Chapter Forty Nine: Final Preparations
Daybreak.
Wrapped within the pounding, swirling sea that flooded through his brain, Juushirou was aware of a sudden flare of bright light seeping in through the waves and down to the depths far below. Half awake and half asleep, he let out a drowsy murmur of protest, fumbling with the covers as if trying to shut out the glare. From somewhere in the haze of his surroundings, he was aware of footsteps, then the sensation of someone resting their hand on his shoulder, bringing him forcibly into wakefulness and making him open his eyes.
He blinked, shielding his gaze from the sudden brightness, and from somewhere around him he heard someone laugh.
"This is the first and probably only time I'll come to wake you up after a night out, so I'm savouring the experience." There was a thud, and Juushirou knew that the intruder had dropped down beside his bed. "I hate to do this to you when your sleeping so peacefully, but breakfast has been and gone and we have our final safety assessment in just under an hour's time."
"Shunsui?" Juushirou's lips brushed together, only just forming a coherent word, and his brow creased, his fingers closing at last around the heavy fabric of his covers. He pulled them up to shield his face from the daylight that was stabbing through his aching brain, but before he could tuck himself back into the more comforting world of sleep, someone reached out a hand to stop him, carefully unclasping the material from his pale white grip.
"I'm serious. You have to wake up. You might not want to - probably you don't want to. But I made Yama-jii a promise that if we went out last night, we'd all be in class on time this morning. That includes you, so I'm making sure you help me keep my word."
"Go away." Juushirou was not in the mood for his friend's games, and Shunsui let out a soft chuckle.
"Ah, now I know what it feels like to be on the other side of the equation," he observed, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth in playful disapproval. "No wonder Niisama got fed up of stirring me after a night out drinking. You're more stubborn than usual today, Juu-kun - and to think you're the one who's usually up at dawn."
"Didn't I just say go away?" Realising that his chances of sleeping were drawing further and further away, Juushirou rolled over onto his side, fixing his friend with the darkest glare he could muster. "This is my room, not yours. I don't remember telling you to come in."
"You didn't. I let myself in," Shunsui said cheerfully. "Good, if you're cross with me it means you're aware of what's going on. That being the case, I guess I don't have to resort to Hirata's technique of tipping water over you in order to bring you to yourself."
"Water?" Juushirou struggled to pull himself into a sitting position, putting a hand to his head as it ached and protested at his sudden movement. Sure enough, a mug of water sat on the shelf beside him, and his eyes narrowed.
"You were going to tip that over me?"
"Only if you didn't wake," Shunsui said blithely, then he grinned, shaking his head. "No. I brought it in case your stomach was still unsettled. You weren't well last night, so I thought I'd come prepared."
"Not...well?" Juushirou frowned, trying to piece together the fragmented pieces of the previous night's memory. "Was I? Did I have an attack...? But my chest feels all right."
He rubbed his ribcage, then,
"My head is spinning and I'm aching everywhere but I don't think I have a fever and I'm not about to cough. Are you sure?"
"You don't remember, huh?" Shunsui eyed him pensively. "Last night we went into the local town to celebrate Hirata's birthday. You had a little too much sake and Enishi had to shunpo you back because you weren't steady on your feet. You look a little pale this morning, and I'm not surprised you have a headache. But overall I think it could be a lot worse - you should be glad."
"Celebrate...Hirata's...?" Juushirou stared at his friend blankly, and Shunsui grinned.
"You really don't remember?"
"No." Juushirou rubbed his temples. "We went out last night? Maybe I remember us leaving, but...after that..."
"Well, you needn't worry." Shunsui clapped a warm hand down on his friend's shoulder. "You didn't do anything particularly embarrassing. Slightly amusing, but you weren't really any trouble. We got back to school safely and though Yama-jii was at breakfast, he hasn't said anything. Probably he noticed you weren't there - but so long as you don't miss the safety assessment meet, I don't suppose he's going to say too much about it."
He tilted his head on one side.
"Should I have woken you for breakfast, by the way? You were so fast asleep, and so..."
"Food?" Juushirou shuddered as his stomach lurched slightly. "No...no. I'm not hungry. It's fine."
"I thought that might be the case." Shunsui nodded wryly. "Don't worry - it will wear off. You didn't drink huge amounts, but you're not used to it, so you're a tad hungover. That's quite normal, you know, in some circles - probably by tomorrow you'll be feeling good as new."
"Hungover?" Juushirou managed a rueful smile, leaning up against the wall in resignation and pulling the blanket more firmly around his aching body. "You really have been leading me astray, then."
"You were talking about Mitsuki a little while you were drunk," Shunsui's expression became thoughtful, and he eyed his friend keenly, "about how you couldn't keep her and how you thought she was going to go off with Nagoya, or some such thing."
"I...did?" Juushirou reddened, alarm crossing his features, and Shunsui patted him on the arm.
"Alcohol tends to do that," he said wisely. "You'll say things you otherwise wouldn't say – sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes – often – it's not. But you know, she was worried about you. This morning she asked me whether you were all right - if you've had some kind of fight with her, you really shouldn't let it drag out. It's twice as hard to fix something the longer you leave it."
"What exactly did I say to you?" Juushirou sent his friend a wary glance. "I'm quite sure I didn't intend on talking to you about anything, so..."
"Pretty much what I just said," Shunsui looked thoughtful, "and a bunch about whether you really love a person if you let them go be with someone else. You had a little dig at me about Saku as well -but I don't think you meant it, so I'll forgive you."
"I did?" Juushirou was stricken. "I'm sorry. Whatever it was - I'm sure it wasn't intended to be a dig."
"I was a tad worried what you might say. Bearing in mind our conversation after we met Riri, I wasn't sure," Shunsui admitted, "but you didn't say anything about that, so it's all fine."
He settled himself more comfortably beside the bed.
"You wanted to talk to me about Mitsuki, because you said we'd talk it out when you were clearer," he added. "There's no point in being shy now. We're going to the Real World tomorrow, and if you aren't speaking to her, we're going to have group harmony problems."
"I don't believe I said that." Juushirou was suspicious. "Stop putting words into my mouth. Just because I can't remember..."
"Okay, perhaps you didn't say that exactly," Shunsui amended, "but you did seem to want to talk about it and about her. So we will. All right? Or even better,"
His gaze flitted to the door, and Juushirou's own brow creased as he registered the familiar flicker of reiatsu coming from the hallway,
"...you can talk to the girl herself. I'll play referee - or chaperon - if you like."
"Juushirou?"
Before Juushirou could respond, the door of the nest slid back, and the District boy instinctively tightened his grip on his blankets, consternation clouding his grey eyes as he took in the familiar form of his classmate. She was dressed, her dark hair braided back from her face in readiness for the day ahead, and something about the composed neatness of her appearance grated suddenly against his nerves. His brows knitted together and he shook his head, lifting his hand to indicate the corridor behind her.
"Girls aren't allowed into boys' rooms. First rule of boarding school life," he said flatly. "It applies to healers too, Edogawa-san. As Anideshi, I'm asking you to observe it."
Shunsui winced at the formality of his friend's tones, and Juushirou saw a mixture of hurt and annoyance cross Mitsuki's expression. For a moment she hesitated, then her eyes hardened and she stepped very purposefully into the room, pulling the door shut behind her with a click. Without a word she crossed the floor towards him, removing something from the folds of her hakamashita and setting it down on the shelf beside the mug of water.
"A healer is permitted to go wherever there are sick people," she said quietly, "regardless of whether their discomfort is of their own causing or not."
"I haven't asked you for help of any kind," Juushirou said bluntly, "therefore your coming here is pointless. You aren't allowed in my chamber, Edogawa-san, and I've already asked you to leave. If you were to be found here, there'd be trouble for both of us. Therefore…"
Thwack!
Before Juushirou knew it was coming, and perhaps before the girl even realised it herself, Mitsuki's hand came out, striking firmly and cleanly across her classmate's left cheek. Rendered speechless by the suddenness of the assault, Juushirou could only stare in disbelief at his assailant, whilst at his side, Shunsui visibly winced at the sound of skin hitting skin, shuffling back slightly as if to protect himself from the fallout of any further blows.
Juushirou's fingers tentatively touching his burning cheek, not quite believing what had just happened. His aching head throbbed all the more for the unexpected impact – but all the District boy could focus on was that someone had hit him – and that someone was now staring at him with hot fury blazing in her grey eyes.
Juushirou had always seen Mitsuki's eyes as a soft, almost violet grey, more gentle than the other members of her Clan and full of emotion and compassion for those that surrounded her. On occasion he had seen them change and darken with resolve, but never had he seen them glitter with so much righteous indignation as they did that morning.
"Have you finished?" she asked softly. "I didn't come here to listen to you babble nonsense. We don't have time for it. In less than an hour you have to be up and dressed for class, and you will attend it, because otherwise your foolishness will get Kyouraku-kun into trouble. To that end, I brought you something that'll ease your head and settle your stomach – so stop being a baby and drink it quickly. The sooner you do as you're told, the sooner I'll be gone – so it's in your interests to obey me."
"Woooah. Someone's been taking Unohana-sensei's lessons in professional scary a little too seriously," Shunsui murmured. "Calm down, Mitsuki-chan. Even if you're mad at him, he's delicate right now."
"He's not that delicate," Mitsuki shook her head impatiently. "He might be feeling a little sorry for himself, but that's all. You're too soft on him…but this isn't haibyou. It's a simple case of over-indulgence and there's no sense in mollycoddling him over it – all that will do is encourage him to do it again."
"Will you stop talking about me as though I was a small child, or not even in the room?" Now Juushirou's own pride began to flare up and he glared at her crossly. "What kind of healer goes around slapping her patients, anyway? I'm sure Unohana-sensei didn't teach you that!"
"And I'm sure I didn't ask you to call me Edogawa-san," Mitsuki's voice shook. "It wasn't the healer who slapped you – it was me. Mitsuki. Since you seemed to have forgotten that I exist – I wanted to remind you that I do."
"Mitsuki-chan…" Shunsui held up his hands as if to placate her, but Mitsuki shifted her gaze to him, shaking her head.
"This is between Ukitake-kun and I," she said quietly. "If you're going to stay here, please don't interrupt. You wanted me to speak to him too, didn't you? I know you're fed up with things how they've been the last couple of days, too."
"Shunsui?" Juushirou's eyes flitted to his friend in surprise, and Shunsui shrugged.
"I expected more of a 'talk' and less of a 'fight'," he admitted sheepishly, "but all right. Just remember we need him in one piece for later on – otherwise our group will be missing its leader when we go to the Real World."
"Juushirou is surprisingly resiliant, considering everything." Mitsuki sat down on the end of the bed, and Juushirou eyed her warily, half expecting a second assault. "That's why I know I can shout at him like this. Today it's all right to shout at him – no, today he needs me to shout at him. Idiocy can't be cured by being soft – so I'm trying something new."
She shifted herself around, meeting his gaze with a resolute one of her own.
"I'm not going to accept it," she said softly. "You calling me Edogawa-san, you referring to us as classmates – you running off and deciding what's best for me or my future. We've had this kind of conversation before, so you've no excuses for behaving that way. Thinking you can decide what will or won't make me happy is arrogant and ignorant and I don't need it. Just like I didn't need Naoko to protect me, I don't need you to, either."
"Then what are you even doing here, if you're fed up with my interference?" Juushirou demanded.
"Trying to put your silly head straight, obviously," Mitsuki sighed. "Listen to me. What Naoko said to you was Naoko's fancy. There wasn't and never has been any truth in any of it."
Juushirou bit his lip, glancing anxiously at Shunsui, who grinned, shrugging his shoulders.
"If you want to talk about Nagoya, talk away. I'll pretend not to hear, and swear blind that I didn't know he was in District One," he said casually.
"You…knew that?" Juushirou's eyes became huge, and Shunsui nodded.
"It's common sense. He has nowhere else to go, and nobody but Mitsuki is sweet enough to put up with him in his time of need," he agreed, "but officially, I don't know anything. Just you can talk about it. The door is closed and I won't be taking anything I hear in here anywhere else."
"Kyouraku-kun is right," Mitsuki sighed, nodding her head. "Senpai doesn't have anyone else to help him. Sora and I have been doing our best, but even we can't provide everything he needs."
"Sora too?" Juushirou stared, and Mitsuki snorted.
"You didn't know that? Yes. Sora and I have both been taking care of him. Why?"
"I think Juu thought you and he were having secret private trysts just between yourselves in the wilds of District One," Shunsui interjected dryly, and Juushirou flushed red at his friend's words.
"It was a logical conclusion to reach," He muttered, his tones a little sullen. "You said Ryuu wasn't involved, and so I didn't think anyone else was. It doesn't have anything to do with Sora, so…"
"She's my best friend," Mitsuki said simply. "I trust her."
"And you don't trust me?"
"Oh, stop it!" Mitsuki looked frustrated. "Sora was with me when I realised Senpai was here – besides, if she was to be implicated in protecting someone wanted by Guren-sama, she'd have Kyouki-sama to back her up and shield her from any real danger. You don't have anything like that – and Senpai asked me specifically not to involve you. He understands the implications for you better than anyone – you're a District boy getting involved in Clan matters and you just can't do that when it's the Kuchiki-ke."
"It's not the Endou or the Shihouin. I'm sure I've said this to you before," Shunsui interjected, and Mitsuki nodded.
"You and your family rely on Guren-sama's good will," she added softly. "Your life – but more, their lives – depend on you acting with prudence and discretion. You are not here to save the world – and you aren't anything to do with Senpai's plight. I'm taking risks by protecting him, but I'm not putting anyone's life in danger except maybe my own. You, on the other hand, have a whole bunch of people who would feel the fallout if you did something stupid this time. You're under Sensei's protection, but they're not. Don't you realise that? Guren-sama – if he wanted to – could squash your family in a heartbeat. All he'd have to do would be to give the order."
Despite himself, Juushirou blanched, and Shunsui reached out to rest a hand on his arm.
"Sometimes you need to be protected for their sake, if not for your own," he said quietly. "Naïve idealism only works so far. Besides, I told you, didn't I? Mitsuki-chan would never fall in love with someone like Nagoya. You've no real reason to be jealous."
"I don't know anything," Juushirou murmured, the anger seeping out of his body as he gazed at his hands. "We're only friends…classmates. When he said that, it ran right through me. Not because it was particularly cutting, but because it's true. I have no right to object to anything…Mitsuki and I are only friends."
"You have the right to object." Mitsuki shook her head. "You have the right to say what you think, too – and you haven't been, have you? Naoko spoke to you, but you lied to me and said she didn't. Then you backed off when faced with Senpai and I – you didn't even want me to explain to you what was going on."
"I don't have the right to demand an explanation from you," Juushirou reiterated, "and I told you that I didn't want to ask…because I wasn't sure I'd like the answer."
"Then I'll tell you it right now," Mitsuki said frankly. "I'm Senpai's ally. If he is arrested, I will stick up for him. If he's in danger, I will do my best to shield him. If he needs me, I'll fight for him. I believe in his innocence and I won't turn my back on him when he has nobody else. He's your shishou, so you should understand that too – don't you want him to be safe? I thought you believed him innocent as well."
"I do." Juushirou nodded. "I do, it's just…"
He sighed, closing his eyes briefly.
"Senpai is strong," he murmured. "He's good looking, he's capable, and he's already received orders of a high level within a Gotei squad. There are so many ways in which I can never reach him – and there are so many things he could offer you that I never could. If I think of it like that, I know it's a lost contest before it's even begun."
"But there isn't a contest," Mitsuki responded simply. "Senpai may be all of those things…but he isn't the person I'm in love with. Sora said that you can't see things the way I do, and I suppose it's true – I can tell how you feel about me more easily than you can tell how I feel, because of my healer's empathy. But healers form very strong bonds with people as a rule – this is something I've learned most of all from being here and studying with Retsu-sama. You're a part of me now. It doesn't really concern me whether you're Clan or District, rich or poor, sickly or fighting fit. Those aren't qualities I look at when forming a bond – it's on a whole other level. My connection to you is just there. I can't explain it, but I know it is. It's a connection to who you are, Juushirou – beyond anything material or superficial."
"A soulmate…perhaps?" Shunsui suggested, and Mitsuki pinkened, nodding her head.
"Yes. Perhaps," she acknowledged. "I have other connections to other people, but none of them are the same as this one. That's how I know that it's you I'm in love with, Juushirou. And how I know that I'm Senpai's friend and ally – but that's all it will ever be."
She folded her hands in her lap.
"Senpai knows it too," she added. "After you left the other night, we talked about it. He has no intention of marrying me, either. This is a new connection for me – but probably in time it will become like my one with Ryuu. That's how it feels, anyway. Even if Senpai was to have his name cleared, and there were moves to get us to marry – I have a voice in this and I wouldn't just accept it. I don't intend on getting married – so there's no reason for me to look to marry him just to find security."
"Then why won't you talk to me about after graduation?" Juushirou asked sadly. "You keep evading it, as though it really doesn't matter. The way you talk suggests you won't be in Seireitei – or that you'll go back to District Six rather than taking up with District Four."
"I don't have the legal permissions to join Fourth Squad yet," Mitsuki said matter-of-factly. "That depends on Guren-sama, because that's how the law currently stands. I need permission of my family to become a member of Fourth Squad, and even Father doesn't hold high enough authority to grant it – it can only be from someone from the direct line of inheritance."
"In short, Guren-sama – and whoever becomes his heir." Shunsui put in. Mitsuki nodded.
"Yes. Till I get that, I have no choice after graduation but to go home. Right now home is unstable – so even if he didn't mind, giving me permission to join another squad is probably very low on Guren-sama's list of priorities. On the contrary, being that I was so involved in events when Ribari-sama was killed, he might see a need for me to stay close to District Six and therefore make moves to stand in my way. Before he barely knew I existed – but it's not the case now. Everybody knows who I am – for better or worse, I'm an acknowledged member of the Kuchiki Clan.
"Of course, if Ryuu became heir, he would have the authority to let me go – but with things as they are, any kind of official acknowledgement of that might take a good amount of time. Guren-sama's only direct blood heir is dead – until he officially names his successor and it's ratified by the Kuchiki court, he's the only one with the right to grant me release."
"Then…"
"If I did get permission, there's also a chance I wouldn't be in Seireitei, either," Mitsuki added, "but I didn't want to raise that with you…just yet. It isn't finalised, and so I didn't want you to worry that I might disappear."
She chewed on her lip, and Juushirou gazed at her, half-dreading what she was next going to say.
"If I go to Fourth Squad, Retsu-sama wants me to go to Rukongai," she said at length. "It wouldn't be just for a few months, but probably some time longer than that. The idea frightens me – but it would be a way to work my way up and gain the respect of other healing individuals by proving what I can do. Also, I know there are a lot of people in Rukongai who are suffering. The imbalance of our worlds and the influx of Hollows and other things mean that there are far too many spirits there who have reiatsu and who are not just struggling but are being targeted, wounded and slaughtered by the Hollow invasions."
"People who are starving because they need food and it isn't there," Shunsui reflected, and for a brief moment Juushirou had the impression that his friend knew something more about Rukongai's people than he did.
Mitsuki nodded.
"Hunger only occurs in Soul Society if you have reiatsu that you need to keep replenishing," she agreed. "For most Plus souls, that isn't a problem. But for a few – and a growing few – it is becoming one. Rukongai is currently very dangerous and full of people in a bad state. Retsu-sama wants to help them."
"And so you'd go there? How long is some time longer?" Juushirou asked softly. Mitsuki shrugged.
"I don't know. As much time as it takes to make a difference – maybe until I'm redeployed back somewhere else," she said honestly. "Those things are unclear. I was worried about telling you because I thought you might try and talk me out of it – and you're probably the only person who could."
She sighed, glancing at her fingers.
"I said I wouldn't ever marry," she added, "but that's partly based on the fact that you and I will never be able to. If you asked me, with all seriousness, I don't know if I could refuse. I'd probably spend my whole life regretting it, if I did – and that's another reason why I didn't talk to you about any of this. I wanted everything to be set in stone and decided – so that you couldn't make me waver and turn back."
Juushirou was silent for a while, his head swirling with his classmate's revelations. Little by little the words began to seep into his hungover brain, and at length he sighed, running his fingers through his muzzy white hair.
"I wouldn't do that," he said finally. "I couldn't. If you wanted to go…I couldn't stop you."
"Is this another case of you having no right to object?" Mitsuki asked, but Juushirou shook his head.
"You have your dreams and goals and I have mine," he said candidly, though he knew that raw emotion was only just being held back. "If we aren't going to follow those through to the end, why are we here? You're a healer. There'd be no point in you having those skills and yet not helping people who really needed you to help them. The same is true for me – what's the use in my having reiryoku if I won't wield a blade to defend people like my family from predatorial Hollows? This isn't about having the right to object. I'll tell you right now I don't like it. It frightens me, and I'd be worried you wouldn't come back. But I won't stop you. Your dreams are your dreams. They're not something I have control over."
"Juushirou." Shunsui's eyes opened wide, and despite herself, a faint smile touched Mitsuki's lips.
"You mean that?"
"I do," Juushirou sighed heavily. "I don't have to like it to feel that it's the right thing to do."
He looked sheepish.
"I think it's better that than having you marry my shishou. Though if that would've made you happy, Mitsuki, I would've somehow accepted it."
"Why do I feel all of a sudden you're both being hopelessly grown up?" Shunsui looked plaintive. "I've been rooting for you guys to be together since the beginning, and yet you're both calmly talking about going your separate ways after graduation? That's something of a let down – good romance stories don't usually end that way, you know."
"But Mitsuki said she and I were connected," Juushirou pointed out, "didn't she? Just because we go different ways on graduating doesn't mean we'll never see each other again."
"Exactly." Relief flooded Mitsuki's grey eyes. "That's what I think too."
"If I'm honest…I'm a little relieved," Juushirou confessed. "I feel the same way about the things that matter to me to do, and I don't want anything to hold me back from being of the most use I can to Seireitei. Because of that, I know…why Fourth Squad, even if it's Rukongai – why it matters to you. Also – I hadn't realised all the complications of needing Clan permission. I'd assumed that it wouldn't be a problem, since you are Clan – but I suppose I hadn't perceived that it's two separate Clans, not just the one. In that you have the same dilemma as I do, and it all makes a lot of sense."
He chewed on his lip, then sighed.
"I'd honestly rather take second place to someone's vocation, I think, than to somebody else," he said ruefully. "Even if it's someone I admire as much as I do Nagoya-senpai. Even if I did back off and accept it on the surface, deep down I don't know how I'd deal with it if you were really going to marry someone else."
He shrugged.
"I might find it hard not to draw Sougyo no Kotowari," he admitted, "if it really came to…something like that."
Mitsuki looked faintly guilty.
"Perhaps I should've talked to you about everything sooner," she owned. "I've caused misunderstandings and I've made you worry a lot, haven't I? No wonder you jumped to conclusions. I'm sorry I slapped you – but I thought you had just run away without a fight, and when you called me Edogawa-san…"
"I won't ever do that again," Juushirou promised, "and I'm sorry, too. As it stands, I did run away – and I did jump to conclusions."
"Probably that was better than drawing your zanpakutou and challenging Nagoya to a duel in the middle of some field at midnight," Shunsui interjected drolly. "You've already had your wrists slapped for one illegal release this school year, and Nagoya's whereabouts would have been thoroughly given away."
"True," Juushirou acknowledged. "I suppose that maybe running away was better, when you put it like that."
He pursed his lips, turning his gaze back to Mitsuki.
"I wouldn't ask you to marry me just to keep you here, because I don't suppose it's the ending either of us want at the moment," he added. "It would keep us together, but it would bring its own problems. It would mean your Clan position becoming strained, it would probably threaten my family – and it would curb both of us from doing the things we originally came here to do. Neither one of us really looks at the future and thinks of getting married as a priority, no matter how close we've become, therefore it would be wrong to do it out of desperation, even if it meant us being split apart for however long. We both have things we need to achieve, and we'd wind up resenting each other for being tied down – wouldn't we?"
"Probably," Mitsuki agreed. "That's why I'm happy if we're just friends. There's no limit on how much friends can feel for each other – but there's no chains holding us back from doing the things that really matter to us. I'm glad you see it too, Juushirou-kun."
She reached out to touch the left side of his chest gently with her fingers, spreading her hand carefully over the position of his heart.
"Since Shikiki-chan used her magic on you, this has been beating with a lot more strength," she said softly, and Juushirou's cheeks reddened slightly at how close to him she was. "I believe that if I went to Rukongai, even if I was there for some years, you'd still be here when I came back. And I'd come back, for sure. I'd want to see you again, so I wouldn't let myself get killed. Even if you met someone else and married them in the meantime – or if you didn't. I still would want to see you – and I would still be glad when I did."
"All right. Chaperon intervention!" Shunsui laughed, slipping his hands between the two of them and pushing them gently apart. "Mitsuki-chan, Juu has to get up and dressed or he'll be late for our meeting. I'll make sure he drinks your potion – but if we don't get a move on, someone's going to get into trouble for being late."
"I suppose so." Mitsuki nodded, getting reluctantly to her feet. "But I'm glad we cleared the air. I won't keep any more important secrets from you, Juushirou-kun – I promise."
"And I won't jump to any more conclusions. If I can avoid it," Juushirou said ruefully. "I'll do my best, anyway. I'll certainly…try not to be jealous of Nagoya-senpai. Not even if I see him half-dressed and running through the forests with you."
"That sounds like an interesting encounter," Shunsui smirked, and Juushirou sent him a dark look.
"Don't," he ordered. "You said it – I have to get up."
He reached for Mitsuki's vial, pulling off the stopper and giving it a sniff before pulling a graphic face. "Although I'm not sure I'll live if I drink this. What on earth is in it?"
"Just desserts for someone who's careless with sake," Mitsuki's eyes were mischievous. "Really, it will help clear your head. I've made it numerous times for Father after he's been pulled into some Kuchiki gathering or other and has drunk too many glasses of another Lord's strong alcohol. Father doesn't drink except at those kind of events, so I always like to be prepared for the morning after."
"All right," Juushirou sighed, but obediently downed the contents, grimacing as he handed the vial back to her.
"If I wasn't feeling sick before, I probably do now," he owned, "but I'll trust you. I'll see you in class in what, about half an hour? Shunsui, you too – I'm all right and I'll get up now."
He pushed back the blankets.
"It wouldn't look right for Anideshi to be delayed." He added. "So I won't be late – you both have my word."
Everything was prepared now for the Senior Class's mission.
Genryuusai moved pensively along the uneven rocky path, the autumn wind teasing at his long beard as he nimbly navigated the dips and potholes as easily as a man several centuries his junior. This time tomorrow, they would have already left the Academy and ventured out into the unknown – and despite his years, the old shinigami felt a faint stir of anticipation at the thought of what their trip was going to bring.
Each Senior Class he had had since beginning the Academy had been different.
His lips pursed together beneath the heavy white bristle of his moustache as he reflected on some of his past students and the successes or failures they had encountered along the way. Some of his graduates had surprised everyone with their tenacity and dedication during the trip to the Real World – others had fallen shy of their target, and one or two had come home in disgrace. Genryuusai preferred not to think of the ones who had not come home at all, nor the weeping mothers or angry fathers he had had to placate when reporting to them of their loss. Though the Academy was a safe environment, it wasn't a school for weaklings. He was educating the young ones, but on the understanding their graduation meant a readiness to face war.
He raised his gaze to the heavens, taking in the heavy cloud that hid the sun from view. Perhaps later it would rain, he reflected absently. Hopefully he would complete his errand before that – for even though he was a man of experience and stamina, Genryuusai's fiery spirit did not generally endear him to wetter weather. It was a peculiar quirk of shinigami, he mused, pausing to gaze across the rippling surface of the silent lake, that their souls and their nature were wrapped up so deeply in the swords they carried at their waists – he had long since forgotten whether it was he or Ryuujinjakka who had originally disdained rainstorms, for they had been together for so long their thoughts sometimes blurred into one.
Such harmony with a zanpakutou spirit was the ultimate aim of any shinigami, but very few had ever achieved it. The mythical 'Bankai' that he had first come to raise some several hundred years earlier had been attained only by those who had formulated the best and most robust connection with their spiritual side.
At this, the old man's brows creased in thoughtful consternation.
Aizen Keitarou had already obtained Bankai.
Though his zanpakutou remained unregistered and largely unknown, Genryuusai was under no illusions about the implications of that fact. On his own, with no formal training nor Clan support, this elusive scientist had managed to bring his sword's spirit into complete harmony with his own and had harnessed its power completely…a devastating level of manipulative ability which had almost brought about the deaths of at least two of his students.
Well, if he could prevent it, there would be no more.
Genryuusai reached out to pluck back the heavy vines and greenery that covered the cave's entrance from view, stooping his already hunched body over to enter the cool darkness beyond. Faint golden light flickered at his fingers into a perfectly controlled amber flame, and as he made his way carefully through the tunnels, he was aware of movement at the furthest end of one of the turnings. He paused, standing back as he felt the faintest flicker of spiritual energy flare up as though readying itself to fight, then as the other presence seemed about to launch an attack on him, he lifted only the first two fingers from the top of Ryuujinjakka's knobbled cane, sending a brief but perfectly formed rope of spiritual magic in the direction of his would-be assailant.
There was a little gasp, then the sound of something metal hitting the floor, and Genryuusai calmly stepped forward, widening his hand to expand the golden flame out towards a cluster of dried twigs and branches that might have once formed a torch for hunters as they tracked down the bears for their fur. As the torch flickered and began to burn, Genryuusai gazed down on the creature his vine of energy had wound its way around, forcing the man to his knees to prevent him from falling headlong.
"There are better ways to greet your Sensei than that, Nagoya Shirogane," he said softly, lifting Ryuujinjakka's cane and tapping his former student gently on the top of the head, "though I grant that your reflexes haven't dulled any in the short time since our last meeting."
"Genryuusai…sensei." Shirogane's words were little more than a whisper, shock and dismay in his grey eyes, and Genryuusai relented, releasing the Hainawa rope from around his companion's body. Bending down, he retrieved the fallen Ginkyoujiki, gazing at it for a moment then holding it out to his former student hilt first.
"You shouldn't relinquish your weapon so easily," he observed, and Shirogane grasped at his sword, colour rising in his cheeks at the simple reproach in the old man's tones. "Being taken off guard by a low level Kidou spell shows a lapse in judgement that is unforgivable in one who's attained the rank of Vice Captain."
"I…I…"
"You are not well, my boy." Genryuusai dropped his teacher's tone, concern flickering across his gaze as he reached out a hand to brush Shirogane's brow. "You look thin and tired – and living in this place is not suiting you at all, is it?"
"You…knew I was here?" Shirogane struggled to recover his wits, staring at his companion with a mixture of wariness and surprise as he clumsily re-sheathed his sword. "The whole time? Even since…since the start?"
"Yes," Genryuusai said composedly, "but here is not a good place to talk. You have a nest of sorts up ahead, don't you? Several blankets have disappeared from school supplies since summer break, so I imagine you must have quite a cosy place to sleep, whatever else you might not have."
Shirogane was floored a second time, and Genryuusai chuckled, patting the fugitive on the shoulder.
"I received your letter," he said, as if it explained everything, "and I waited to make sure you arrived. But I haven't been able to act in any respect until I could put into place other things. I'm sorry it's taken this long – but I trusted Edogawa Mitsuki and Shiba Sora to be able to take adequate care of your needs until I could act."
"You…aren't arresting me?" Shirogane seemed to visibly relax at this, and Genryuusai shook his head.
"I have no intention of arresting someone who's come here in innocence with the intention of clearing his name," he said quietly, lifting the base of the torch from its sconce and gesturing to Shirogane to lead the way back down the tunnel to the open chamber at the end. Shirogane did so, and as they squatted on the blankets, Genryuusai found his thoughts flitting back to a far earlier time – a time when he and others had raced and hid around these caverns as young boys.
"I am very familiar with these mountains," he said pensively, notching the torch in a crack in the wall and setting Ryuujinjakka down at his side, "therefore finding you was never going to be a problem. You have suffered a good deal in your exile, though, I think."
"It's been difficult," Shirogane agreed, "but I'm all right. So long as you…aren't against me, I'll be fine. It was my last gamble, to come here and find someone who I thought might still have some faith in me."
He reddened.
"I also realised as I went on that I'd always underestimated the way you saw everything outside of the Clans," he admitted awkwardly. "I'm seeing now that those things aren't so strange as I had first thought. It made me realise yet again that you…probably are the only one who I can go to for help at present. I do not wish to cause upset for District One or for the Academy…but I have nobody else to whom I can reach out."
"I am an old man, Shirogane, but I never forget a student," Genryuusai said easily, "and more, I never forget their character. You have your failings, its true – but at the core of your being was always the Clan to which you so proudly belonged. That you would betray them under any circumstances is unthinkable to me. I taught you and helped you raise Ginkyoujiki's spirit, and so I am fairly confident in this fact. However, you are right. There is much unrest in District Six, and to reveal your presence here too recklessly might be to the disadvantage of many innocent people."
"I really didn't do anything at all, Sensei," Shirogane murmured. "Back home, I mean."
"Your letter has already addressed those things, and I'm not interested in hearing them again," Genryuusai said dismissively. "For the time being, we don't have much time in which we can talk. The Senior Class are currently engaged in a final meeting with Kazoe about their departure to the Real World tomorrow. I chose this time to come and speak to you, because it was a time when you would not be visited by your angels of mercy."
"The Real World?" Shirogane's eyes widened, and Genryuusai nodded.
"Yes," he agreed, "just as you and your fellows went, so will this class, too."
"Ryuu…as well?"
"Of course. Do you think there's a reason he should not?"
"Someone is probably trying to kill him," Shirogane said frankly, and Genryuusai shrugged.
"Yes, that's true," he agreed. "It makes it all the more imperative for him to go."
"You're using him as bait?" A flicker of anger stirred in the boy's eyes, reminding Genryuusai of Shirogane's first year at the Academy and the hot-tempered way in which he had reacted to any decision that had gone against him.
"He has volunteered himself to be bait," he said calmly. "That arrangement suits me as well. It suits you too, as it happens. Whoever is after your family – and probably it is someone not of Kuchiki blood at all – are almost certainly hiding in the Real World. Ryuu knows this, and he understands the dangers that will face him if he leaves the safety of my District for less well governed territory. Whilst I don't seek to let him get hurt, and have taken as many precautions as I can to prevent that, bringing the real killers of your young cousin out into the open is important. To clear your name and to clear your Uncle's name, you realise that, don't you?"
"I don't want my name cleared by Ryuu's being murdered!" Shirogane objected.
"Nor do I." Genryuusai shook his head. "Ryuu isn't a weak shinigami, though, and will be on his guard. Those with him will also be on theirs, since they care for him and consider him a friend and ally they would want to protect. As I said, I believe Ryuu to be as safe as he possibly can be in a situation like this. Besides, the alternative is to leave things as they are, and risk more lives being ended from the shadows."
"Let me go to the Real World with them." Shirogane seemed to make up his mind, but Genryuusai shook his head.
"There is no need for that," he said firmly.
"But Sensei!"
"You should not be anywhere near Ryuu for the time being. In order to establish your innocence, that is of paramount importance," Genryuusai pointed out. "I'm fairly certain that boy doesn't know you're in this locality, and I'd like to keep it that way for now. I want you where I can see you, and more importantly, where other objective people of note can see you. We will become your alibi, and therefore you will stay here. When they go to the Real World, you will come to the Academy – Retsu will know to expect you, and you will report to her first and foremost."
"But!"
"You are not well, Shirogane." Genryuusai's tones became unyielding and he fixed his former student with a very particular glare. "Your spirit power is fragmented and incomplete and you were hopelessly unprepared when I came upon you, proving that at present you're in no fit state to fight anyone of any skill, let alone the assassins who have already succeeded in killing Ribari-dono. You need nutritious food and water, and you need a safer place to rest – not to mention proper clothing and a chance to recover from the stress of your journey here. Retsu is the best positioned to resolve all of those things, and I'm sure you won't argue with her as much as you're arguing with me."
He eyed his companion contemplatively.
"Or I could send her to fetch you, I suppose. That might work just as well."
Shirogane's expression became one of dismay, and he shook his head.
"No…no, sir, it's all right. I'll come to the school tomorrow morning, just as you say," he said hurriedly. "There'll be no need for anyone to come get me – I'll come of my own accord."
"Good." Genryuusai smiled. "It may be that I keep you for some short period of time – until things in your District have become quieter. Even if we can prove your innocence, Shirogane, I don't believe it to be safe for you to go home straight away. A lot of bad feeling has been stirred up by all of this, and so…"
"Seiren-dono may still be out for my blood?" Shirogane's eyes darkened, and Genryuusai nodded.
"There is a possibility that it might take time for evidence to filter through and change people's opinions," he said gravely. "I believe Seiren-dono was fond of Guren-dono's son – therefore, it may take a little more time for him to accept that blood is not on your hands."
Shirogane let out a heavy sigh.
"Is Mitsuki also going to the Real World?" he asked softly, and Genryuusai smiled.
"Of course," he agreed.
"And Ukitake?"
"You are curious about your District deshi too, even after so many years?"
"He's one I trained," Shirogane said dismissively. "I want to know he's not letting me down. They do say a student represents his shishou in times of combat, do they not?"
"Ah, now that sounded more like the Shirogane I tutored," Genryuusai chuckled. "Good – a little of your own spirit remains, even when your body is as beaten down as this. Yes, you need have no fear of that. Ukitake Juushirou is currently my Anideshi – and as troublesome and wilful an Anideshi as all of those who have preceded him."
"Myself included, I imagine." Despite himself, Shirogane looked rueful, and Genryuusai's eyes became amused.
"You can acknowledge it, therefore you have truly grown up," he observed. "Ragged as you are right now, and weakened too – I'm quite heartened by this meeting. Your letter too told me that a lot of things had changed. Maybe this situation was sent to teach you those lessons you refused to learn any other way…what do you think?"
"I think karma has been having its merry way with me of late," Shirogane sighed, "but…Sensei…will Ukitake really be all right? The Real World is a dangerous place, and…"
He faltered, and Genryuusai frowned.
"Shirogane, who do you believe is behind all of this?" he asked quietly. Shirogane shrugged.
"I don't know enough to be sure," he said cautiously, "but I think…the girl who framed me was the missing Endou hime. I forget her name, but I know that there were wild searches when she went missing. Sixth Squad even took part in some of them along the border – but we never found anything and nor did anyone else. I wouldn't have thought of it at all, I don't suppose – although she made me suspicious that she wasn't what she claimed to be. But something Ukitake's young brother said made me realise about her name, and…"
"Ukitake's…young brother." Genryuusai's eyes became slits. "Then I was right. You were sheltered by his people and they helped you to contact me before you left District Six?"
"I thought you might realise that by the choice of messenger, but it was the only manner I had of doing it." Shirogane looked troubled. "I don't want any repercussions to fall on them for it, though, and I especially don't want Ukitake to get wound up in it. I don't suppose that he cares too much for my help at present – but his family saved my life and I want to make sure I don't repay that fact by making any of them lose theirs. That includes my deshi – and I know what a hotheaded fool he is."
"He is indeed," Genryuusai sighed resignedly, "but those sometimes make the best shinigami."
A wry smile touched his lips as he drew on the faded memory of a man in Clan robes, reprimanding his own hot-headed impulsiveness so many centuries before.
"You are probably right," he added now. "The girl in District Six is certainly suspicious and there's a good likelihood she is Endou Eiraki. There's also some evidence to suggest that the Shihouin who reportedly attacked Guren-dono – the one you remember Ribari seeing the night he died – is Onoe Tomoyuki, a former student of mine of Ukitake's year who lost all his mental facets after encountering a powerful poison. In order for that to be possible, someone else must be manipulating at the very least him – perhaps both of them – to do his bidding."
"Then it is the Urahara. The one Guren-sama and the Council tried to hunt down." Shirogane's brain was obviously working at speed now, and Genryuusai nodded.
"There is a supposition that that's the case. Yes," he said gravely. "You are not his target at present – but I don't want to make that change. Therefore you'll come into my care and custody tomorrow morning and we'll see how things go from there."
"Do you think they will reveal themselves, if you let Ryuu go to the Real World?"
"I think that if they are serious about destroying the Kuchiki, killing Ryuu is unavoidable," Genryuusai agreed. "I also don't suppose this Aizen wants to face me if he can avoid it. He might have a Bankai level sword, but the fact he hasn't chosen to face Guren-dono in the way he killed Shouichi of the Endou indicates he's not entirely sure of his strength in combat of that nature. Your Clan Leader is very strong, but there have been stronger within past generations of the Kuchiki – and I have more years experience to call on than most. If Aizen wants Ryuu, the Real World is the best place for him to tackle that problem. And when he does…hopefully…their true intentions will be revealed."
"If it goes wrong, Sensei, the Kuchiki Clan will have lost their only surviving heir," Shirogane pointed out softly, and Genryuusai sighed, reaching out to tap his student's arm.
"If that happens, I will take responsibility with your Clan," he said frankly, "and I will also do something else, Shirogane. I will push for them to accept your claim…and I will not relent until they accept you. It may seem callous – but you might consider my helping you as my way of forming a back up plan as much as it is to protect you from harm."
"But I can't…I'm not…"
"I am old." Genryuusai smiled. "I remember things before you or your current kin. I know why the Kuchiki do not allow women to rule – I remember far enough back into the past to a time before that law was set in stone. I remember a young girl who would have made a fine Clan leader, but her husband was too greedy for power and his manipulations of her position almost brought your whole family to ruin. From that time, the female line was debarred. However, before that time…before that time, the sons of daughters of Clan leaders were included in the succession, albeit only after the male line was exhausted. People did inherit through the female line, and took the Kuchiki name on doing so."
"Really?" Shirogane stared, and Genryuusai nodded.
"Really," he agreed. "Eleven centuries ago, when the Kuchiki were fighting a war with the Shiba over territory, both the Clan leader and his son were killed in battle. The only remaining male contender was that leader's nephew – the son of his younger sister. That young man took hold of the Clan, won the war and set in stone the foundations that made the family what it is today. He is a Kuchiki considered 'great' by history – yet he was not born with the Kuchiki name. It was bestowed upon him in order that the Clan might move forward."
"I never…heard of such a thing before," Shirogane murmured. "I've read the histories, and I know to whom you are referring. Yet I did not ever see any mention of his ancestry being as mine is."
"Such things don't suit the Clan to remember, and so they were written out," Genryuusai said wisely. "Things often are, among Clans. Only those of us old enough to remember really have a grasp on the truth. Your family's traditions now are fixed and agnatic and your own position negligible. Yet history is on your side. There's something you really haven't considered, but I'm quite certain others have."
He got slowly to his feet, reaching for Ryuujinjakka.
"Seiren-dono would likely not be fighting so hard to establish Ryuu's claim over your own if there was no chance at all you were eligible to rule the Kuchiki Clan." He said simply. "He is not a foolish man, even if he is zealous and somewhat obstinate in his views. Probably he doesn't know the things I have just told you – but he is intelligent enough to realise that there is a loophole which can still be exploited and which could put Ryuu's claim at risk."
"I'm not looking to take Ryuu's claim or the Clan or any of those things, Sensei," Shirogane protested. "You make it sound like there's grounds for me to do so, but I've never…"
"I believe you," Genryuusai said simply. "You are not a traitor to your Clan, and therefore you would not try and tamper with the accepted order of things. But being aware of the full situation is important for someone whose own standing is as tentative as yours currently is."
He smiled.
"Your Grandfather was an enigmatic individual in many respects, and the history he left for his children and grandchildren was to a good degree fantasy as well as fact."
"I know…in some ways…about that." Shirogane looked thoughtful. "Senaya-sama liked to form his own version of the truth at times."
"He did what was best for the Clan." Genryuusai nodded. "I don't know all of the details of those decisions, and I wouldn't like to guess on things I know nothing about. What I do know is that Senaya-dono was not afraid to break rules if it meant forging a more successful future for his family. He almost certainly broke several rules. I trained both him and his brother, and so I know that if Senaya wanted to make something truth, he would do so, regardless of the actualities. Guren may be forced to resort to the same method – to make something truth even if it is not."
"Something like…?" Shirogane looked blank.
"The son of the Clan leader inherits the Clan," Genryuusai said simply. "You are not Guren's son – but you are his blood nephew and your bloodline is as good as Ryuu's or Ribari's when it comes to the succession. You don't have the Kuchiki name. But as I've just explained, if you were to be given it…"
He trailed off, and Shirogane's eyes widened.
"This is not the era of eleven centuries ago, nor the era of Senaya's illusions," Genryuusai smiled, "but there is still one obvious path that hasn't been explored. Seiren is probably aware of it – that Guren could easily choose to adopt you and give you the succession. With your bloodline and reputation as it is, probably it would not be widely contested, and you have no parents of your own to object. Providing your name is cleared, there seems no reasonable grounds to stop such a thing from happening. Indeed, the opposite – I'd wager your mother deliberately put you into Guren's path when she died - for that very reason."
"You mean…just like Seiren-dono wants Ryuu to…Okaasama wanted me…" Shirogane was stricken, and Genryuusai sent him a wry glance.
"Your mother was not an innocent, frail young thing waiting to die of sickness," he said softly. "I met Senaya's children when they were young, and it struck me then that she was the only one to inherit his ability to create truth as well as speak it. Frailty probably became her weapon and her shield and nobody suspected her. Also, she could not have known Ribari would be killed, so it's unlikely her intention was so blatant as you're thinking. But leaving her son in a position where the Clan leader noticed him…could not have hurt your standing after she was no longer there to protect you, now could it?"
"Okaasama." Shirogane swallowed hard. "And I didn't ever think of it – but I imagine that you're right."
"As Masane-hime's son, you have no rights at all," Genryuusai continued, "but as Guren's chosen descendant – that makes things very different indeed."
"So that's what Uncle is afraid of," Shirogane whispered. "I've always been ahead of Ryuu in training and now I'm Guren-sama's Vice Captain, which is a rank usually reserved for the heir to the Clan. Ribari-sama would probably have taken it from me when he came of age, but he never got the chance. That's why Seiren-dono has been this way. He either thinks I've conspired to remove Ribari-sama to gain his position, or…"
"Possibly," Genryuusai acknowledged, "although I hold the opinion that Guren chose you as his Vice Captain and intended to keep it that way. He would have given the Clan to his son, Shirogane – but I think he chose right when he awarded the deputy's badge to you. Probably he saw you as the best candidate to support Ribari as he grew into his future role – and so put things in place to ensure that when he was gone, your standing at his son's side would not be doubted or questioned."
"Maybe," Shirogane sighed. "We'll never know, will we? Ribari-sama will never get a chance to prove his worth or his ability to the family now."
"That pains you, doesn't it?"
"It does," Shirogane nodded. "He…was truly like a younger brother to me, Sensei. That's the reality of it. I…really didn't expect to lose him."
He clenched his fists.
"I would've spent all of my life serving him and Guren-sama in whatever way I was needed." He muttered. "To do so would be to hold a position of honour and trust, which is all I have ever sought or hoped to do. Instead all of this occurred…and I have been robbed of everybody who I held dear."
"Not everybody," Genryuusai chided him. "Mitsuki and Ryuu have not given up on you, now have they?"
"I suppose…not," Shirogane admitted. "Mitsuki has taken good care of me, and Ryuu…if Ryuu is willing to risk himself to help clear my name…"
"But if Ryuu died, and Guren chose to foist the Clan on you, you would almost certainly become the next target." Genryuusai brought the conversation back down to earth with a bump. "I don't mean to let that happen – so you'll come to the Academy and you'll do as you're instructed while there. Understand?"
"Yes…sir." Shirogane struggled to gather his wits.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Genryuusai made to leave, but as he reached the chamber opening, he paused.
"Mitsuki and Sora don't need to know any of this," he added lightly. "They only need know you'll be quite all right when they're not there to look after you."
Shirogane nodded slowly, and Genryuusai smiled, then ducked through the cavern opening and into the tunnel beyond.
Sometimes gambles pay off and sometimes they don't. Tomorrow we'll see what's what, I suppose. Providing all goes according to plan, my protecting Shirogane should be an unecessary precaution – but just in case, if the only other potential heir to the Kuchiki is in my hands, Aizen Keitarou can't possibly destroy that Clan. Kinnya probably saw that too – that or something like it, and so allowed Shirogane to leave District Six in peace. I can't imagine he was unaware of any of it – not knowing Kinnya how I do. If he's acted that way, and I act like this – between us we might safeguard the future of the family if the worst comes to the worst. But I pray it won't come to that.
A faintly regretful expression flickered into his eyes and he tightened his hold around Ryuujinjakka's cane.
Getting involved in Clan disputes is never a pretty thing. I only hope this isn't going to be one of those occasions where a lot of innocent blood is spilled.
Author's Note
All hail the hungover Juu!
Next chapter will see them in the Real World. Be prepared o.O.