Chapter Thirty Seven: Strained Bonds

"I'm sure I warned you what would happen, Oniisama, if you allowed a Shihouin to enter our land."

Seiren turned from his place by the window, displeasure rippling through his body as he faced his twin's troubled expression with a self-righteous one of his own.

"The one who tried to kill you is now free - and lurking among our halls is the presence of another trained in much the same way. The Clan leader's brother he may be, but do you think that his intentions are any different from the rat that scuttled from your cells?"

"I do not seek war."

Guren closed the door of his study, inwardly bracing himself for the clash of tempers and wits that his brother's displeasure would bring to the discussion. It was the morning after the prison breakout, and as the Kuchiki manor struggled to return to a sense of normality after yet another night of bloodshed, the Clan leader had returned from an urgent meeting with regional representatives to find his twin waiting for him inside of the old study.

From the stiffness of Seiren's demeanour, Guren knew that describing his brother as angry would be an understatement. Yet he too was weary – and still reeling from the effects of the previous evening.

Despite everything, though, as he had arisen that morning after a bare two hours of sleep, Guren had come to a realisation. In Yanagi's sombre golden eyes he had seen something he had not expected to see – an honesty that told him that the Shihouin were as much victims in this as his family were before them. Whether the one who had escaped the prison cells was or was not a blood kinsman of that family, Guren no longer believed that this was a conspiracy of Shihouin against his Clan.

But the alternative was far more terrifying to contemplate – that a man who had assassinated at least one Clan leader and who had evaded the justice of the Council of Elders for more than a century could now be working once more from the shadows, pulling his puppet strings and watching as the noble families one by one fell victim to his whims.

If Aizen Keitarou was involved, he was truly the bringer of chaos – and a greater threat to the stability of this world than the increasing quantity of Hollows that managed to slip through the spirit world divide.

But for now, Guren had no choice but to focus on the problem immediately in front of him. And as he saw the reproach in his brother's eyes, he realised with a heavy sigh that it was a problem that had been sleeping, not resolved by the death of their father.

Seiren and I are still strangers below our political unity.

Guren ran his gaze over his brother's proud, indignant form.

He makes his judgements and I make mine. Unlike Father and Kinnya-ojisama, there is nothing more to our alliance than necessity. Whilst Father and his brother argued, they were close enough to do so without the Clan falling into tatters. Seiren and I have never had that closeness. We have never wanted each other…and now those bonds are being pushed fully to their limits as our interests diverge.

"I do not suspect the Shihouin of complicity in this matter, Seiren." He said out loud now, keeping his tones level and calm. "There is no evidence to suggest that they are responsible. I will not pursue leads that do not exist."

"No evidence?" Seiren wheeled on his companion, disbelief in his grey eyes. "When you had a man of that family locked in a cell here for days together and you tell me there was no evidence? Did you forget the way in which our Father died so easily, Guren-nii - and even the death of your only son too, for that matter! We had a Shihouin and now he is free. He got free the night that you brought a Shihouin to District Six on the understanding of assistance. Don't you see what's going on here? Just as they did when Father died - they're plotting to destroy us now in the same way they did then!"

"You are jumping to conclusions." Guren began, reaching out to put a hand on his brother's shoulder, but Seiren snorted, casting the hand away.

"You are being foolish." He said blackly. "And it will like as not kill you, too. If you can't learn from the mistakes Father made..."

"Do you think my life so easy to steal as that?" Guren's pride was rankled now. "I'm Clan leader, Seiren. I'm not a weak man, and I can fight for my own survival. Father was taken off guard, it's true. But I understand the past and because of it, I'm trusting Yanagi-dono to help me find the killer of my son. There have been things discussed at the Council, too - possible leads and information, not to mention the offer of assistance from other families in the Gotei. Our enemy is not the Shihouin Clan. I feel strongly now that..."

"That's why I call you a fool!" Seiren erupted at this point, anger and frustration flashing in his slate grey eyes as he wheeled on his companion accusingly. "Do you understand what would happen to this family if you were to be killed, you idiot? And more, what Father expected of you - of us - when he died and left the family in our hands? We are the Kuchiki. We don't need the help and pandering of other families to solve our problems. What we need is strength and decisiveness - and since Ribari-sama was killed, you've lacked both of those things! You can't even name an heir for fear of them being attacked - or maybe for another reason altogether!"

"I have not given you leave to speak to me like this." Guren's brows knitted together as he realised his brother had thoroughly lost his temper and that the discussion was rapidly deteriorating into the kind of argument they had had as teenagers - times which had often been settled at the point of a sword. At least once during their childhood, Seiren had pointed his blade to Guren's throat, for despite Guren's superior spirit power, Seiren's skill with a sword was a well polished art, and in full view of a horrified courtyard of serving staff, Guren had been forced to yield. That memory surfaced now, rankling again against his pride, and he frowned, chewing on his lip as he fought against his own rising temper.

"I am leader of this Clan." he added softly. "It was me that Father left the family to. Not us, Seiren. Me. I will act as I see fit - you are here to advise me, but you are not here to command me."

Seiren's eyes narrowed to near slits, and he opened his mouth as if to retort, but thought better of it, clamping his jaw shut and folding his arms across his chest. There was a moment of awkward silence, and then at length the other man spoke.

"I have no other reason to be here except to serve this Clan with my loyalty and my advice." He said flatly. "I have no spirit power, and I am no use to the family as a shinigami. But I am not oblivious, Guren-nii. I know what my position here is and what I should or should not be doing. At present I have but one objective in my mind. To protect this Clan the way Father expected - from killers in the shadows who seek to steal lives."

"I've not said otherwise." Guren was irritated now. "I've never doubted your loyalty and Father didn't either - even if your moods are unreasonable and your actions stubborn and obsessive, you have served this family in the way he expected and I have never stood in your way. But for you to question my judgement in this way is out of line. Even behind the closed doors of my study, in the circumstances..."

"Kinnya-ojisama used to do so to Father, did he not?" Seiren raised a quizzical gaze, and Guren's lips thinned.

"I am not Father." he said pointedly. "And you are not Kinnya-ojisama."

"No." Seiren's features darkened, as though Guren's words had held another meaning for him, and he shook his head. "Clearly we are not."

"There is some evidence to suggest the young boy who attacked me was being manipulated by outside forces." Guren decided to try the calmer approach again, knowing that the last thing he needed was for members of the house staff to hear them shouting at one another in the privacy of the central study. "We're dealing with a level that everyone on the Council agrees is beyond the know-how of the Shihouin. Yanagi-dono has come here knowing he'd get a hostile reception - and he has more or less received frosty hospitality from most of the members of the court. Despite that, though, he has already been helpful in his knowledge of assassin arts and we have learnt things from the bodies of the soldiers killed. I truly believe he means to help us further, Seiren, in order to clear his family's name. The past is past and all those associated with it are no longer here. We shouldn't fall into the trap of reliving what has already gone before."

Seiren's eyes became cold and hard.

"Your son lies dead." He said bluntly. "His spirit gone from this world, and for what reason? Tell me that, Oniisama, and I will grant you your whim of mercy towards that Clan. But the truth is you don't know any more than I do why Ribari-sama was killed. And just because your son is already lost beyond help doesn't mean that others of us have sons whose lives may be in danger. It is not over – you act as though it is a wound that can begin to mend, but it is not."

"Don't speak of Ribari as though he's a discarded object, rather than someone for whom I cared deeply!" Guren exclaimed, giving up all pretence of reason as Seiren's words raked cruelly against his grief. He banged his fists down on his desk to emphasise his point, fixing his brother with a furious glower.

"You have no comprehension of how I feel about that - you who have your wife living, and five children besides cannot understand even for a moment what a widower like me feels when his only son is murdered in cold blood! I want justice for Ribari more than anyone - especially more than you do, since your focus has been more on securing Ryuu the succession than anything beyond! Do not presume to tell me how I feel about the situation. You have no idea how I feel...no idea at all."

A strange look entered Seiren's gaze, and the other man nodded his head.

"I cannot understand what it is to have my son stolen from me." He said quietly. "But I can understand what it feels like to have had taken everything else."

"What do you mean?" Guren was on his guard, and Seiren shook his head.

"You wouldn't understand even if I spelt it out for you." He said wearily. "You never have understood, Guren-nii. Everything I've done since Ribari-sama was killed was for the sake of this family. My son is the only heir surviving - and of course I want him to succeed you. But I don't want to see him - or you - or anyone else murdered because of conspirators in the shadows. I don't know what leads the Council has given you -but this is a Kuchiki matter and what is right in front of us is unlikely to be an illusion. The letters. The assassin. Nanaki-hime's statements - they all tie together. But your heart is soft, Oniisama. You still think to protect Shirogane even when blood may be on that boy's hands. And because of that..."

"You have not found him." Guren cut across his companion. "And until you do, we will not discuss his guilt or otherwise. I will give him a fair hearing, Seiren. Your men may keep searching for him, but on that understanding...the final judgement in this will be mine."

"I know, as everything is." Seiren muttered. "None of us exist except for your sake. Father told me enough times as a boy that my purpose was to shadow you and create the Clan you wanted, regardless of my own will. I've done that for this long - I understand how I should act."

"Seiren..." Guren stared at his brother, his anger momentarily sidelined by the genuine flicker of resentment in his companion's gaze. There was another pause, then,

"You knew, didn't you, that Father's nikki was incomplete?" Guren did not know why he raised the question, but at the startled, half-hunted expression that crossed his twin's face, he knew that his assumption had been right. "Why didn't you tell me? No, more importantly, why is that the case? What was taken from that book that future generations of this family should not be allowed to see? I don't understand - but...I think that you do."

Seiren did not answer right away, then slowly he shook his head.

"The nikki was in Kinnya-ojiue's possession when Father died." He said flatly. "Father gave it to him, so far as I understand it, before he slipped into his final coma. And Ojiue gave the book to you once you were properly accepted and sworn in as Head of the Clan. I have never had possession of it. You are mistaken if you think I took anything from its pages. If there are pieces missing, then you should address your concern to our Uncle, and not to me. As I told you, I am simply the shadow in the background, doing the job Father gave me to do and no more."

"That isn't an answer."

"I don't have another." Seiren said matter of factly. "But whilst we're speaking like this, I want to know something too. You haven't given up on choosing Shirogane as your heir, have you? Teitou's crazy suggestion has lodged somewhere in your mind - your concern for Shirogane since he disappeared has been far greater than the safety of my son in District One."

"Genryuusai-sama is a man who can protect Ryuu so far as that is needed." Guren said evenly. "And the laws of this Clan forbid any but agnatic inheritance. You are the one who is paranoid about Shirogane. Not me."

"But..."

"I love Shirogane dearly. Ribari did too." Guren cut across his brother. "For that reason I don't believe he would betray me. For that reason I am worried for him. As a Captain worries for his Vice Captain, Seiren."

"No." Seiren's eyes darkened once more. "As a Father worries for his son, Guren-nii."

Guren faltered, knowing that there was truth in Seiren's words, and the other man sighed.

"You think I haven't noticed, but I have." He said heavily. "That you pretend to be strict with him, but it is the strictness of a Father who wants his son to achieve. Shirogane has been your pet since Masane died - but even before then you were impressed by his ability. That favour you showed him has gone to the boy's head and we now find ourselves in this situation."

He moved towards the door, but paused, resting his hand against the smooth walnut frame as he fixed his companion with a piercing glare.

"You are too soft, sometimes." He said quietly. "And too eager to believe in people. The Shihouin. Shirogane. You should be more careful. Especially of those you believe are close to you. Even kinsfolk can bare thorns. Don't forget that even I once brought my blade to your throat - and if even your shadow can do that, there are many other members of this family who can, too. You already said that you are not Father – but remember how Father died. You should be more careful of your own safety, Guren-nii. This world is full of dangers yet."

With that he was gone, and Guren sighed, sinking down behind his desk as the tension seeped out of his body.

But you believe in people too, Seiren - dangerous people who doubtless mean us harm.

He slid his hand into his obi, retrieving the Kyouraku pendant and gazing at it pensively.

Your hime is not who she seems either. Maybe there are enemies here, or maybe not. But one of us is treading in dangerous waters. And old quarrels are beginning to resurface. The arguments that were had about succession before Ribari was born have returned, but with more venom now. I haven't seen Seiren like that for a long time...it worries me where this is leading us to.

The ground was strewn with petals, the silver light of the gleaming moon casting a silvery edge to their naturally pastel colours and making them seem almost ghostly in the dim night haze. All around him, long, distorted shadows stretched from the branches of trees from which the petals fell like floral snow, coating the grass and making the whole area seem bright as a winter's night. A gentle, balmy breeze drifted across the meadow, and the leaves rustled gently against one another, creating a soft whisper that was the only sound in the night air.

Everything was peaceful.

Shunsui stepped pensively through the sleeping landscape, pausing to rest his hand against the trunk of the nearest tree as he surveyed his surroundings. There was nobody else there, but he could still feel the prickle of another's company lurking deep within the spreading pools of black that gathered beneath each heavy bough. It was as though the shadow was a lake of nothingness, reaching down, down, down to depths beyond his comprehension. And as he bent to touch his fingers to the edge of it, he was aware of a faint buzz of energy brushing against his skin.

He could not see anyone, but he knew that they were there.

"Kyouraku Shunsui!"

The voice came like a thunderclap out of the peaceful sky above, and Shunsui started, tripping over his feet and falling headlong into the abyss of black that had been the tree's shadow. Down, down, down he sank, surrounded by nothing but ebony emptiness on all sides as he fell deeper and faster into an endless pit of nothing.

From out of that darkness, hands seemed to reach out towards him, thin, white, skeletal hands all trying to grab at him and pull him in this direction or in that. Bony fingers dug into his skin and he struggled to free himself, trying to see from where the spectral limbs came.

But there was nothing around him except more shadow and night – the arms had no bodies and even the gleaming red eyes of Amaki were nowhere to be seen.

A loud crash like an explosion sent shockwaves through his system and the next moment the shadows had swept away, colour and light dancing before his eyes as he belatedly began to realise that he was not being sucked into a black hole after all. There was sound around him, and as he cautiously opened his eyes, he realised that someone was standing over him – someone with a look in their eyes that could only be described as homicidal.

Shunsui gulped, hurriedly gathering his wits as he raised his gaze to meet the angry one of an indignant Kidou instructor.

Around him he could hear the sound of his classmates laughing, and a sheepish smile touched his lips as he realised what had happened.

I guess I fell asleep. Well. That's never happened before. Whoops.

"So you've decided to rejoin the class, have you?" Kazoe's words were like drops of ice, and Shunsui winced, schooling his features into the most apologetic and contrite expression that he knew how to muster. Despite his reputation for laziness, this truly was the first time he had actually fallen asleep in one of his classes, and as he gauged the teacher's clear annoyance, he reflected that of all of his subjects, Kidou was probably the worst one he could have chosen to try it.

But with my training at night and with class work, Senior duties and Kaoru-chan during the day…I suppose it's not a surprise. I like my sleep too much for my body to give it up easily.

"Falling asleep in class is something that a First year would be ashamed of." Kazoe's words were cutting now, and an inexplicable sense of self-preservation caused Shunsui to flinch back just in time the avoid the sharp wooden cane as it came crashing down against the edge of his desk. "For a Senior it is unforgivable in all respects. I expect laziness and haphazard behaviour from you at the best of times, Kyouraku. But this…"

He trailed off, a dark glint in his gaze, and Shunsui swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry, Sensei." He said guiltily. "I don't have any excuses. I haven't slept very well these last few nights, but…that's no real justification, I know."

It's hard to sleep when you're training swords at midnight in the zanpakutou arena. Three nights running now – no wonder you're falling asleep in class.

Seibara's voice was faintly chiding, and Shunsui bit his lip.

Shut up and go away. You and Amaki are to blame for that, so don't act as though I did something bad. If you want to bother about it, you feel guilty, Seibara. If you both weren't pushing me…

You could train at a normal time, and then you'd be able to sleep.

I don't want anyone to come near what you're teaching me until I know I can handle it and it won't pose them a threat. Your games are dangerous ones – I'm not going to put anyone else in harm's way. Besides, it would worry them if they saw me seriously putting my mind to learning something. They'd start to draw conclusions from it – and I don't want them to share the fears I have when I don't have any evidence for them aside from my own paranoia.

"I see." Kazoe's eyes became slits, and Shunsui dragged his attention back to the teacher's hawk-like gaze. "I dread to think what you've been up to that's meant you of all people have been losing sleep. You can't tell me that you're upset by recent events…"

He turned to indicate Ryuu, who jumped at the sudden attention.

"Your classmate is under far more pressure and you don't see him sleeping in class."

"I suppose I'm just a lazy oaf, at the end of the day. It's not easy to train that out of someone." Shunsui's usual insouciance was beginning to return and he twitched his lips into a faint smile. "But since this is the first time in four and a bit years I've done it, there's probably a good chance I won't do it again, Kazoe-sensei."

"I should strike your hands raw for your insolence, but by this point it's fairly clear I won't do anything except draw blood – I certainly won't fix your personality." Kazoe glared at him in disdain. "If you didn't submit such good papers and if you didn't make such good grades, I wouldn't bother to try teaching you. But it does seem that some of what I say goes into that vacuous mind of yours and occasionally it manages to stick."

The sound of the gong through the buildings at that moment made the rest of the class begin to gather their papers together, and Kazoe frowned, banging his cane once more against Shunsui's desk to indicate his displeasure.

"You may be Seniors, but you are still students. I will dismiss you, not the gong." He said warningly, and silence fell, his pupils exchanging glances but not daring to utter a word as they realised Kazoe was on the verge of really losing his temper.

For a moment nothing moved, then the teacher let out a heavy sigh.

"You are dismissed." He said wearily, but as the class began to file out of the chamber, he thrust his cane out to stop Shunsui from leaving.

"Kyouraku, since you didn't bother to attend this class with your fellows, I'll expect you to catch up the missed notes on your own time." He said acerbically. "Everyone else has been set an essay question. You can hope one of your classmates will be kind enough to share it with you. Even if you do need to take naps during the day time, I'm not going to spoon feed you as though you were an infant. Now go and think about that carefully. If it happens again…"

He trailed off pointedly, a look of foreboding in his eyes, and Shunsui bowed his head.

"Yes, sir." He said quietly. "I understand."

"Then get out." Kazoe sighed, lifting his cane so that the boy could pass. "I've had more than enough of you for one day."

With an inward sigh of relief, Shunsui obediently gathered his belongings together, sauntering across the classroom and out of the door to the hallway beyond.

"Well?" Juushirou was waiting for him, and at the white haired boy's searching expression, Shunsui grinned sheepishly, running his fingers through his tousled brown hair.

"I guess I didn't want to get to graduation without being able to say I'd taken a nap in class." He said off-handedly. "Though I could've picked my time and place a little better, that's for sure."

"Kazoe's expression when he realised you were snoozing was priceless, though." Kai's voice came from behind him, and Shunsui turned, realising that not just Juushirou but other members of the class had stopped back as well. "I thought he was going to thwack you hard over the head with his cane, to be honest."

"I think he thought about it." Hirata rubbed his chin pensively. "Have you really been sleeping badly, Shunsui-kun? Though now you mention it, you were up and about before me this morning…"

"Before Hirata?" Enishi looked startled. "Kyouraku, are you getting sick?"

"No…I'm not sick." Shunsui laughed, hastening to reassure his tall friend. "I'm fine, really. I haven't slept very well, it's true, but it's nothing major to worry about. As class just then proved,"

He flicked his fingers towards the closed Kidou chamber door,

"It isn't as though I'm not able to sleep. I just need to pick my times and places."

He stifled a yawn.

"We've been very busy lately and a lot has happened. That's all. I'm fine, Enishi, so don't look so worried."

"Shunsui, you're an idiot." As they progressed towards the Senior annexe, Sora descended upon them, swiping the unfortunate Kyouraku across the back of the head. "Kazoe looked like he was going to kill you – seriously, I thought he was going to savage you there and then."

"I think the staff are all a little distracted at present." Ryuu put in thoughtfully. "Perhaps if not for the other things on their mind, he may have been more harsh. As it is…"

"As it is, I guess I have you to thank for my being let out of there in one piece." Shunsui bowed solemnly towards his friend. "I would thank you, but it seems inappropriate given the circumstances."

"There is tension here at the moment." Mitsuki, who had been in Sora's slip-stream put in quietly, her own expression clouded. "It's impossible to ignore it, even though everything has continued as normal since the other day. There don't seem to be more soldiers around the school grounds, and the staff are carrying on with classes. But it's still there. In the air. That feeling that something isn't quite as it should be."

"That may just be our paranoia, Mitsuki." Ryuu pointed out. "Although if it is affecting Kyouraku's sleep patterns…"

"If it's stopping Kyouraku from sleeping, we're all doomed to insomnia between now and the summer break." Kai said wryly. "Though that isn't too far off itself. I wonder what will happen, you know – will we be allowed to leave, or…?"

"Your family and my family are in a precarious position." Ryuu cast him a glance. "You shouldn't be making jokes about it – you understand the severity as well as I do of what that messenger's report said."

"Yes." Kai's expression became grave. "But the truth is, Kuchiki…I don't know what to do about that. All I know is that I'm not aware of any reasons for Shihouin to be hurting Kuchiki. I certainly don't think having to share a room with you is any reason for me to want to kill you, either. If there's a plot afoot, it's nothing to do with me. And from the way you've been since you came back, you don't really want anything to do with it either. Right?"

"Well, true." Ryuu acknowledged.

"Kai's right." Juushirou said pensively. "This…it has to do with the Kuchiki, and it maybe has to do with Ryuu, in that perhaps someone might think they want to hurt him. But Sensei wouldn't let that happen, and nobody is stronger than Sensei."

"Midori-nee sent me word that my brother Yanagi was going to District Six to help with the enquiries there." Kai added. "She hasn't told me much more – said it was red tape I didn't need to bother about – but if Yanagi-nii really is going to Guren-sama's assistance, it sounds like your Clan leader doesn't believe us responsible either. So…if there is a Shihouin, like as not it's a rogue. And if anyone betrays Midori-nee – well, you remember Aitori."

His lips twitched into a rueful smile.

"That awaits anyone else who does the same thing, believe me. Guren-sama's justice is probably less horrific than facing my sister when she feels betrayed."

"Your sister is a scary wench, when all's said and done." Shunsui reflected absently. "But that's probably true enough. The Shihouin aren't idiot enough to be involved in something like this. That means someone's framing them – but that won't work a second time. Midori-sama isn't stupid, and she has allies who aren't stupid either. So if Guren-sama sees it too – this may all be tied up much more quickly."

Or it may not be, but we'll leave that worry for another time.

"We still don't know what's happened to Senpai." Mitsuki let out a sigh, and Shunsui saw Juushirou's gaze flit to the young healer, a brief flicker of pain in his own hazel eyes. His lips thinned and he frowned, reaching out to grab the District boy by the arm.

"This subject sucks, and I'm too tired to bother with it, so we'll change it." He said firmly. "Juu, you'll take pity on me and give me your notes from today, won't you? And the essay question, if you please. Kazoe's in a sulk with me so didn't tell me what it was – but you won't be mean, will you?"

"You can have them both with pleasure." Juushirou looked surprised, but the troubled expression faded from his gaze, and Shunsui offered him a grin.

"Good. I knew I could rely on you."

"Do you want them now?" Juushirou questioned. Shunsui shook his head.

"I'm going to go to my room and take a proper nap, since I'm going to fall over my feet if I don't." He said ruefully. "I'll have them after lunch and do something with them then. I don't see Kaoru till late this afternoon, and I guess I'll find time to work out what I should be writing for Kazoe somewhere in between."

He stretched, stifling a yawn.

"Don't worry about me. I've been working too much lately and my body's rejecting it." He added playfully. "It prefers me to go at a slower pace – I guess I've learnt my lesson."

He gave his friend a wink, then,

"I'll catch up with you all later." He said lightly. "Try not to have too much fun without me, all right?"

With that he was gone, whistling under his breath as he made his way towards the chamber he shared with Hirata.

But you'll be training again this evening, won't you, Shunsui?

This time it was Amaki, and Shunsui's whistling stopped as his expression became sombre. Slowly he nodded.

I will. And every night until we get it right. Whatever's coming, it isn't going to wait for me to catch up on my sleep. I'll just have to be a mite more careful…and hope that I can get the hang of Katen's lessons before anything else happens.

"Thank you for meeting with me at such short notice."

Guren settled himself down on the finely woven cushions, casting his companion a troubled look as he smoothed his robes into a more comfortable position. "I realise that following the Council meeting the other day you might have decided not to - but until now I had no way of pursuing my real fears with you, and no evidence to bring to your door."

"Your request both intrigues and troubles me." Tokutarou admitted with a sigh, taking his own seat and casting his companion a pensive look. "I've given a lot of thought to that meeting, and the things said in it since. A lot of things...are not quite right. And it put me in mind of something one of my servants raised with me, too. Something relating to the Shihouin."

It was two days since the escape of Guren's Shihouin fugitive, and in that time an uneasy silence had descended over the Kuchiki twins as both Guren and Seiren had gone about their own individual lines of enquiry. For Guren his concerns about his brother's ill temper had been overshadowed by the need to speak to the head of the Kyouraku at the first opportunity – and in this vein it had been Yanagi who had facilitated such a meeting, for with his Clan connections he had learnt that Tokutarou would be in Inner Seireitei for two or three days together following up some private documentation. Tokutarou's work had nothing to do with the Kuchiki incident, but Guren had been grateful for the coincidence all the same. He had left the manor early that morning, with Yanagi and a handful of guards as his only companions, and Futsuki had been left behind with strict instructions to tell Seiren nothing about the true nature of his errand. Though he had felt some measure of guilt for keeping his investigation into the Kyouraku hime a secret, these had been quickly quelled by Futsuki's no nonsense approval of his plans, and so whilst he was sure his twin would spend the day receiving reports and sending orders in the hunt for Shirogane, Guren was embarking on a completely different path of investigation.

It was not like him, but he was a little nervous of what the day might bring. Tokutarou was a weakling when it came to spirit power, but the fight with Seiren had reminded Guren that a man of intelligence and high level sword skills could still prove a formidable enemy. More than that, though, Tokutarou was neither friend nor foe of the Kuchiki. As such, he was not obliged to give Guren any information he did not choose to divulge. District Eight was protected too by its alliances – not only with the proud Shihouin but also with the formidable Shiba led by Kyouki – and Guren knew his Clan were in no position to fight any kind of war.

Therefore, discussion was the only way forward. And so that morning found him here in Tokutarou's Kyouraku apartments, preparing to discuss a matter he had not been able to raise with the brother who had been at his side since before birth.

Tokutarou himself was not oblivious to any of those things. It was unusual for a Kuchiki to ask the help of anyone else, preferring for the most part to resolve their own troubles privately with as little outward interference as possible. That the head of the Clan had requested a meeting – and had been willing to work that meeting around Tokutarou's own commitments gave the shrewd Kyouraku a good idea of how tentative things were within the Kuchiki Clan. A brief message from Midori via her aide Saku had confirmed this, and Tokutarou's brows knitted together as he remembered the short but to the point communication.

"If Guren-sama wants to speak to you, it means that he's afraid. What he's afraid of may be what Misashi-dono raised, too. Be on your guard too, Tokutarou-dono. I suspect there are more shadow games to be played out before the spotlight falls on the true culprit."

"I've asked Yanagi-dono to join us once he's finished reporting the latest occurrences to his own kinsfolk." Guren's features were definitely strained, Tokutarou thought now, as though he had not easily slept, and despite his natural caution, the Eighth District Clan leader felt a faint flash of sympathy for this father who had so recently been robbed of his son. "Since he was the one who brought this meeting about, I know you'll have heard that he wasn't able to make an identification on the Shihouin."

"Indeed." Tokutarou inclined his head slightly. "I understand it was a violent incident…and that you lost some men."

"Four." Guren's eyes darkened. "With four more wounded. It appears by some means or other our intentions seem to have got through to the enemy. In any case, the boy was broken out of our prisons by someone about who...well, now I know for certain I want to discuss with you. Whether just between us, or with Yanagi-dono present, too."

"I don't mind Yanagi-dono's involvement." Tokutarou agreed. "His Clan and mine have a formal alliance, and as you've said, it was through his connections that I learnt you wanted to meet with me. He's visited District Eight a few times on Midori-sama's behalf – I find him a well-reasoned man despite his misdemeanours and I am inclined to trust his opinions and his judgement."

"Good." Guren looked relieved. "It is not in my habit to work with a Shihouin of any kind – or with a Kyouraku, for that matter. But I am...troubled, Tokutarou-dono. And I'm unsure who to view as my enemy or my ally."

He slipped his hands into the folds of his expensive silk obi, pulling out something small and metallic and holding it out to his companion.

"This was retrieved from the individual who came to break our prisoner out of his cell." He said gravely. "Though the Shihouin boy was entirely docile during his time in captivity, as soon as he was set free, he reverted to the same behaviour he used against me - and against the poor souls in my stableyard. This time there are surviving witnesses who can confirm the savagery of his actions - and it is without a doubt that he is responsible at least for slashing my stable hands and their chief groom. However, as firm as we are in that belief, that...makes us confused."

Tokutarou took the glinting item, his eyes widening as he absorbed what it was.

"But this is..."

"A Kyouraku Clan pendant, and a genuine one, I believe."

"Indeed." Tokutarou's dark eyes became grave, and anger flickered in the depths of his gaze. "I can see now why you asked such a cryptic question of me in the Council session before, Guren-sama. If you had seen something like this in the midst of everything your family are going through, then..."

"I did not have custody of the pendant when I raised the matter before the Council, so I could not ask you anything further." Guren sighed, running his fingers absently through his tightly bound hair. "But now I do, I felt it of absolute importance that I bring it to you and find out what I can about it."

"You had seen it, but you did not have custody of it?" Tokutarou's eyes narrowed, and Guren nodded.

"I shall tell you the story as best I understand it." He said wearily. "I do not believe you to be involved in this conspiracy against my family, Tokutarou-dono. Please understand that. I'm asking for your help and cooperation alone - and I hope that even though we have no formal alliance treaty, you will give it. My son is already dead - I do not want to see more members of my family made victim by whoever is really our enemy in all of this."

"The moment that crest appeared it became something I can't ignore." Tokutarou said grimly. "You needn't worry about that, Guren-sama. As Midori-sama has, I will offer you my complete assistance in whatever way I can. But please, explain how this came to be in District Six. Because...it belongs to a very particular line of my Clan. And...that troubles me. A lot."

"You know, I think, that my nephew is currently missing from District Six." Guren said heavily, and Tokutarou nodded. "The reason behind that is an altercation between him and my brother Seiren. Well, there were already some tensions, I think - but the crowning evidence was the statement of a girl in our employ - a girl who claimed to be an exiled hime from the Kyouraku Clan. She claimed to not only have witnessed the Shihouin boy killing the stable hands but also overheard incriminating conversations that made Seiren believe Shirogane to be working against Ryuu and against me."

"You don't believe that to be the case, though, I think." Tokutarou said softly, and Guren shook his head.

"When we first captured the Shihouin, it seemed as though some of her story was founded in truth, but now I am convinced it is not." He agreed. "More that we have been fed a fantasy and that unfortunately some of my people more than others have come to believe in it as truth. I want to find my nephew - though returning him to District Six at the current time may be dangerous for him and perhaps for others."

"And my role in this?" Tokutarou asked softly. "You spoke of an exiled hime, but to my knowledge no such individuals exist."

"The young girl who gave the evidence and provided us with the pendant as proof of her identity is also that same individual who broke the Shihouin boy out of my prison."

"An elaborate hoax to make you believe a Shihouin murdered your son." Tokutarou murmured, his eyes becoming angry as he digested this. "Taking a swipe at their allies the Kyouraku at the same time."

"Yes. It seems to be precisely that."

"It's a good deal of effort to go to." Tokutarou's lips thinned. "Tell me more about who you believed this girl to be?"

"She claimed to be a daughter of your late Uncle, Sadehira - driven into exile by your taking over the Clan." Guren nodded. "She knew a lot of things about your family, and I wasn't sure how she could have come by that information and the pendant both - plus her manners and bearing were definitely not that of a common born girl. The same might be said for her education, from what I understand. I must confess that my brother Seiren is completely taken in by her - somebody allegedly assaulted her and left her in a battered state, and Seiren has always been protective in that way. I think it reminded her of our sister's frailty, when this young one came crying to him for help. Anyhow, she put into his head that Shirogane had assaulted her, and Seiren sent men to arrest Shirogane. Shirogane wasn't in the mood to be taken quietly, and so released his sword and fled the manor. The girl was in our custody for a while. She and the pendant both disappeared the day the Shihouin tried to kill me - and until she came to release the prisoner, I saw nothing more of her. Both escaped and we have...no leads on where they might have gone. Only one man can place her at the scene – he is in a critical condition at present, so further enquiries in District Six are proving difficult."

"I can see why you miss Shirogane-dono most." Tokutarou said astutely. "As a skilled shinigami trained in higher level search operations as well as spiritual skill, he would be the perfect agent to dispatch on an investigation of this nature."

Guren groaned.

"That was my original plan, until things swirled out of hand." He admitted quietly. "My family is in a particularly unpleasant situation and it shames me to admit it. I don't know if the reason Shirogane has been targeted was to make Seiren react how he has, whether it was to cloak the real motives, or to get a talented and loyal member of my kin well out of range so I cannot use the skills I know he has to my benefit. But either way, whoever is behind this is thinking many steps ahead of me. What Misashi-dono raised in the Council session also troubles me - could that one person plan such an elaborate web of deception in order to bring down a Clan?"

"Yes, I believe so. And maybe more than one Clan, if you had been more easily fooled and had declared war on the Shihouin and the Kyouraku." Tokutarou set the pendant down. "The Shiba would defend my people, of course, and Misashi-dono is indebted to the Shihouin, so would probably take their part. Chaos would be unleashed. The Kuchiki hold very high standing in Seireitei. Any decision you take as head of that Clan has serious consequences for the rest of us."

"True." Guren agreed with a sigh. "And now I am unsure whether the life of my other nephew may be in danger. Whilst I have faith in Genryuusai-sama's ability to shield him, I think...Ryuu is probably still a target. And we may be dealing with a level of intelligence that took down Shouichi-dono and almost destroyed both the Shihouin and Endou Clans through his manipulations."

"More, the Yamamoto are protecting your heir, therefore bringing them into the conflict on the Kuchiki side if war had been declared." Tokutarou offered a hollow smile. "Forgive me for saying it, but it's a relief to me that the current head of the Kuchiki is not Seiren-dono."

Guren's expression clouded, and he nodded his head.

"In any case, what you can tell me about the pendant - I would appreciate to know." He said frankly. "How little or how much - we lack leads."

"I can't give you much of one, either." Tokutarou sighed, his gaze flitting again to the pendant. "I can confirm it carries the emblem of a blood member of my Clan, though there is only one living individual in the family at present who holds that exact crest. Even mine differs from it very slightly, though to an outsider they would probably look much the same."

"The living individual being...?"

"My brother Shunsui, who I hope as a friend of young Ryuu-dono, you'll believe above your suspicions." Tokutarou grimaced. "I'm sure Retsu-sama can provide him with similar alibis to Shihouin Kai."

"I don't suspect a loyal member of your Clan in any of this." Guren shook his head. "The girl said clearly she was an exile hated by your branch of the family and had come to our land because the Kuchiki and the Shihouin were mutually suspicious. Since you were allied with the Shihouin, she felt that she would be safe in District Six, even living a menial life. And she claimed to be the daughter of your Uncle."

"That man had no children. Nor a wife." Tokutarou said flatly. "If he had, then he would never have taken Shunsui from his mother and tried to train him to fight against me for power in the Clan."

"Sadehira-dono did such a thing?" Guren's eyes narrowed. "I did not know...but Shunsui-dono possesses that crest, and this girl came from..."

"That does not belong to Shunsui." Tokutarou shook his head. "Even though the image is the same, the chain design is too old for it to have been stolen from him."

"Then?"

"All I can tell you is that it doesn't belong to my Uncle." Tokutarou said with a sad smile. "His crest was not the same."

He got to his feet, reaching up to select an old volume from one of the shelves in the study. He opened it, flicking through the pages until he found what he was looking for. He pushed the book across towards his companion, scooping up the pendant and setting it down against the paper of the opposite page.

"You can see it most clearly here." He said briskly. "This one on the right is my Uncle's crest. He incorporated more of his mother's line in the image, because he felt a connection to our family's samurai roots. And this pendant has not any of those adornments. Though the vintage is right, that pendant never belonged to my Uncle. Nor to anyone who was a descendent of his line."

"Then the girl stole it and was lying?"

"Most probably. Yes. Or acquired it through another means." Tokutarou shrugged. "A second hand seller or trader of some kind, perhaps..."

He frowned, as something skipped across his thoughts, and Guren shot him a sharp look.

"Tokutarou-dono?"

"Something...just then." Tokutarou's brows knitted together. "I said that a servant of mine - well, a retainer - had raised something with me that I'd considered troubling but with all my work I'd pushed it aside. He'd asked about a Shihouin in a town local to where my manor lies. I didn't find out the exact reason, except that a prostitute in the vicinity had been attacked and another allegedly murdered. I don't know if there is a connection, except that a Shihouin appeared there and also appeared among your kinsfolk, too. I don't know what other evidence exists relating to that matter, but...I do remember reports being filed in that same town about the death of a prominent precious metal trader who was a regular at the local markets. I don't recall his name - but at the same time these reports were filed, I heard mention of a mysterious man claiming kin to my Clan who had appeared and disappeared like a wraith. His name was 'Masaki' - and he carried a Clan pendant."

"That one, perhaps?" Guren suggested. Tokutarou shook his head.

"The reports I read suggested a lesser Clan crest, but I didn't see it myself." He said grimly. "I'm sorry, Guren-sama. It seems I might have been concealing evidence relating to your business without realising I was doing so."

"You would have had no reason to make those connections." Guren frowned. "But since the weaponry used in the attacks came from a forge in District Eight, I think...it's possible that at some point these people - be they Aizen Keitarou's or not - made their base in your domain."

"I can't deny the possibility." Tokutarou sighed. "And I will investigate that possibility so we know once and for all. I'll speak again to the soldier who mentioned the Shihouin, and review personally the evidence relating to the other suspicious occurrences. Though I imagine they're no longer in Eighth, if they were there before."

"They are not hampered by movement, though, it seems." Guren reflected. "If they can be in your land and in mine within a short time of one another, and perhaps other places too..."

"Even District One." Tokutarou said darkly. "I will go there myself and speak to my brother, if you will allow me to. Knowing Shunsui and remembering his close friendship with two of the young ones of your Clan, I suspect he knows some of what's happened and suspects far more. If I may take the pendant - I will see what I can find out about that too. Even though this is not his, he may have ideas about whose it is."

"All we saw was that there was something engraved on the back - Sumomo, and another character we can't make out clearly." Guren nodded. "You've told me what I needed to know about it and the girl who held it, so you're welcome to take it. Though it's evidence in our case, it doesn't tell us anything we really need to know to catch these people. If and when we do, I may claim it back from you. But till then..."

"Thank you." Tokutarou inclined his head. "Then I'll see what I can uncover. If necessary I can send men to the forge that made the weapons and find out what kind of orders they've taken and from whom - though they take so many it may not help."

"At the moment, all information is a help, because it's more than I already have." Guren said flatly. "For the Kuchiki to need to ask for help brings me shame, I won't lie. But my son lies murdered, and I...have to find his justice as well as protect the rest of my family from harm."

"Perhaps this business will have the opposite effect to the one intended." Tokutarou reflected. "If it makes Clans come together rather than splits them apart."

"Maybe." Guren spread his hands. "But if we're dealing with Aizen Keitarou, he is an enemy shared by all of us."

"I am fairly convinced that Misashi-dono is probably right on that count, and that the Shihouin was removed from your custody to prevent that link being made." Tokutarou said simply. "Yanagi-dono knew Aizen, don't forget. It's possible that - if the boy is Onoe Tomoyuki and is being manipulated - Yanagi-dono might have picked that up."

At that point there was a knock at the door, and Tokutarou raised his voice to call the servant in, watching as his retainer opened the door to usher Yanagi himself into the chamber.

"I'm sorry to delay my arrival so greatly." The Shihouin bowed his head, gravity in his own golden eyes. "Please forgive me - my sister was...not pleased to hear the news I had to relay."

"None of us are pleased about very much of late." Guren said blackly. "Sit down, Yanagi-dono. Join us. We had just begun to speak about unsavoury things here too - such as the reasons that my prisoner was set free before you could set eyes on him."

"It seems strange to go to the trouble of getting him seen and caught to implicate us only to withdraw him at serious risk to the whole operation." Yanagi agreed thoughtfully. "Unless there was a good reason not to identify the boy."

"Which means, in your opinion, what?" Tokutarou asked, and Yanagi sighed.

"As I have already told Guren-sama, I believe that the culprit is probably Tomoyuki." He said with a shrug. "I can't be sure, but I didn't detect any Shihouin reiatsu when I arrived in District Six. None at all. And that I wasn't allowed to even see him - that was suspicious to me. Whoever it was didn't want the Clan to put a name to the killer, and that must be because doing so would lessen the suspicion against the Shihouin, not increase it. Onoe Tomoyuki is the only Shihouin who can't be directly linked to Midori's orders - with no mental capacity of his own, his involvement in anything pretty much absolves us of ours. And someone didn't want that to be made concretely clear."

"Probably they didn't expect you to ask for a Shihouin to come to Sixth." Tokutarou glanced at Guren, who nodded.

"Seiren was not happy that I did, but Futsuki supported it, and we were able to provide adequate security to prevent harm befalling our guest." He agreed. "Ironically it's probably the most cooperation between our two families in a generation."

"This Shihouin is different from the Clan I was raised and trained in - and from the one who may have killed your Lord Father." Yanagi said gravely. "I won't hide from my own crimes - you all know them well enough for me not to. But I believe Midori sent me to identify the boy not because of my bloodline to her but because she wanted to know if there was any connection between this attempt to frame my people and the last. I was far too involved for anyone's liking in Kamuki-jisama's plans for reidoku. Therefore I knew things and people even she or Kai do not. And...though I did not detect Shihouin in the vicinity, when I examined the place where the soldiers were cut down, I did...sense something...amiss."

"Aizen Keitarou?" Guren asked eagerly, and Yanagi shook his head.

"If that man is involved, he would not give himself away so blatantly." He said firmly. "No. But a...darkness. A something...not quite tangible. But something in the air - something around the guards who were killed, and in the cell the boy was held. Something not Shihouin - something dark and empty. Perhaps...the taint of a manipulating hand guiding from the shadows - nothing more than the faintest impression but there all the same. When working with reidoku, that sensation was around then too. It's not the chemical or a reiatsu or anything particular. Just...an empty darkness."

He laughed ruefully.

"Maybe I'm over-thinking it." He admitted. "But my impression when I stepped into the empty cell was the same as when I was involved in the reidoku project. A sense of a missing jigsaw piece and something dark controlling things that we could not see."

"So we return to the mystery of Nanaki-hime and the Kyouraku pendant." Guren murmured.

"Nanaki-hime." Yanagi's eyes narrowed. "This was the girl who set my kinsman free from your cell – I've heard the name before."

"She is not a kinswoman of mine." Tokutarou said flatly. "No such person exists – without studying the genealogy I can tell you that."

"I remember Sadehira-dono, and I must admit the girl bore scant resemblance to him." Guren acknowledged. "Dark hair, true, but ebony black rather than brown or chestnut, and very vivid blue eyes – I must say I've never known a pure-blooded Kyouraku with blue eyes."

"It isn't a trait we tend to carry." Tokutarou admitted. "And I will tell you something else – Guren-sama, I don't know if this matters or if it does not. But Aizen…is a Kyouraku name. Aizen Keitarou is an Urahara by birth, but his mother was half Kyouraku. And though he would not fall within the degrees of our Clan – when he was manipulating Misashi-dono's poor daughter and operating from District Seven some years ago, at that time he used Kyouraku paraphernalia to ease his passage into our land. A Kyouraku dagger and a Kyouraku family crest were both in his care…I still have the dagger somewhere in my vaults as forgotten evidence, whilst Juushirou said quite clearly that he'd seen Aizen in possession of a Clan crest. So the fact that Kyouraku memorabilia has surfaced again doesn't remove suspicion from his door. In fact it does the opposite. It swings the arrow rather more in his direction."

"But if that crest is the same as your brother's, that would signify a rank beyond this man's family connections, surely?" Guren said softly. "If I assume that the lesser crest your men reported belonged to Aizen, and therefore your mysterious Masaki was Aizen Keitarou, even then…what of the other? You are sure no living individual holds that crest now, other than Shunsui-dono?"

"No. No living person does." Tokutarou's eyes became troubled. "It is the crest of my Father, Guren-sama – and he has been dead for some time now, as you know."

"Matsuhara-sama's emblem." Yanagi looked thoughtful. "Which is why Shunsui-dono holds it – but…"

"That in itself is a dead end." Guren admitted. "Matsuhara-dono had but two children, one who holds the crest and one who does not. But neither one of them are viable lines of investigation for us. We have hit another brick wall. Unless something was somehow stolen from among your family's possessions – I don't suppose that your late Father's badge would have been easily discarded."

"Maybe by my Uncle." Tokutarou admitted. "It's possible that during the time he had control of the family, he dispatched with Father's insignia in that manner. I do know that Shunsui had no Clan crest when I took charge of the family – he chose to keep Father's emblem, but I was the one who saw to it being crafted. It's how I know that that one isn't his – he didn't inherit one from Otousama, his was made for him alone."

"Then if Sadehira-dono dispensed with that, and somehow it got to circulating the second hand market, maybe Aizen acquired it and killed the trader you said was killed to prevent the trail being followed back there." Guren said thoughtfully. Tokutarou nodded.

"I will review this case personally and see what I can find." He promised. "If my Father's name and honour is being called into question, I won't let any stone be left unturned. Shunsui and I will both give the Kuchiki our full cooperation, Guren-sama – you have my word that anything I discover I will pass on to you at once."

"Thank you." Guren's face became one of relief, and as he stood, a faint smile touched his lips. "Perhaps you are right, Tokutarou-dono. Maybe…this business will bring Clans more closely together, rather than pushing them apart."

"But if we can prevent any more bloodshed, so much the better." Tokutarou said grimly. "You can await my communication, Guren-sama. Believe me – I will be in touch."