now no longer alive. Momiji was simple and trusting in many respects, but she had never seemed dishonest, even to one as cynical about the world as Riri, and so the more she had thought it over, the courtesan had decided there was no other explanation. For a while she had held on to the vague hope that the girl had fled into the mists to protect Riri's secret treasure - but now the local area was rife with the story of Gaugen's unexplained death, and though most had accepted it as a domestic incident, Riri had not.
There were too many threads connecting the coincidences together, and she did not like thinking about where they led.
Yet life had gone on as normal, day by day, despite all of this. She had entertained clients, she had practiced both her sewing and her writing and when Chihiro had called on her the day before, they had neither of them said anything about the darker elements that doubtless were still somewhere on the not too distant horizon. Gaugen's stall remained empty at the town market, but few of his fellow townsfolk had liked him, so he was not particularly missed, and Riri had already heard that since the removal of the corpses his old house had been looted by those who had felt certain there was hidden treasure lurking in the cracks and crevasses.
The old woman who sold fabric had told her the day before without an ounce of shame that her own son had been there when the place had been turned over, yet surprisingly there had been no sign of anything of particular value. None of Gaugen's trade wares had remained, only a few glass-and-paste trinkets that had no value had been left discarded on the property floor. The market stall holder had assumed that he must have already sold the rare items and had bemoaned her son's bad luck- but to Riri, there was another, much more sinister explanation.
Gaugen had not killed his wife, nor died of heart failure. Someone else had been responsible in both cases - someone who had staged the scene and then taken the opportunity to remove all of the precious items for their own personal use. One who would do something like that would surely think nothing of killing one prostitute to acquire a valuable Clan pendant - and so Riri had decided that Momiji was dead, the person responsible the mysterious Clan figure who had shadowed in and out of the town briefly and left very little trace.
A treasure hunter, maybe. Someone who was looking for valuable items to melt down or sell to boost his own wealth. Whether he was or was not really a member of the Kyouraku Clan, Riri did not know - but more than once she had looked on the young children in her care and realised how relieved she was that the other treasure - the sword ornament - was now in Chihiro's care. With a man of arms to protect her and within the gaze and approval of the main house, Riri was certain her friend was in no danger. But here in the village she herself felt strangely vulnerable. That just like with Momiji, there was nobody there to keep watch over her.
Riri sighed, extinguishing the final candle and moving to make sure that both the younger residents were settled in sleep. They were quite oblivious to the negative undertones flooding the area, and both were already lost to the world, curled up beneath blankets as they drowsed. Riri envied them their deep, trusting slumber - the rest of children who believed that they had nothing to fear. She had not slept so well in some time - perhaps not ever, she reflected to herself - but especially not since her pendant had been stolen.
If I had given it to Chihiro first of all, maybe it would never have got Momiji into trouble.
She sighed, sinking down on her own blanket and leaning up against the wall.
But I didn't want Chihiro to know the truth about it if I could avoid it, not with her so close to the Clan and with everything else. Still, it's too late now. Whatever I should or should not have done, I can't turn back the clock. I'll just have to live with it now - that if Momiji was killed because of that pendant, her death is my fault. Nothing will change that. It will always be my fault.
The wind whipped through the small house at that juncture, rattling at the shutters and making her jump. She was far too edgy these days, she reflected ruefully, for even the flutter of bird wings or the call of a night predator was enough to fill her with the fear that she was under attack. Whether Momiji had died or whether she had not, there had been no evidence at all that anyone was even interested in this unremarkable home in the midst of an unremarkable village - no evidence whatsoever that anyone cared about an unimportant prostitute living on the fringes of society. Whoever had taken the necklace had long gone, she would tell herself time and time again each evening. It had been bad, but surely, it was past. She had the children to look after, and for their sake, all must go back to how it was before.
A creak of tree branches across from her window made her tense for a moment, opening the eyes she had half closed in preparation for sleeping. Was it her imagination, or had she heard something more among those boughs than normal? Was that the soft padding of footsteps across the roof of her house, or simply the gentle pat of night creatures or even the wind, blowing a stray fragment of wood against the rafters?
Riri froze, knowing that she was probably imagining things, yet unable to calm herself all the same. It was like this most nights, she told herself. These sounds would fade, and sooner or later she would fall into deep sleep. Sooner or later, she would...
The sound of something breaking through wood followed by the eerie glint of something bright and silver sweeping through the air in front of her jerked her back to awareness and she was on her feet., only just narrowly missing the second swing of the shearing object as it came down once more towards her head. It thudded against the wall of the house, embedding itself in the wall and as Riri scrambled to her feet, she was aware of moonlight suddenly pouring in through the roof of her home. The next moment something black dropped down through the hole, and in the faint light Riri saw the briefest glimpse of her attacker, swathed all in midnight colours but with eyes that glittered emptily in the moon's glow. They were gold in colour, and even as she shrank back against the far wall, Riri knew she would never forget them, for she had never in her life seen eyes of that colour before.
The attacker seemed unconcerned by her sudden panic, reaching to pull his heavy weapon from the wall of the house and lifting it over his head, advancing on her calmly and without a moment of hesitation. His eyes remained unchanged as he drew closer to her - utterly impassive, as though he was doing nothing more than taking a stroll in a park. Yet as he brought the weapon down once more, there was no mistaking the force or his intention to kill, and Riri gathered her wits hurriedly, understanding in that moment that the assault she had long been waiting for had come.
Whoever it was had found her. They had been looking after all.
The weapon missed her by inches, slicing through the ends of her braided hair and this gave wings to her feet. Charging forward with a yell, she drove directly into the figure's midriff, taking him off guard and causing him to stumble back against the wooden beams that held the house in place. For a moment he once more lost his hold on the weapon, and in that instinct Riri moved like lightning, terror adding speed to her trembling body as she hurried to pull the children from their beds. Sleepy and disorientated, they did not understand why their guardian was so frantically pulling blankets from over them and shaking them repeatedly, but Riri did not have time to explain. She knew the attacker would soon recover himself, and even if she was the target, something in his manner told her that he would not spare the young ones if he should find them in his path.
Pushing the drowsy Inori and his bleary-eyed sister out of the back window of the house with a hurried instruction of, "find some deep bushes and hide! For God's sake, hide and don't come out until I tell you!" Riri turned her attention back to the matter at hand, looking desperately for anything she could find by which she could defend herself. A broken slat from the house roof caught her attention as she almost stumbled over it and she grabbed at it greedily, pulling it up and wielding it experimentally.
Perhaps it would not stand a chance against the sharp-edged weapon, but at least she was no longer unarmed, and she blinked, trying to work out where her assailant had gone. Between his dark clothing and his lack of voice, it was only when the moonlight glinted off his blade or his soulless eyes that she knew where he was and what he was doing, and as a result he was almost on top of her by the time she saw him, swinging the wood desperately to try and parry his blow. The assailant seemed unperturbed by her struggles, dropping the weapon once more at his side and lunging out for her neck closing his thick gloved fingers around her delicate throat as he forced her to the ground. Though he was slender, he was heavier than her, and his extra weight told as he pressed her against the wood, his hold around her throat tightening as he gazed soundlessly down at her.
Fear coursed through Riri's senses as she began to fight for air. Kicking and clawing at him as best she could, she nevertheless found her attempts weakening as the intruder merely held on, not at all concerned by her attempts to save herself. Dots danced before her eyes as the lack of oxygen began to make her light-headed, and she thrust out her foot one last time, hoping desperately to land a kick on her attacker and force him to loosen his hold.
In her frenzy, though, she missed her target, and her foot clattered instead against the wall of the house. Though there was a lack of force in this last ditch attempt to survive, the already abused property did not need much to start its own protestations, and as the cheap screws that held the shelves up began to fall away, there was a loud crash as boxes, trinkets and the two books Riri used for writing practice tumbled to the ground.
Something about this sound seemed to penetrate the attacker's wits, and he turned, for the first time loosening his hold on Riri's throat. Gasping desperate gulps of air into her lungs, Riri forced herself to stay as still as possible, watching him through terrified eyes as her companion rummaged methodically through the fallen items. It was the cheap jewellery she used as a prostitute that had attracted his interest, she realised with a jolt, and although her brain was still dizzy from lack of oxygen, she knew that there was no doubt - this attack was connected to the stolen pendant somehow. Was he looking for more, then? Other gems and trinkets belonging to the same family?
But the only other thing I have is with Chihiro. It isn't here, so he can't find it.
Riri did not move even a muscle as the assailant seemed to conclude the same thing, tossing the articles aside with a clumsy dismissiveness that reminded her of a bored child. He turned those golden eyes once more onto her, as if trying to determine if she was alive or dead, and Riri held her breath, unfocusing her eyes and forcing herself to remain entirely motionless as he bent over her body, lowering his face towards hers.
For a moment she thought it was all over, and then, after grasping the hilt of his weapon, the assassin was gone.
Fearful for the children, Riri waited only long enough to be sure that her attacker was no longer in the house before getting to her feet, using the wall to steady herself as she realised how giddy and light-headed she still was.
But I can't stay here. I must find Inori and Shizuka and we must...leave. Just in case he comes back. Just in case he knows he hasn't killed me. I saw him, and I won't forget. But it means we have to leave. Tonight.
She swallowed hard, scrambling out of the window and onto the grass on all fours as she searched desperately for any sign of her young charges.
There's only one place I can go, now. To Chihiro, and hope she won't turn me away.
Author's Note
Oh, I love feeling love for OCs!
People wondering about Shirogane, he will reappear in Chapter 28 (29 by FFnet's counting system, so two after this one).
Masaki will appear in the next chapter, I think. But I'm sure he's nobody's favourite...