Meifu's Gate ::Fourth Maki::

by VraieEsprit

Juu & Shun are seniors, but already there are those who resent Juushirou's position as Anideshi. Meanwhile, a bloody murder in District Six threatens to unravel 3 generations of Kuchiki secrets - as a figure in the shadows works to bring down the Clans.

35. Shirogane's Honour

Chapter Thirty Four: Shirogane's Honour

Something was definitely amiss.

Juushirou knitted his dark brows together, leaning back against the wall of the library as he carefully counted the stream of students that filed past him one at a time into the central chamber that housed most of the general reference volumes. Several reading tables filled the only space open enough for a teacher to hold a class at short notice, and Juushirou was reminded briefly of one occasion in his own first year when he and his classmates had been shepherded in here following the murder of one of the teaching staff.

The mood around the school was a similar one today, for before breakfast had been finished with that morning, Genryuusai had appeared before them, a look of consternation in his dark eyes. He had quickly announced that all classes for the day would be cancelled until further notice and that instead the day's lessons would comprise study periods in year groups under the guidance of the Seniors. As the school's students had stared at him in bewilderment, the old shinigami had gone on to assign the First, Second and Third years to various locations, naming three or four Seniors as supervisors for each group and subject area. The Fourth and Fifth years, he had said, were to be trusted to continue their studies on their own – a fact which had brought great excitement particularly from the Fourth year students, for whom this was the first time they had been given such free reign.

For Juushirou, along with Shunsui, Ryuu and Hirata, this sudden change in plans had meant the library and the dubious responsibility of shepherding the largest of the three year groups – the First years. Sora, Enishi, Kai and Akira had been sent to the gymnasium with the Third years whilst the Second years had been instructed to remain in the dining hall to help clear away the plates and dishes before getting down to camp preparation with Kanshi, Naoko and Aoi. Mitsuki and Suzuno, who had been due to attend a special session in the healing bay with Retsu that morning had been told that the Fourth Division leader had been called away unexpectedly, but that they were to continue with their reading without her, and so as the bell had rung through the ancient Clan manor house, there had been nothing to do but follow these bizarre and troubling commands.

Cancelling the school timetable and calling a meeting of the staff implies something major has happened. Unohana-sensei being called away only adds to that – since she's a Clan leader and a senior healer, it may mean that someone has been hurt.

Juushirou cast his glance towards the tables where Shunsui, Ryuu and Hirata were somehow managing to gather the thirty five or so excited students around the four or five desks. They had been charged with chairing a Kidou theory research session, but Kazoe had not left them with any particular instructions, and that too made Juushirou wary and suspicious.

Kazoe-sensei is not the kind of person to forget or be haphazard about anything. Therefore if he didn't prepare something in advance, it means there was no warning and he didn't have time. I wonder if a messenger came to the school first thing.

"All right, you horrible lot, settle down already." Shunsui dropped down at the end of one of the bigger tables, eying the whispering youngsters with amusement. "You think you've got a free class, I suppose – and that's fine…if you're willing to explain to Kazoe why none of you have done any reading or note-taking this session. We'lll leave it up to you to decide – but I know which way I'd be going."

"Senpai, why are we here like this?" Oomaeda Kaneyo, never one to be easily kept down raised his voice, casting Shunsui a quizzical look. "We don't usually have Kidou class in the library all together like this – of course we're going to talk about it."

"Sensei gave the instruction, so all we can do is follow that." As the last person entered the library, Juushirou shut the door, coming to join the group with a sigh. "The truth is that we had the instruction at the same time you did – none of us know any more than any of you."

"Really?" Kaneyo looked surprised, and Juushirou nodded.

"So for the time being, if you have questions to ask, lets keep them on Kidou and not on other things?" He suggested lightly. "You can use any of the first year Kidou books and revise the stuff you've been doing in class if you want to – or alternatively we can discuss any of the things you're not sure about. You'll have your first summer assessments coming up in the not so distant future – so I wouldn't waste this time if I were you. Kazoe-sensei is strict on people who do that, and unless you pass those tests you won't be able to begin practical spells next semester."

"I guess that means we're studying then." Kaneyo cast a grimace at his immediate companions, who returned it in kind. "I don't want to be held back from learning to fire this stuff. Reading about it is fine, but I want to get out there and actually make it work."

"But reading the old books is so boring." A girl sighed. "I mean, I know what it's saying, but some of the language is so antiquated it makes it hard to keep focused on the important bits. Kazoe-sensei is good at explaining if we don't understand…but sometimes when he gives us extra reading…"

"And then there's the kanji." The boy who sat beside her put in, casting his gaze across at Tsunemori, who flushed red at the sudden attention. "Some of us…have more trouble with that than others."

"Tsukabishi'd be top of the class if he could spell." Kaneyo said bluntly, but there was no real malice in his words, and Juushirou hid a smile at the embarrassment that crossed Tsunemori's face.

"Oomaeda-kun." He murmured. "That's not…I mean…it's not…"

"Then how about we begin with some level of Kidou discussion?" Ryuu looked pensive. "If reading books does not suit, perhaps there are things we as senpai can give assistance in. Nobody else is using the library at this moment – and we are all fairly proficient in Kidou theory."

"I'm not sure I remember much about First year." Shunsui admitted casually, and Juushirou shot him a resigned look.

"Well, then you can study with them, if you like. We'll remind you." He bantered back. "You can submit a paper to Kazoe-sensei about what you've learnt today and I'm sure he'll be pleased with you."

"Kids, Anideshi is cruel." Shunsui adopted a wounded look, amid laughter from the junior students.

"And so he should be." Hirata spoke up at that moment, leaning up against one of the bookshelves and offering his roommate a faint smile. "You need to set a better example to the juniors, Shunsui-kun. They might find out that you're the top ranked student in our year, and they might get the wrong idea."

"You didn't need to tell them that." Shunsui sighed heavily. "But since you've given me away, Hirata, I guess I'll help out in Ryuu's discussion project too."

"In that case, anyone who wants to read quietly for themselves should go over to the tables on that side of the room." Juushirou suggested. "Anyone who doesn't, stay on this side of the room. We'll try and go over things with you in a way you can understand. I don't know how long we'll be here for – but if it looks like being a long time, I guess we'll change over part way through."

"Well, they listen to you well enough." As the First year students hastily went about rearranging themselves in the overcrowded library chamber, Shunsui moved to stand beside his friend, offering him a conspiratorial wink. "I suppose Tsukabishi's put a good word in for you – they all seem quite happy to follow your lead."

"If only all the years were like that." Juushirou returned wryly. "But Tsukabishi-kun doesn't seem to be so isolated now. I'm glad about that."

"That Oomaeda has plenty to say and I s'pect he speaks for most of his peer group at times." Shunsui nodded. "But if he's adopted Tsukabishi – and he seems to have – then the kid'll be fine. He's not a nasty one, just a loudmouth. And Tsukabishi probably won't hurt if some of that rubs off on him."

"Mm." Juushirou nodded his head. "Shunsui, what do you suppose this morning is about? All of a sudden, assigned like this – what do you think it means?"

"Something we're not supposed to hear, I guess." Shunsui's eyes darkened. "It bothers me that Unohana-sensei's not here either. Perhaps it relates to Nagoya – if he was heading this way, maybe someone found him."

"Maybe they did." Juushirou's gaze flitted to Ryuu, who was busy helping two diminuitive first year girls reach the books they wanted from the top shelf. "But we probably shouldn't say anything about it to Ryuu. It might not have anything to do with the Kuchiki."

"Although it almost certainly does, I agree." Shunsui inclined his head slightly. "We'll keep the subject on Kidou. He's probably smart enough to have worked out that something major is behind this – but right now we have an assignment, and we'll try and keep focused on that."

"You're becoming a little bit more responsible lately." Juushirou reflected, observing his friend with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Perhaps helping to train Nagasata-san has helped with that – what do you think?"

"I think you're grossly misjudging me, as usual." Shunsui grinned, but there was something clouded in his gaze. "I'm afraid I'm no less lazy or irresponsible than I used to be. Just…I remember when we were sent to the library like this when we were first years. And that was when Aitori was murdered. I have a bad feeling about things as they currently are. As though we're waiting for something none of us have seen coming – I can't put it any other way."

"What are you whispering so covertly about?" Hirata's question made Juushirou jump, and he turned, eying his friend sheepishly.

"This morning's changes in normal timetable and the reasons behind it." He admitted. "But we shouldn't be, so we won't any more. We can talk about it later on, when there aren't young ones around to overhear."

"Yes." Hirata nodded slowly. "Probably it's better if they don't think we're too bothered by whatever's happened. If we're not, they won't be."

"Then are you volunteering to lead the Kidou discussion?" Shunsui teased. Hirata's cheeks reddened slightly and he shook his head.

"Juushirou-kun is Anideshi. He should do that." He said firmly. "But I'll help, once it's begun."

"I suppose that's my cue." Juushirou cast his companions an amused smile, then made his way to join the group of First years, settling himself among them.

"Big brother's about to begin story-time." Shunsui's words were so faint he almost didn't catch them, but a wry smile twitched at his lips as he realised the truth in his friend's off-hand remark.

I feel more or less comfortable dealing with the youngest classes. Maybe because they haven't had time to grow thorns yet...I don't know. But I feel less...hopeless at the moment than I have done. Talking to Shunsui did help - and I suppose I've done nothing very terrible since rescuing Tsukabishi.

His gaze rested on the scrawny youth, and his smile widened.

And he's becoming part of the group, even if as yet he hasn't much to say for himself. So what I did was silly, but it had good results. So I can move on from it and so can he. Good.

He caught Ryuu's gaze at that moment, and something in the shadows in those grey eyes made him pause for a moment, reminded once again of the reason for their being here. Shunsui's lightheartedness had helped to dispel some of the tension, but there was very little doubt in Juushirou's mind that something else had occurred around Seireitei's principle Clan.

And more than that, Ryuu knew it too.

But I'm not going to say anything about that, now. Not before the kids. We'll do our job and Sensei will do his. That's how it ought to be - that's why the Seniors are here. Not to go off on wild whims but to help Sensei and the staff when we're needed, like this.

Out loud he said.

"You're studying Shakkahou, Soukatsui and some of the basic Bakudou so far, aren't you?"

"We've gone over Shakkahou a whole lot." Kaneyo seemed keen to put his oar in first, casting Tsunemori a grin, and Juushirou was surprised at the faint smile that was returned. "We spent a whole class on it yesterday, in fact."

"A whole class, huh?" Ryuu looked startled. "You must have been extremely interested in the technical workings of such a spell."

"No...it wasn't that." Another boy put in, also sending Tsunemori an amused glance. "It was just that everyone's heard how Anideshi fired it when he rescued Tsukabishi from the storm. And everyone wanted Tsukabishi to describe it, so in the end Kazoe-sensei decided he'd go through it with us till we knew the incantation backwards."

"And we do." A girl groaned. "Backwards, forwards, upside-down and inside-out."

"That's good though." Hirata assured them, even as Juushirou looked faintly embarrassed at the recollection of his heroic exploits. "It's a big part of your first assessment and the first flame spell you'll learn to use. Probably the first Hadou, in fact. If you know it that well, you'll find it easier to go to practical magic."

"I wish I'd seen it though." Kaneyo admitted. "Kazoe-sensei said it's a red flame, but Tsukabishi describes it as really vivid and bright, like a proper firework in the night sky."

"Shakkahou is red." Juushirou recovered himself. "Soukatsui is blue and Oukasen is golden yellow. Those are the three flame spells and you'll study all of them in detail over the next few years. But I don't suppose it will be very long at all before you're all firing Shakkahou with fair fluency. Even though it's a level three spell, it's one of the easiest to master right at the start. Soukatsui and especially Oukasen are less so - but you'll be doing Shakkahou of your own very soon indeed."

"How do you know, though, which spell you're firing?" The girl rested her chin in her hands, eying Juushirou curiously. "Because the spells are all fire spells, aren't they? And though I know Shakkahou's incantation now, when I looked at Soukatsui's it looked the same."

"And what if your spirit power isn't fire-based? Can you still use fire spells?" Kaneyo asked eagerly. "I know Sensei's s'posed to have the strongest fire sword, but Kazoe-sensei won't tell us what his sword is. He said we should find out for ourselves whether it mattered - but I can't work out how we should do that."

"He's trying to make you use your brain." Shunsui reached across to tap the boy's substantial forehead lightly with his index finger. "So use it. It'll rattle around in there and fall out of your ears if you don't. Brains shrink if you don't use them - did nobody ever tell you that?"

"I wonder, then, where yours has ended up." Ryuu's comment was not loud enough for the juniors to hear, but Juushirou smothered a smile at his Kuchiki friend's dry humoured remark. Shunsui merely offered him a wry grimace, turning his attention back to the students.

"Well?" He challenged. "What do you think? Juushirou's already sort of told you the answer to your question, Oomaeda. If you think it over, you'll realise what it is."

"That sounds like a riddle." Kaneyo rubbed his temples, and Tsunemori bit his lip, then slowly raised his hand.

"Tsukabishi?" Juushirou's gaze rested on the youngster, who flushed scarlet, but bravely nodded.

"J...Juushirou-senpai said that...we'd all learn Shakkahou very soon. After we did our exams." He said softly. "So it can't matter, can it? Because none of us know what kind of spirit power we have, yet. But we can fire it anyhow. So it must...it must be different. Mustn't it?"

"It's true that if you have a fire sword, you're probably more in tune with fire kidou...I have storm elements to my zanpakutou and spells like Byakurai come very naturally to me." Juushirou grinned. "But in essence, using Kidou is a separate skill from using your sword."

"I have heard of people within Clans who only use Kidou, and don't train with swords at all." Ryuu reflected, and one of the boys looked surprised.

"Really? You don't have to do all of them?" He demanded.

"Here, you'll study them all. When you graduate, who knows?" Ryuu shrugged. "People have different strengths and weaknesses, but I daresay all are of use to the Gotei."

"My father is one such Clan leader." Hirata put in thoughtfully. "He's never trained with a sword, but his Kidou skill was always quite good when I was a young child and he taught me things then. Since inheriting the Clan he's studied more spells and is quite proficient. I suppose he's not what people think of as a shinigami, because he has no zanpakutou. But he is capable of firing quite strong Kidou."

"I'd like that." Tsunemori murmured, more than half to himself. "Swords...I don't really like them. But Kidou is beautiful. I like that...a lot."

"You and Hirata really do have a lot in common." Shunsui offered Hirata a grin. "Though I'd imagine with decent reiatsu like yours, Tsukabishi, you won't find it hard to hold a sword as well. If it's your own sword, it's different - Hirata sucks with zanjutsu generally, but you wouldn't want to fight him if he has Tsumi no Fuuhi drawn."

"Really?"

"What kind of sword is it?"

"Why? What can it do?"

The clamour of questions came all at once, and Hirata laughed, holding up his hands.

"This is a Kidou class." He said mildly. "And we were discussing flame spells."

"But zanpakutou are so much cooler." One student said regretfully. "I can't wait to have one of my own and fight down Hollows."

"Hollows aren't a joking matter." Ryuu said sharply. "And you will certainly not be able to defeat one if you focus all your energy on one discipline instead of spreading it across them all. You are learning to be a shinigami. Not a glorified samurai who can do nothing but swing his sword."

"And as for the incantations for the flame spells, they are the same up to a point." Juushirou put in hurriedly, before anyone could react to Ryuu's slightly critical tone. "At the midpoint, though, they change. The second half of each spell is quite different. Next time you have your textbooks in front of you, take a look and see. That's how you know."

"You can't really fire the wrong one by mistake." Hirata said thoughtfully. "The second phrases are quite different from one another. And you won't do Oukasen this year. We didn't do that in practical Kidou till...Third year, I think."

"It was." Shunsui confirmed, mischief in his eyes. "I'll never forget the way Enishi blew the target into smithereens and sent wood splinters flying over the fence and into the cook's apple trees in the kitchen garden beyond. Two or three of the boughs closest to the Kidou arena had their fruit impaled, and lots of apples fell onto the ground. That was the last time Kazoe let us use that arena for live Kidou."

"Oukasen is a lot tougher to control." Juushirou said ruefully, remembering the incident in question and also the look of abject horror that had crossed Enishi's features at the spectacle he had caused. "So for now it's easier for you First years to concentrate on Soukatsui and Shakkahou. Just so long as you know they aren't the only flame spells - that should be enough for your assessments."

"Senpai, do you like Kidou?" Kaneyo asked quizzically, and Juushirou nodded, looking surprised.

"Yes. Very much." He agreed. "I think it's a beautiful way of using spirit power - but dangerous if you're not really careful with it. That means there's always something new to learn even about spells you know well. It never gets boring for me."

"Even though you have a zanpakutou, you still like Kidou?" The student who had earlier expressed his preference for swords looked doubtful, and Juushirou laughed.

"Sougyo no Kotowari is a part of me. It would be cross with me if I said I liked anything better than it." He said lightly. "But it's probably true to say I enjoy studying Kidou as much as I do working with my sword. I liked Kidou from the First year...and that hasn't changed."

"Ukitake is the top ranked Kidou student in our year." Ryuu put in frankly.

"Isn't it hard, though?" A girl blushed, eying Juushirou with a faintly awkward look. "I mean...being...District? Isn't it hard to learn all the spells and things? Because...Clan people seem to already know so many things. And...well..."

"Tsukabishi isn't Clan." Kaneyo protested. "And he absorbs everything up even though he's only been told it once. It's nothing to do with District or Clan. Tis brains, that's all. Brains."

"Oomaeda-kun!" Tsunemori flushed red to the tips of his ears. "That's not...it's not...the thing is..."

"Some Clan people don't like it." A boy muttered, and Juushirou's eyes softened. He nodded.

"I know. I've experienced that too." He said quietly.

"Hey!" A girl spoke up, indignation in her green eyes. "Stop saying it like all Clan people are bad! It's not like that! Just because some say silly things, it doesn't mean..."

"Clan and District can work together." Shunsui spoke across her, casting her a smile that quelled her anger into confusion. "And more, they should. It doesn't matter where you're born, not really. Juu's right. If you have skill, you use it. If not, you do what you can to support those who do."

"Almost five years and finally Kyouraku has the measure of what school is about." Ryuu remarked off-handedly, sending his classmate a dry smile. "Although I cannot disagree. My opinion on this matter is the same."

"Every member of Senior Class is Clan, with the exception of Juushirou-kun." Hirata added seriously. "Most of us have gone through the school with him, though, and we don't consider there to be any difference between us and him. Sensei wants us - all of us students - to look at things a different way. If we study together, we learn more about each other."

"It's not always easy." Kaneyo admitted. "I don't care either way, really, but you know, folks do draw lines in the sand."

"They always will." Ryuu said quietly, and Juushirou saw the shadows return to the sober grey eyes. "No matter how trivial the reason, people will always find reasons to fight."

"Ryuu." Shunsui's brows knitted together, then he sighed.

"He's probably right." He admitted. "But so is Hirata. The truth is, this world isn't going to survive if it's left to us Clansfolk alone. There aren't enough of us - there never will be - to tackle the Hollow problem to the point where balance is properly restored. People like Juushirou - and Tsukabishi, and all the other District students - they're needed. People with the power to help will always have a place in Soul Society. Anyone who speaks against that hasn't grasped reality yet. Things are changing and they have to keep changing. If we're going to protect this world, it needs all of us. Not just a few here and there."

"I intend to be a shinigami." Tsunemori, who had been listening carefully, spoke up at that point, rare resolution in his dark eyes. "Like Juushirou-senpai and Kyouraku-senpai and all the others. Mother would want me to do that. To help. I don't know if I can do much...but...I want to try. And I don't...I don't want to fight with Clan people, either."

"Already this school is making a difference." Hirata said softly. "Most all of the Clans are now behind the idea of bringing the Districts into the picture."

"And not all Clan kids are taught Kidou and things before they get to the Academy." Shunsui admitted sheepishly. "I didn't know any Kidou before I came, and though I could hold a sword, I didn't really have much - shall we say - useful experience among my studies."

"Your attention please, students."

Before any of the group could respond, there was a voice from the doorway and all looked up, Juushirou among them to see Kazoe stood in the entrance, a slightly troubled expression on his severe features.

"First Year, you are dismissed." He said quietly. "Your normal timetable will resume after lunch - till then you have recess. Thank you for working so quietly this morning."

"Sensei, has something happened?" Kaneyo asked eagerly, but Kazoe shook his head impatiently, indicating the door.

"You are dismissed." He said pointedly. "But nobody is to leave school grounds, as this is a school day. No more questions please."

Grumbling and exchanging looks with one another, the First years nonetheless got to their feet, gathering their papers and books together before filing towards the door. One or two of them bowed their heads towards the Seniors, then, with Kazoe's stern eye on them they fled, the sound of excited chatter filling the hallway beyond.

Kazoe sighed, sliding the library door shut with a look of resignation, and the four Seniors exchanged looks.

"Thank you for overseeing them at such short notice this morning." The teacher said softly. "I'm sure you had questions to field, but we felt it best that you had no answers to give."

"Sensei, what's happened at home?" It was Ryuu who spoke first, and Kazoe's eyes flitted to Ryuu's troubled face. He did not answer at once, then he nodded.

"You are right. It does correlate to the Kuchiki." He said heavily. "We received a slightly disturbing report early this morning that we felt we could not ignore."

"Then...someone...is hurt?" Juushirou asked anxiously. Kazoe shook his head.

"No. Nobody has been hurt or killed." He said firmly, and Ryuu let out a sigh of relief.

"Then will you tell me what?" He asked. "I don't mind if Ukitake and the others overhear - if nobody has been slain, then..."

"Doubtless it won't stay a secret for long, given that so many students here have Clan connections." Kazoe said quietly. "But an attempt was made on the life of your Clan leader."

"On Guren-sama?" Even Shunsui looked stunned, and Kazoe nodded.

"It failed." He said frankly. "And the suspect was incarcerated in the Kuchiki prison. We were not going to give you any more infomation than that, but it seems...highly likely that other details will leak out and therefore each member of staff has been dispatched to speak to the Seniors individually. Security here will be heightened in the meantime."

"Because of an attack in District Six?" Hirata's brows knitted together.

"We have received two communications." Kazoe said grimly. "One regarding the assassination attempt on Guren-sama, and another regarding the possibility of a plot against the life of the next Kuchiki heir. In short..."

"Me." Ryuu's word was little more than a whisper, and he sank back against the wall, a mixture of emotions in his slate grey gaze. Kazoe nodded.

"I know that this isn't the first time such an idea has been put to you." He continued gravely. "And that you're aware of the current awkward situation of suspicion against your cousin Nagoya."

"I don't believe him guilty." Ryuu said bleakly. "Of everyone, I don't believe Shirogane-senpai to be after my life."

"Right now, we don't know. But we've had a missive from the Head of the Kuchiki Clan to detain him on sight. First District's military have also been so briefed." Kazoe responded. "There is one other main reason for contacting us, though. To ensure your safety is paramount to them. We had hoped that we could shield the domestic squabbles of the Clan from school life. But that seems unlikely now. There is one other piece of data that we are hoping to keep from the main school as a whole, but it would be irresponsible for us not to mention it to those who are in immediate company with the assassin's apparent target."

"Which is what, Sensei?" Juushirou felt a sudden cold chill run down his spine, and Kazoe's eyes darkened.

"The suspect held in the Kuchiki cells is as yet unnamed." He said levelly. "But there is absolutely no doubt about one thing. Whoever he is...the one who tried to kill Guren-sama is a blood member of the Shihouin Clan."

---

The Council Hall was already busy by the time Guren left his carriage, pausing only to acknowledge the respectful bow and greeting of the guards on duty before proceeding forward into the central chamber itself. It was little more than routine for him now, walking through these ornately decorated hallways towards the place where the Council of Elders had met ever since their inception some centuries ago, but somehow today it felt unfamiliar, as though he was once more stepping through each door for the very first time.

He was still on edge. Since the attempt on his life the security at the manor had been tripled threefold, and he knew there were still many things to do back there. But the memory of that gold eyed silent shadow sitting motionless in the end cell of the Kuchiki prison was an image he could not easily push from his mind. Whether he still had duties to undertake with his family, for now he needed answers. Both for his own sake, and for the sake of his dead Father's memory.

Otousama was killed by Shihouin conspirators. Now my son lies dead and my life was also targeted. I need to know what the truth is – whether this generation of Shihouin are the same or different from the last.

The attendants on duty at the main chamber door bowed at his approach, their long flowing robes trailing on the ground as they hurried to pull the divide open and allow him entrance. Though security here was tighter than anywhere else in Soul Society, nobody needed to ask his name. He was Guren, fifteenth head of the Kuchiki and fourth head of District Six – and everybody here knew him on sight.

He had robed for effect that morning, determined that no matter how wretched and unsettled he was feeling inside, he would not show that face before the other members of the Council. He would use his haori and his ceremonial Kuchiki attire in the same way as he had before the family court – as armour against those who sought to pry into his deepest thoughts.

That he had risen at dawn that morning and spent a half hour at his son's memorial before preparing to leave was something that nobody else needed to know. And if someone here was responsible for wrenching his heart right out of his body…he would not let them have the satisfaction of seeing him rattled.

He was a Kuchiki. He would not stoop to their level.

"Guren-sama." As he reached the seat belonging to Sixth District, a voice drew his attention and he turned to acknowledge the greeting of his neighbour from Seventh District, Endou Misashi. Guren had never liked the ruthless, battle-greedy Endou, but Misashi was not like the predecessors who had carved out their power base in blood and slaughter and had relished ruling their land through fear. On the contrary, Guren knew that Misashi did not carry a sword even when facing difficult negotiations with his kinsfolk, and in his two years as head of the Endou, his opinions had been reasoned, rational and soft-spoken to a point where the Kuchiki lord had found himself grudgingly forming some level of respect.

"On the subject of your son, my greatest condolences." Misashi bowed his head now, acknowleding the distinction in status that lay between them, and this as well was something that helped Guren's unsettled heart. Though Misashi's rank in the Council was equal to his own, the Kuchiki were generally considered the most senior and superior of the eight ruling families, and Misashi had always observed this fact with his quiet politeness and careful deference. "I trust that you have made good progress in establishing the circumstances and that you will soon be able to find peace for him and for your family."

"Thank you." Guren spoke gravely. "Of all people, Misashi-dono, perhaps you can understand best how a Father feels when his child's life is stolen away."

"Indeed." Misashi's eyes clouded, and he nodded. "If all you can give Ribari-sama is justice, sometimes that's the best thing of all to offer."

"Without doubt." Guren acknowledged. "I have every intention of finding that justice for Ribari – just as I found justice for my Father some several years ago."

"We still live in bloody times." Misashi sighed, and Guren knew that his companion had seen them bloodier than most during his lifetime. "The Endou are feeble in comparison to the Kuchiki's might and connections, so please don't consider my words impudent. But if there is anything as neighbours of District Six that my people can do – please tell me. I will do my utmost to ensure that those things are done."

"I'm not sure this is a problem that your people can resolve." Despite himself, Guren offered a faint smile. "But there is one thing I might ask of you. Recently I believe my brother sent word to the border retinue of your land and my own. A kinsman of mine who may have information about Ribari is rumoured to have passed that way – if your men see him, I would like him stopped. Held, if possible…until someone from my Clan can come and retrieve him."

"A kinsman?" Misashi's eyes narrowed. "I have read Seiren-dono's letter. It is Lord Shirogane…I believe?"

"Yes." Guren nodded.

"I see." Misashi pursed his lips. "You wish us to…arrest him? Or simply detain him?"

"Detain him, if you would." Guren said briskly. "There are matters which need discussing and I have not yet had a chance to discuss them with him."

Misashi was silent for a moment, then,

"Forgive my intrusion, Guren-sama, but I'm sure that Shirogane-dono was the Vice Captain of the Sixth Shinigami squad? I'm sure he isn't now a suspect in…"

"I do not suspect Shirogane of anything." Guren cut across the question swiftly before it was asked, shaking his head. "I simply wish to talk to him. It is not what you think, Misashi-dono. And I would prefer…such enquiries to remain unvoiced. I will simply ask that if he is seen by your men, he should be detained by them if possible. That's all."

"I understand." Misashi nodded his head. "I'm sorry if I crossed a line, Guren-sama. We will certainly do our best to assist you in this matter."

Guren sighed, sitting back in his seat as Misashi withdrew to his own. Glancing around the chamber, he could see that all of the Clan representatives were now in place, the gold and black crested throne of the Shihouin currently left vacant as the young head of the Second Clan took the place of Council chair. As he watched her slip nimbly into her position, ceremonial haori fluttering slightly against her lithe frame, Guren's eyes narrowed. Midori was known for being as ruthless as she was fair, and had not hesitated to cut down a kinsman in the past who had betrayed her and her kind. She had been trained by the Uncle who had preceded her – the man put to death for misadventure with illicit chemicals by the Council some years before – but at the time she had taken control of the Shihouin, she had made a clean break with the past, claiming that from that point on the dark arts of her family would be put instead to the benefit of Soul Society as a whole.

Even if she had spoken true then, could such a young and inexperienced shinigami really control her whole Clan enough to wipe out centuries of tradition in blood and shadow? Guren knew that the 'Shadow Cat' had special influence and respect among her people…but Midori was still in her twenties. Even without her knowledge it was possible for stalwarts of her uncle to have decided to act behind her back.

"This Council session is now begun." At that moment the girl's crisp tones broke through the silence, level and confident as she faced the other members of this hallowed group. Her gaze hesitated for a brief moment on Guren's face, then she smiled, bowing her head in his direction.

"We welcome you back, Guren-sama." She said softly. "We are all aware of recent events among the Kuchiki Clan – I trust that your presence here means that things have begun to settle?"

"That depends on your definition of 'settle'." Guren said acidly. "My son was murdered. That isn't really a problem that can be summarily fixed with negotiation."

"Nonetheless, we are happy to see you back among us, Guren-sama." Tokutarou spoke gravely. "A death in the family is something we can all identify with."

"It's a more serious incident than a sole assassination." Nagesu, head of the Urahara adjusted his spectacles with a troubled look on his face. "The information we received in District Three was that further attempts have been made on the lives of other Kuchiki – most specifically, on your own, Guren-sama."

"I have not had such a report." Midori looked startled, and Guren eyed her for a moment, trying to work out whether she was telling the truth. "Guren-sama, someone has truly targeted your life?"

"Yes. It is true." At length Guren nodded his head slowly. "But as you see, I am unharmed. It would take more than a base assassin to kill me, Nagesu-dono – I assure you."

"But it's still troubling to say the least." Hashihiko, the grey haired chief of the Yamamoto rumbled. "This is not the kind of incident that happens often in District Six's Clan."

"Guren-sama?" Shiba Kyouki turned curious green eyes on her neighbouring shinigami. "My border retainers have reported that there's been unusual activity on your side of the District divide in recent weeks. With one murder and with an attack on your life – such activity suggests hunting a suspect that's so far slipped your noose. I can assure you nobody has crossed over into my land since these patrols intensified – but they do concern me a little. A sizeable Kuchiki military presence moving towards foreign land is always cause for apprehension."

"My brother is following all leads." Guren decided that now would not be a good time to mention in any detail the situation surrounding Shirogane. "My son's death has undoubtedly caused a certain amount of disruption among our people – and as you rightly say, it is an ongoing situation. There is no intention of invading District Five or imposing on your people in any way, Kyouki-dono. On the contrary, we are covering all areas of District Six and Six alone for clues. The answers are doubtless there - although it is not certain by any means that Kuchiki in other regions might not come under similar assault…"

He paused, meeting Hashihiko's eyes gravely.

"I understand that your kinsman, Genryuusai-sama has assured my brother of his protection regarding my nephew Ryuu and his cousin Mitsuki." He said quietly. "I am unsure if any other Kuchiki students of Clan blood are in danger, but Ryuu's bloodline may put him in jeopardy and Mitsuki may be seen as a way to get to Ryuu."

"Genryuusai-sama is resolved to protect all of his students, with or without communication from the Kuchiki or any other Clan." Hashihiko said firmly. "You need have no fear there, Guren-sama. Your nephew and the young hime are as safe as they can be anywhere in Seireitei – probably much safer there than at home, in fact, given the reports we've all received."

"They're not reports other Clans should become frightened by." Guren said grimly. "The targets have only been those associated with the Kuchiki in a direct and unequivocal manner. For the most part, those singled out have been those of us close to the core of the Clan."

"Are you saying this is a Kuchiki matter and the business of nobody else?" Midori asked softly. "In a crisis circumstance such as this, I believe it to be in my power as Chair of the Council to grant aid or assistance to help resolve the current turmoil. Somehow I don't suppose that's an offer you intend to accept, Guren-sama."

"I have not said it is or it is not a Kuchiki matter." Guren said coldly. "The truth is that we have not been able to establish firmly those things either way. However, we have managed to carve out one firm lead and it is one of which I wish all Clans to take clear notice. The young man who attempted to take my life was prevented from doing so and was taken alive to the Kuchiki prison, where he is currently in our secure custody. Though we have not managed to obtain a name from him, or any other information, one thing is as clear as can be."

He paused, meeting Midori's amber eyes as he looked for any sign of guilt or apprehension in her gaze.

"The one we have captive is dark-skinned, with long violet hair and golden eyes." He said softly. "In short, he is undoubtedly a member of the Shihouin Clan."

"What?" Midori visibly paled, and a soft murmur went around the chamber as the other Clan leaders exchanged stunned glances. "Guren-sama, what allegation are you raising against my people now? Do you think my dislike of you or your family runs deep enough for me to risk the rebuilding of my own on a murderous whim? In case you hadn't realised it, I have no further interest in rivalry with the Kuchiki or with sending out secret assassins on any errand whatsoever. That was the province of my Uncle and those who came before him. I am not that kind of Clan leader."

"And yet there is no doubt about this individual's identity." Guren said quietly. "Only Shihouin and their descendants have golden eyes. I am not the only one who has seen this boy's violence, either. There are other witness statements linking him to a murderous attack on unarmed stable hands some days before."

"I don't believe it." Midori was still pale, but as she banged her fist down against the arm of the chair, Guren realised that it was anger and not guilt that had drained her features of their normal colour. "I won't believe it! Such a thing…I would not sanction an attack on your life or on the life of your son, Guren-sama. I have no reason to wish you or him dead. On the contrary, the further the Kuchiki stay from Shihouin affairs the happier my family generally are. What past we do or do not have with one another, I'm not interested in reviving it. I'll say it again for the benefit of the full Council. I did not dispatch an assassin to take your life or the life of any other and I am quite willing to swear that fact by blood with witnesses if the need arises. If you truly have a Shihouin in your jail then he is a traitor to his family and no concern of mine."

"You are telling me to kill him, then?" Guren asked softly, and Midori snorted.

"I don't care what you do with reckless idiots." She said bluntly. "I didn't send him, Guren-sama. He's not mine. Do with him what you will – the Shihouin denies all knowledge of this plot."

"In which case, you have nothing to hide, correct?" Guren challenged.

"That is what I'm saying. Yes." Midori's eyes were defiant, but Guren was somewhat comforted by the level of rage building up inside of the young woman's body.

It was the anger not of someone who had been caught and revealed for double crossing, but rather the fury of a young Clan leader whose wrath was directed unequivocally towards any unfortunate who had dared bring her family shame.

"I want to know who this assassin is and what he was doing in my study." Guren said softly. "He is not some insignificant descendant of your family, but rather a son of pure blood. Perhaps he is the same age as my nephew Ryuu, or thereabouts, and I would wager he had trained with a weapon, although he is not very careful in his mode of attack. His features are true enough that neither I nor my investigators have any doubt. I imagine someone close to the core of your Clan must be able to claim him. Even put a name to him – and find out what his reasons were."

Midori's eyes became near slits, giving her an almost feline look as she digested this. Then,

"If you are so confident of his bloodline, I'm surprised you can't already name him." She said quietly. "As for your description, there is only one person close to the centre of the Shihouin Clan which fits that age range and that is my brother Kai. Whilst I realise my word is probably not good enough to speak for him – Kai is in District One at present, and I think it's unlikely that he slipped the attention of Genryuusai-sama and his staff and crossed two Districts to make an attempt on your life."

There was an edge to her words now, her pride having been fully riled by Guren's direct accusations.

"Shihouin Kai-kun is indeed in District One." Now Retsu, who had until this moment remained silent, spoke up among the rest, her calm voice serving some way to placate the rising tension that had begun to fill the hall. "I can vouch for that fact myself, Guren-sama. I saw him there this morning, at breakfast with his fellows. Therefore I will exonerate him from your suspicions as an enemy of the Kuchiki Clan."

"There." Midori's eyes glittered with triumph. "So you see, Guren-sama, there's nobody within the inner circles of my family who might fit your description. In fact, there is…"

She faltered, her hand going suddenly to her mouth as though she had remembered something, and Guren's brows knitted together as he fixed her with a searching, suspicious look.

"There is?" He prompted quietly, and Midori sighed, closing her eyes briefly and then opening them to meet his grey gaze.

"I don't see how it can connect." She said softly. "In fact, I don't see how at all. But…there is one other member of my Clan who is of similar age to my brother. And I admit it…his whereabouts are currently unknown."

"I see." Guren's eyes became slits. "His name, please?"

"Onoe Tomoyuki." Midori sounded troubled now, glancing at her hands and then across the room to where Retsu's brow had also creased in consternation. "But I don't see how he can be your killer either, Guren-sama. In fact, there's surely no way…even if I can't speak for his whereabouts, such a thing is…"

"Onoe Tomoyuki." Guren repeated the name softly, then, "Thank you. I will judge for myself whether or not he is a candidate in this crime."

"With respect, Guren-sama, I have to echo the opinion Midori-sama has put forward." Retsu spoke again now, raising her hand in a conciliatory gesture towards the bristling Kuchiki lord. "I have knowledge of Onoe Tomoyuki, and I believe…Midori-sama's words to be correct. Though I did not know that his location had become unknown – I was under the impression that he was in the care of his kin in District Two."

"He was. Until about two months ago." Midori nodded her head, her eyes suddenly sober and full of consternation. "When he disappeared without a trace. We searched and conducted our own enquiries. But there wasn't any sign of him, and so we let it go."

"This is confusing me." Nagesu admitted. "If there is such a person and he absconded his Clan, surely…"

"I've heard the name Onoe before, too." Tokutarou said grimly. "He was a classmate of Shunsui's – well, somewhat, but they were students at the Academy at the same time. He got into an altercation in the First year, and was dismissed. That's the same person, isn't it, Midori-dono? Unless I miss my guess, he assaulted your brother with the intention of killing him outright."

"Then he is trained as an assassin?" Guren grasped hold of this, and Midori sighed, nodding her head.

"But I too am so trained. Kai also. Most of us are." She said wearily. "Tomoyuki had that training, sure enough. And he had a grievance against Kai and I which drove him to violence. But that being so, Guren-sama, I don't see how he could have killed your son or made an attempt on your life. Whether he has that kind of a past or not is irrelevant. Tomoyuki as he currently is…it's just not possible."

"But he is missing?" Nagesu murmured softly. "Betrayed kinsfolk sometimes take extreme measures, Midori-dono. Perhaps this Onoe seeks still to take revenge against you and this is his way of doing so. If he held a grudge like that before…"

"Onoe Tomoyuki-kun's brain activity is almost none." Retsu said frankly, before Nagesu could finish his sentence. "He took Eiminyaku poison in order to commit suicide and though his life was stayed, really only his body remained intact. He was comatose and there was little if no hope of him ever reviving from that sleep. Even an Unohana could not raise him from that slumber – no healing method is effective against the damage Eiminyaku poison causes."

Her gaze flitted to Guren.

"You know that to your cost, Guren-sama." She added evenly. "Senaya-sama's life was also lost at the hands of that drug."

"But…" Guren faltered, despite himself, and Midori nodded.

"Tomoyuki's slept for the past four years or so." She said gravely. "We were told there was a very faint chance of him waking on his own, but if he did, he would no longer know his own name or remember anything that had happened before. As Clan leader I took the decision to protect and keep him alive, because his being so served as a reminder of why we were changing the Clan and moving beyond the assassin past. We did wonder whether he had woken and become confused, so wandered off – but he would not have had the knowledge to get anywhere or feed himself, so we would have found him quickly if that had been the case. I suspected his father of having murdered him, but even that investigation came to nothing. He simply vanished."

"A living corpse." Guren's eyes widened as he remembered the blank look in the assassin's eye, and the docile, soundless way he had hunched himself into the corner of his cell, seemingly detached from anything going on around him.

"What if he had awoken?" He asked quietly. "And by some fluke, had left on his own? What if this drug had driven him to aggression, and then…the boy who attacked me had eyes are as pure gold as yours are, Midori-dono, but they showed no emotion of any kind. He had no power of speech, and despite the violence he showed towards me, he has not attempted to escape his cell. He hasn't responded to any questions or actions against him. And when he fought me – even then he showed no fear of being caught or killed. But my physicians say he wasn't under the influence of any drug at the time of the attack, so explaining his behaviour has left us at a loss. He also has no reiatsu to speak of – and I remember when Father died, that cursed drug ate away at his spirit power piece by piece until eventually there was nothing of it left. The person you have just described to me fits the person I have locked in my cell. Retsu-dono, is such a thing possible? Could he retain enough to act in such a way?"

Slowly Retsu shook her head.

"Onoe Tomoyuki is effectively dead. His mind and his soul are fleeting wisps and nothing more." She said sadly. "His body remains undamaged, but without a mind, a body cannot run. I examined your son's body, Guren-sama, and I saw the precision with which the wound on his neck had been inflicted. Even if by some fluke the boy had managed to regain some consciousness, he would be incapable of understanding the processes needed to inflict poison on someone else, let alone have the sleight of hand to perform the deed. I would still say that it was impossible. Onoe Tomoyuki could not have killed your son."

"Even if he is the one who attacked me, and who now languishes in my cell?"

"Even so." Retsu agreed. "I have seen the half-formed consciousnesses of those who have made even the faintest recovery from Eiminyaku poisoning, and most of those individuals had considerably more spirit power remaining than Onoe Tomoyuki did when I treated him some years ago. My honest opinion is that the boy is effectively dead – and a corpse cannot take the lives of others."

Her gaze drifted to Midori's tense form, then,

"And it certainly could not do so at the behest of the Shihouin Clan." She added. "They do not have the scientific endeavour to achieve such a miracle of healing."

"In your opinion, Retsu-sama, could Tomoyuki have woken and walked off on his own?" Midori asked softly. Retsu shook her head.

"In my view, that too would be impossible." She responded. "It is far more likely that someone else removed him."

"For what purpose?" Hashihiko frowned.

"For this purpose, apparently." Kyouki's brows knitted together. "To make Guren-sama believe that a Shihouin was trying to take out his family, just like when Senaya-sama was killed."

"Which almost certainly means that the Shihouin are not involved." Tokutarou said acerbically. "And that someone is using them as a scapegoat. Someone with the knowhow to make even a dead man walking into a useful tool and distraction."

"We don't know for certain that the man in Guren-sama's cell is Onoe Tomoyuki." Nagesu pointed out, and Guren could see the sudden consternation that had filled the scientist's pale eyes. "That should be established before any more theories are put about. We are racing far ahead of ourselves, and run the risk of basing theory on hypothesis rather than fact."

"Nagesu-dono is right." Hashihiko agreed. "We are making assumptions, but there is no clear evidence of this Shihouin's identity."

"He did not carry any form of identity with him, Guren-sama?" Tokutarou asked curiously. "Nothing to mark his Clan – nothing like that?"

"Nothing." Guren confirmed. "In fact, he was robed in peasant fabric, with no Clan badge or colour at all. Even the weapons he carried bore no connection to the Shihouin. They were actually fashioned in District Eight, Tokutarou-dono – but by a smith whose weaponry is already widely used and exported across the Eight Districts. They are similar weapons to those some of my own retinue might wield – something easy to obtain wherever you might be."

"I'm glad you don't suspect my family also of conspiracy in this." Tokutarou observed. "That might prove difficult to explain to my kinsfolk."

"No. But I do also have a question for you." Guren's mind flitted to the mysterious hime that had infiltrated Sixth District's manor. "Whether you have any cousins by descent of your late Uncle Sadehira – or whether you do not."

"That is a strange question." Tokutarou's brows knitted together in confusion. "But one I can readily respond to. The answer is no. My Uncle never married nor had children of his own. Why?"

"You are certain of that fact?"

"I am." Tokutarou agreed. "But I don't understand why you would…"

"Then it is of no matter." Guren dismissed it with a flick of his fingers, inwardly disturbed by the speed and clarity of Tokutarou's denial.

If he's right, Seiren is wrong. Maybe the whole of the evidence against Shirogane is suspect, if Nanaki is not a descendant of that Clan. But I will not bring my family into shame and scrutiny here. For now, I have nothing evidential to back up Nanaki's claim – both she and the pendant are gone. In which case, I'll let that matter rest. But I wonder…if Shirogane knew she was lying, and that's why he confronted her. That's why…all of this began.

"Guren-sama, I don't know what your motive was for asking me that." Tokutarou's frown deepened. "Does this have a connection to those weapons and your assassin? Because you just said that…"

"No. It was a vague thought that came to nothing." Guren shook his head. "Please, do not trouble yourself on it. I accept your word as truth and I will assume the weapons entered this killer's hands through methods unknown to your Clan."

For the time being, until I have more to work with, that is all I can do.

"Very well." Tokutarou was clearly still unsettled, but he nodded. "If that's all it is, I suppose it doesn't matter. If you want me to make enquiries about sword exports I will – but they are numerous from Eighth District and likely wouldn't tell you anything of use."

"I expect that's true." Guren sighed. "The evidence I have is far too fleeting to be of any use. No. For the time being, Tokutarou-dono, I won't trouble District Eight to follow up this enquiry. You are right – your District specialises in sword production and export and therefore acquiring weaponry from there would be quite easy."

Though if that hime lied to us, and those swords were from District Eight…I wonder what that really means.

"I understand." Tokutarou inclined his head. "But my Uncle is not a popular man or memory in the Kyouraku Clan. He is also quite definitely dead, unlike Onoe Tomoyuki. Therefore we should return to a more useful line of conversation – I can't help you with ghosts."

"Then the problem of identifying Guren-sama's assassin remains." Hashihiko reflected. " Midori-dono, surely if you know this Onoe boy by name, you would recognise his face?"

"We would all recognise him." Midori agreed. "But as Clan leader I would not be welcome in District Six under any circumstances. The safety of a Shihouin is also never assured in that land – particularly now, if suspicions are turned our way. I will gladly send someone to help with your enquiries – but only if their safety can be guaranteed. My family are not involved in this business – I want clear assurance that your kin won't try and exact vigilante justice on a relative of mine trying to help you put clues together."

Guren was silent for a long while, then he sighed, nodding his head.

"It is a curious business." He said quietly. "That a boy with no wits could have attacked me in my own quarters. Certainly he could not be working alone – but if Retsu-dono says that the Shihouin's involvement in such a thing would be impossible, I will…bow to her opinion. And yes, Midori-dono, I will accept your offer of help. You have my assurance that whoever you send to my land will be granted full immunity and security whilst carrying out their mission. I want to know who the boy in my cell is, and what his overall significance is to this business."

"Very well." Midori looked weary. "Then I will dispatch my brother Yanagi to District Six as soon as possible. He's the best placed to identify Tomoyuki, I believe – and as a member of my close family, you can be assured that I take your request and your investigation seriously. I will trust that no harm will befall my brother – providing you trust that he and I mean you and yours no harm either."

"I believe you." Guren admitted. "Yanagi-dono will not come to harm in District Six. You have my word."

"There is one other possibility that I think may have been overlooked." Misashi's soft, thoughtful voice broke through the discussion at that juncture, and Guren turned to eye him curiously, taking in the pensive expression in his pale blue gaze.

"Possibility?" Midori looked startled. "What do you mean, Misashi-sama? What kind of possibility?"

"Retsu-sama has clearly said that a boy with Onoe's physical and mental condition would not be capable of murder. Perhaps not even of raising from his bed and walking on his own." Misashi said quietly. "But that doesn't make it an impossibility for such a boy to commit these crimes. Perhaps Guren-sama is right. Maybe the boy he arrested is Onoe Tomoyuki. Perhaps Onoe Tomoyuki is in fact the assassin District Six are seeking."

"Misashi-dono, with the scientific evidence…" Hashihiko began, but Misashi held up his hand to indicate he had not finished.

"I accept Retsu-sama's medical evidence, Hashihiko-sama." He continued levelly. "But even so, I don't believe in coincidence and I don't believe in unexplained phenomena. If a Shihouin boy with eyes like a corpse attacked Guren-sama's life, and the only candidate who fits the description is Onoe Tomoyuki, then very probably that is who it is. Because people witnessed him committing crimes, the most likely explanation is that he did so. The question is not so much who - but a matter of how those things were achieved."

He twitched his shoulders into a shrug.

"Now he is inside Guren-sama's cell, perhaps because he lacks the knowledge or will to try to escape. But all of those things are likely not accidental. Killing Guren-sama might not have been his real objective. Could a boy with no mental capacity kill a Shinigami with Bankai level ability? I would not have thought so. Not even the most stupid criminal would send someone like that to remove the life of someone like Guren-sama, and with the death of Ribari-sama, we are not dealing with stupidity."

"What point are you trying to make, Misashi-dono?" Guren asked quietly, and Misashi offered him a faint smile.

"To me, the most logical conclusion is that this boy - be he Onoe or be he not - was not sent to kill Guren-sama at all." He said simply. "Since there is a Shihouin now in the Kuchiki cells, there is evidence against the Shihouin Clan that is very hard for Midori-sama and her companions to easily refute. I would have thought that to be the real objective. Perhaps this time the death of a Kuchiki wasn't intended. On the contrary, maybe the plan was for Guren-sama to continue to live – and in a state angry enough to declare war on old foes and reignite conflict from a generation before."

"You're talking in riddles yourself, Misashi-dono." Tokutarou sighed. "But what you're saying is that someone sent Onoe – if it is Onoe – to annoy Guren-sama and make him declare war on the Shihouin?"

"Indeed." Misashi nodded.

"And for what purpose exactly? Who benefits from that?" Midori demanded.

"Anyone who is not Shihouin." Misashi said simply. "Because a Shihouin is in Guren-sama's cell, I'm fairly sure that a Shihouin did not kill Ribari-sama. Nor did one kill the stable men – and nor, Guren-sama, did one attempt to take your life."

"I was there." Guren glared at the other man indignantly. "I'm not so much of a fool to doubt my own eyesight, you know!"

"I wasn't saying that." Misashi assured him. "What I mean is that it isn't the puppet that poses the real danger. It's the one in the shadows that does – the one pulling the strings. Find that person and probably you find the killer of Ribari-sama. And that killer is probably not a Shihouin."

Nagesu's expression became stricken.

"Keitarou?" He whispered, dismay in his pale eyes, and Misashi shrugged.

"We don't know where he is, or what his current activities are." He said gravely. "But we do know that try as we might, the Council has not managed to track him down. He remains a dangerous outlaw and more than that – one with an illegal zanpakutou capable of manipulating another person from a distance."

"That's true." Tokutarou chewed down on his lip. "Urahara Keitarou – Aizen Keitarou – his sword does have that power."

"Power enough to manipulate my daughter into attacking her brother, and probably, power enough to lure her to her death." Misashi said darkly. "Since Eiraki knew more about him than the rest of us, I'm sure he had no qualms about silencing her as soon as he thought our guard was down. He tied off and destroyed all the loose ends that remained here so that we couldn't follow his tracks. But although he's kept quiet and out of sight for two years or more, he is almost certainly still alive. Nagesu-sama, I remember quite clearly that you said you thought he'd escaped your battle and a body was certainly never found."

"Why, though?" Guren murmured. "The Endou and the Shihouin, also the Urahara – I understand why he would take issue with them. But the Kuchiki? Why? What motive would he have for killing my son?"

"Keitarou's beliefs are complicated. His mind is highly intelligent but warped and scarred by years of exile, betrayal and deceit." Nagesu said softly. "He is a genius, and he understands and creates things at a level far beyond anything any of the rest of the Urahara are able to do – but he uses that genius to further his own ends. Revenge is a part of it – avenging the Father that was stolen from him by the justice of this Council and the decision of my Father, I suppose. But also…he has a grudge against the Clans themselves. He told me when we fought that he intended to take and use the District boy against us – that the Clans were not going to hold onto Seireitei forever."

"If you attack the Clans themselves, it makes sense to start with the most powerful." Tokutarou said grimly. "If you begin at the top, then the ones beneath start to falter and fall. You are strong, Guren-sama. Your people are an ancient one and your honour and pride some of the most celebrated in Seireitei. If even your family can be cast into chaos, imagine the potential he has for the rest of us."

"And his sword would manipulate even a corpse to dance?" Guren asked softly.

"Perhaps not a corpse." Retsu shook her head. "But Misashi-sama's suggestion holds the possibility of truth. A living body – a beating heart – is probably all that is needed."

"Shunsui ended Keitarou's manipulation of Ukitake Juushirou by stopping Juushirou's heart." Tokutarou agreed. "But Onoe is clinically still alive, even if his spirit is dead. Therefore he can be used as a puppet. And rather than getting up and leaving District Two on his own…"

"It seems very likely he was given help." Guren's eyes darkened. "Very well. Then the first thing I must establish is the identity of the boy I keep in my prison. If that boy is Onoe Tomoyuki, then perhaps these discussions hold some merit. And if not…if not…"

"If not, you will have the full cooperation of the Shihouin Clan in getting to the bottom of who and why." Midori said frankly. "I give you my word on that."

"Nagesu-sama, what do you think?" Retsu turned her gentle gaze on the troubled Urahara. "I realise this is a troubling idea for you - but Urahara Keitarou is better known to you than to many of us."

"He is Aizen Keitarou now." Nagesu's eyes hardened and he shook his head. "My family discarded him a long time ago, and there is no reasoning with him. I would sooner you didn't call him by our Clan's name, Retsu-sama. It brings us shame each time you do."

"Nagesu…" Kyouki sent the fair haired Clan leader a surprised look, and Nagesu sighed.

"I have resigned myself to being my cousin's enemy." He said soberly. "I don't know if Misashi-dono's idea is or isn't possible. I haven't seen evidence either way and I can't form a judgement made on supposition."

"To circulate the name Aizen Keitarou among even the most senior retainers might likely cause panic and concern." Hashihiko observed. "Whilst Misashi-dono's words hold merit and should not be dismissed…we can't put every ill occurrence at the door of a man who nobody has seen or heard anything from for at least two full years."

"Not being seen and not being heard are strengths that he employs." Misashi said mildly. "We are talking about a man who managed to kill my father without leaving substantial evidence of having done so for even a shinigami of Retsu-sama's calibre to absolutely pick up on. We are talking about someone who eluded the Endou military time and time again – and who eluded the Council of Elders when final justice was delivered to my nephew Seimaru and his despotic regime. And we are also talking of someone who without training or education managed to raise not only a zanpakutou of shikai calibre but – if the accounts of Ukitake Juushirou and the young girl Shikiki are to be believed – to Bankai level. This is not someone we can dismiss simply because he is not in our line of sight. If strange things are happening and there is no clear explanation for them…I would not hesitate to put my suspicion at his door."

"Misashi-dono, we all know how you feel about this man." Kyouki said frankly, casting a sympathetic smile across the Council Chamber. "And I tend to agree with you – he's not someone we can easily ignore. But we need evidence before we can risk creating panic among our supporters. Whilst in the safety of this room such things can be freely discussed…we have to be more cautious on the outside."

"I realise that." Misashi sighed heavily. "And that I have a personal involvement in this matter. I would like to find him, to question him and to find out at the very least what he did with my daughter and where her corpse now lies. But you're right, of course. To panic people without proper evidence would be wrong."

"I suggest that Yanagi-dono is called before the Council of Elders to report to all of us on his findings in District Six, not just the Kuchiki court." Tokutarou put in. "If he can confirm the identity of Onoe Tomoyuki, that would be some way towards ruling in or out the hand of another in this, and until then, we don't need to raise the subject of Aizen outside of this room."

"Better still, bring the boy himself." Hashihiko said abruptly. "In chains so that we can see for ourselves what kind of assassin dares infiltrate the Kuchiki Clan."

"If he is being manipulated, that might well be what his puppet master wants." Kyouki cautioned. "Whether by Aizen Keitarou or by another hand – bringing someone who is suspected of sudden, violent acts into a place like this brings serious risk. Even chained, we don't know what might happen."

"If he attacks us, we will kill him." Midori said curtly. "Kinsman or not, I'll take him down by my blade if need be."

"For now, having Yanagi-dono come to District Six is good enough." Guren reflected. "I'd rather not move someone whose movements can't be predicted. The chance of him escaping if we tried are quite high – and he has no reiatsu by which to track him if he made such an attempt. Yanagi-dono can give us the boy's name – and the Kuchiki are capable of resolving this from that point on."

He raised his gaze to Midori.

"If he is found to have murdered my son, whatever his name or rank, I will kill him." He added quietly. "But if he is Shihouin, I will return his corpse to you – so you can dispose of it as you see fit."

"Burn it." Midori's eyes became cold. "If one of my Clan has acted against another Clan without an order from me, I no longer want them, alive or dead. My people all know that betraying the Clan in any respect is death and dishonour and I won't make an exception, not even if the prisoner is Tomoyuki. His own stupid actions led him to this point – I have no sympathy for the consequences he takes from choosing an assassin's path."

She sighed, for a moment looking weary, then,

"The matter is settled, then." She murmured. "My brother will visit District Six and we will know who this miscreant who threatens the peace really is. Until that point…nobody else can do anything. We will await those reports, Guren-sama. This Council session is thus dismissed."

---

"There. I think you can read it now."

As the pink light faded from around her fingers, Shikiki cast her companion a hopeful look, offering him a smile.

"Is it something important, Shirogane-nii? Fixing something like that is easy, but Okaasama said it was something important to you. Is it all right now?"

"Let's see." Shirogane reached out to scoop up the creased piece of paper, smoothing it out against the bedcovers. Where before it had been saturated with his blood, the ink having run beyond legibility, it was now crisp and clean once again, the four black characters vivid against the pale surface.

Kyouraku Nanaki.

Had Shikiki gone any further, he realised, the letters themselves would probably have been erased, and he marvelled once again at the potential power this ordinary young girl held in the palm of her hands.

"It's fine." He said now, casting her a grin. "Thank you, Shikiki. I know it probably doesn't seem very important to you, but it's the only thing I have that might be a clue to my cousin's murder."

He folded the sheet, sliding it into the sash of his nightrobe.

"I'll keep it with me." He added. "I don't know if it will help or not, yet. But at least now it's legible again."

"I'm glad." Shikiki beamed, sitting down on the end of the bed. "Is it something that might make Shirogane-nii's family want him back again?"

"I don't know, yet." Shirogane admitted. "Maybe...it depends on a lot of things. It's a step in that direction, perhaps. Whoever wrote the letters on that sheet of paper is someone I don't think I or my family should be trusting. So when I'm well again, I hope to do some digging around to find out who she is."

He sighed, stretching his arms over his head as he stifled a yawn.

"It's such a bother, being so tired all the time." He murmured. "Even though I've been sleeping so much, and eating far more properly than I was when I first left the manor. I had not perceived how much trouble it could be to lose blood like that...I fear I'm still a burden on you, far more than I would have liked."

"You should stay here until you're well." Shikiki said seriously. "Okaasama's said the same thing. That if you don't, you might get hurt or killed. I want Shirogane-nii to be able to go home to his family, but if you don't get well, that won't happen. Sometimes just wanting to be well doesn't mean you are."

"Somehow that seems like something you have to say to Ukitake fairly often." Shirogane shot her a rueful smile. "Am I right?"

"Yes." Shikiki's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Juu-nii doesn't like staying in bed either. He's impatient and always wanting to do things. Maybe Shirogane-nii and Juu-nii get along well because of that."

"Do you think I'm like Ukitake?" Shirogane was surprised, and Shikiki shrugged, shaking her head.

"No. You're not." She said thoughtfully. "But in some ways...like this. Like not wanting to sit back when things are wrong. That's what Juu-nii is like too. I think in that way you're like him, Shirogane-nii. Because your cousin who died - he was someone you loved a lot, wasn't he? And you want to do something for him, even if you can't bring him back."

"Yes." Shirogane's expression became grave. "When you say things like that, I think you understand what that's like."

"Mm." Shikiki nodded. "You see, one of my guardians before I came here was killed by the Endou-ke. And it was a horrible way in which he was killed. He was so hurt, and there was so much blood on his body. But by the time...I didn't see him before he died. I couldn't save him, even with my power. He had already gone."

She sighed.

"Sometimes people think I can repair death, but I can't." She said sadly. "And I couldn't help Dai-nii, either. But I could take the wounds off his body and make him look peaceful. I could fix his body. I just couldn't put his soul back because it had already gone away."

"I see." Shirogane said softly. "So you could save me because my soul was still there, even if my body was broken?"

"Yes." Shikiki agreed. "Juu-nii, too. When I saved him, even though his heart was hurt, I could still find him, so I could still turn things back. Someone isn't really dead until their spirit is gone."

"Ribari-sama's spirit was gone by the time I saw him." Shirogane spoke gravely. "The night he died, I was with him - I and other people who I was in charge of. We were all attacked with poison, and when I came to myself, Ribari-sama was already dead. I know what you mean, Shikiki. I don't have your power, but I understand all the same. If the spirit has gone...what a person looks like and that there's nothing you can do to bring them back."

"Juu-nii taught me that there were good shinigami and bad shinigami." Shikiki said pensively. "I decided that I'd grow up and be a good shinigami, like Juu-nii and the Ojii-san who comes to see him sometimes. I think Shirogane-nii is a good shinigami too. I don't really like Clans, to be honest - because they don't always care a lot about people who aren't rich and they have silly ideas about a lot of things. But I don't think they're all mean people any more. And...Shirogane-nii seems quite clever to me, for a Clan person."

Despite himself, Shirogane laughed.

"You aren't at all afraid of me, are you?" He asked, amused. "Or the fact that if I wasn't in this much disgrace, I could take complete power over you, this family and destroy it for an insult to my name?"

"I've been scared of Clan people before. But they were scary Clan people and they had cold eyes and bad auras." Shikiki said frankly. "Shirogane-nii is different. Even if you could do that, I don't think you would. Even if you don't like District people - I don't think you'd kill them just because you could."

"I don't like District people. Or maybe, I don't understand them, or give them a lot of attention." Shirogane admitted. "But you're right. I don't suppose I would kill them without a second thought."

"Shirogane-nii has sad eyes, and his aura is hurting and tired." Shikiki said quietly. "But when you laughed, you didn't seem so sad. I'm happy if I can make you laugh, Shirogane-nii. Because it's harder to fight against bad things if you're sad. It's much harder."

"I think you're a very smart child, even if you are District." Shirogane smiled wryly. "And even though you're as young as this, you understand a lot of things. Probably things your companions here do not - I think they're as protected as I am in some ways, just in a different kind of world. But you're not. You've seen the violence of this world more than I have, haven't you? With the things you've told me, you're more adept at surviving on your own even at what, eleven years old? It makes me a little ashamed - that at four and twenty I've spent so much of my life taking things like status and security for granted."

"People shouldn't want to live in dangerous situations, though." Shikiki said simply. "If you have to then you do. But it's all right not to. It's not a bad thing if you don't ever do that. At least, I think so."

"Shikiki!"

Before Shirogane could respond, the door of the bedroom was flung back, revealing an anxious eyed Miyabi who shot Shirogane a frightened look.

"Shikiki, Hiro-nii wants me to tell you! Something's happened...Hikari-nee was here, and..."

"Hikari-nee?" Shikiki looked startled, and Shirogane gauged the expression on her face carefully.

Hikari-nee? Now who is that? Another of Ukitake's brood? No, perhaps not. I don't recall a Hikari in the few days I've been here. Miyabi said that the girl came here. A neighbour, perhaps?

"Guards were at the Kira-ke." Miyabi hurried to grasp Shikiki around the wrists. "They were searching it and they forced their way into the farm. Kira-san tried to stop them but they threatened to arrest him and drag him back to the cells. They're from the Kuchiki-ke and they're raiding all the land round here. Kira-san told Hikari-nee to come warn us since they'll be heading here next - since they broke some stuff and trampled some crops and they don't seem to care if they cause any damage."

"Guards from the Kuchiki?" Shikiki paled, her gaze flitting to Shirogane, whose expression darkened.

"Seiren-dono." He muttered, trying to ignore the fear that coursed suddenly through his veins. "This is my fault, isn't it? Because he seeks me, now he's causing your neighbours upset?"

"It's not your fault!" Shikiki shook her head firmly, but Miyabi chewed down hard on her lip.

"Hikari-nee doesn't know that Nagoya-dono is here. She just wanted Hiro-nii to know about the guards and he didn't tell her our secret because it might get her hurt." She whispered. "But the guards are looking for Nagoya-dono. They told Kira-san that they were hunting a fugitive and anyone who was caught shielding him would be charged with treason. They carried the badge of a Kuchiki Lord from the main manor - the right hand man of the Clan leader, that's what Hikari-nee said."

"And they're coming here next?" Shirogane asked sharply. Miyabi nodded, terror in her dark eyes.

"If Juu-nii was here, he could protect us." She whispered. "But these are people with swords. And...and..."

She trailed off, and Shirogane cursed, the fear in the young girl's expression making up his mind. He grasped at the blankets, tossing them back and throwing his legs over the side of the raised pallet that had been his sick bed for the past few days.

"Shirogane-nii, what are you doing?" Shikiki demanded. "I can make a barrier - you don't need to get up! I can..."

"You can get killed by my Uncle's men." Shirogane said blackly, grabbing out for the wall and slowly hauling himself to his feet. "If I'm found this far inside your house, I'm obviously going to bring disaster down on your family."

"But..."

"Your barriers heal and protect. They can't conceal me, can they?"

"I...suppose not...but..."

"Then they'll find me. And if you're protecting me, you're obviously complicit." Shirogane said flatly. "You'll be arrested."

"But..."

"Shut up and listen to me." Shirogane snapped. "You just told me that people shouldn't want to live in dangerous situations, didn't you? Well, this is a dangerous situation. And you don't have to live in it. So don't!"

"Nagoya-dono, what are you..." Miyabi began, but Shirogane didn't wait to answer her question. Grabbing Ginkyoujiki from its position against the chamber wall, he thrust it with shaking hands into the sash of his nightrobe, using the wall as support as he forced himself towards the chamber door.

"Shirogane-nii!" Shikiki's call pierced through the haze of colour and light that blurred his vision and made him dizzy, but he ignored it, focusing instead on steadying his racing, swirling spirit power.

Can I sense them?

Cautiously he extended his senses, picking up the faint hum of insignificant spiritual energy against his thoughts. They were coming closer, he realised, and he did not have much time - but there were no shinigami among the investigators, and for this small mercy Shirogane was grateful.

Kinnya-sama didn't deploy his men after me. This is Seiren-dono's retinue alone. They're all men with no spirit power. In that case...in that case...

He gathered his scattered strength, inwardly cursing his continued weakness as he dragged his heavy body out into the hallway.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hiroyuki's exclamation jerked him to attention, and he raised his gaze to the other's confused one. "Did Miyabi not tell you? Wandering around is the worst thing you can do - they'll be on us in a minute, and..."

"Let me...outside." Shirogane swallowed hard, somehow managing to form the words. "I want to go...out. Let me..outside."

"What?" Hiroyuki grabbed him by the arms, but Shirogane pulled free, shaking his head.

"Let me." He said thickly. "If I'm outside...and they find me...you...might not have known. I could have...just...come in to hide. But...inside your house..."

"You think you are going to make it, pulling yourself along like that?"

"Do you want your whole family killed?" Shirogane snapped back. "Let me out, dammit, or...you'll see for yourself...what my Uncle's men are like!"

Hiroyuki stared at him for a moment. Then his lips thinned and he nodded his head.

"All right." He said quietly, grabbing Shirogane more firmly around the shoulders and leading him briskly along the corridor towards the rambling home's rear door. Shirogane was vaguely aware of other siblings in the vicinity, but his vision was dancing and swimming with every step and he was glad of Hiroyuki's rough support. As he stepped out into the fresh air, he heard an anxious cry of,

"They're here! They're here!" from somewhere within the building, and he pulled himself free once more from Hiroyuki's hold.

"You don't know who I am, and you haven't seen me." He said quietly. "If you value your family's lives, that's all."

"What will you do?"

"What I was trained to do, for as long as I can do it." Shirogane glanced at his fingers, gauging the flicker of reiatsu that glimmered feebly around them. "Go and deal with them. I'm not your concern. They are."

With that he closed his eyes, muttering the words to the kyokkou spell, and as the light twisted and distorted around his body, he was aware of Hiroyuki's exclamation of surprise. Shirogane did not answer, however, dropping to all fours as the effort of holding the spell together meant he no longer had the energy to stand.

I was weakened already by the first assault, the night Ribari-sama died. I didn't sleep, and after I went on the run, I didn't eat much either. Then I took an injury that even Shikiki couldn't heal - my body is not strong enough to hold any spell over me for long.

He gritted his teeth, crawling along the ground towards the shelter of a nearby delapidated store shed and somehow managing to pull his heavy body between the gap in the wooden slats. Dropping back against the wall, he closed his eyes, putting his entire strength and focus on maintaining the spell around him.

I don't care about District people, and their fate has never interested me. But these are people to whom I owe my life. Shikiki is right - nobody should choose to live in danger. They've already put themselves in that position by helping me to survive. They may have done it because of Ukitake, but the end result is the same.

He buried his head in his arms.

I don't know if I can hold this for long enough, but if there are no shinigami, they won't trace me. This is all I can do - hide like a coward in the shadows. But I don't want Shikiki and her companions to suffer harm because of me. So I'll do my best. If my spell fails, then at best if I'm only out here they might yet be able to pretend they didn't know about me. I don't have the strength to draw Ginkyoujiki or fight like I did when I left the manor. But while the guards are here...I'll do what little I can do to make sure nobody else has to get hurt.