Chapter Fifty One: Spirit on the Wind

"They're definitely here, just as you said they would be."

Eiraki ducked her head to get into the narrow opening of the cavern, dropping down against the cold stone wall with a sigh. "I made out five or six of them heading in this direction – but my brother wasn't among them. That's probably a good thing, though – if he's not there, he can't stumble across me."

"They split into two groups, I believe." Keitarou paused in his polishing of his tantou knife, offering his companion a sympathetic smile. "I've sent Onoe to scout out around the others, just to make sure of their movements so I know where they are. I don't imagine they'll interfere in what we're about, but it never hurts to be sure. Take a moment and rest, Eiraki-chan – you look tired out and it's getting late. We don't need to jump in and do anything this evening – let them settle for a little while before we think about making a move."

"I don't mind," Eiraki acknowledged, reaching for the gourd of cold stream water and taking a sip. "Kei-sama, Hirata-nii wasn't there, but Mitsuki-neesama was. She was with this group, and probably she'd find me quite easily if I got too close. It might not be safe for me to spy on them when they're all together."

"When they're all together," Keitarou echoed thoughtfully, setting Chudokuga down on the floor beside him. "So they aren't sticking entirely as a group?"

"In pairs," Eiraki shook her head. "I suppose that's how they've been told to operate or something. I don't know."

She shrugged, taking another sip from the gourd.

"Ukitake-san was there, though," She reflected. "I recognised his white hair."

"Yes…I rather thought he was," Keitarou's eyes became narrow at this. "I can't really explain it clearly, Eiraki, but I knew he'd come to the real world the moment he stepped through the gate. Perhaps there's more of a connection between him and me at present than I thought – or between his soul and Chudokuga, maybe that's more accurate."

He patted his blade contemplatively.

"I suppose it confirms that not every thread of my magic was removed from him the last time we met. That'll be interesting – I'll look forward to renewing our acquaintance."

"Kei-sama, what are we going to do?" Eiraki asked softly. "You said that you thought the old sensei had sent them here to lure us into some kind of Council trap. If that's true, are you still planning on killing Ryuu-dono?"

"There's no choice but to," Keitarou said frankly. "It may be a trap, but we've not fallen into any of those so far. These are smart and precocious young souls, but they are still inexperienced and they don't really pose me a threat. I haven't detected any sign of anyone else in these parts – just the students on their own. If it's a trap, Genryuusai's taking a big risk that his Seniors can escape quickly enough through that Senkaimon should danger threaten."

"There are more of them than us," Eiraki said apprehensively, "and they can fight with swords. Kei-sama, what if one of them hurt you?"

"You should have a little faith in me," Keitarou scolded, reaching over to pat her lightly on the head. "Nobody has managed to really hurt me in a long time. I may not be a swordsman, but I have my intelligence and that's weapon enough for most shinigami. Don't look so frightened – I won't take any harm from this encounter. If the Council know that I'm involved or not – at this stage it doesn't matter so very much."

"It doesn't?" Eiraki blinked. "But then why are we hiding?"

"Aside from the fact I want to keep you out of harm's way?"

"For my sake?" Eiraki pinkened, and Keitarou smiled.

"Somewhat," he agreed. "You are very precious to me and you become more so with each passing day. I can't afford to let anything happen to you – and you have less way to fight back even than I do. There's Onoe, and I can make him protect you – but I think as a weapon that one has almost certainly outlived his usefulness. Soon we'll discard him completely, and then I will have to think of something else."

"We could discard him now," Eiraki muttered. "You could tell him to stay out there in the wilds and not come back – nobody would miss him if you did."

Keitarou tut-tutted under his breath.

"Onoe has one more important job left," he chided. "Rough and crude as he is, he is more of a fighter than each of us, and getting his hands stained with blood is less distasteful than doing the job ourselves. If we don't kill Ryuu, there's a real risk of everything settling down and the Kuchiki having time to recover themselves. If we want to destabilise the Clans in Seireitei, there's no choice but to increase the pressure on them by eradicating the only other eligible Kuchiki heir. Killing the bocchan is his final errand – whether he returns or not is unimportant."

"Can he win?" Eiraki murmured, and Keitarou shrugged.

"I'll make sure that it doesn't matter either way whether he wins or loses. Even if he's killed, the same applies," he said dismissively. "We can reprise the same technique as we used for the other one – that worked very well. Almost too well, when you consider how long it took them to piece clues together."

"Then you want me to…"

"Shadow him and ensure everything goes according to plan," Keitarou instructed. "Don't put yourself recklessly in danger, Eiraki – but you understand what it is I'm asking you to do?"

"Yes. I think so," Eiraki sighed, shrugging her shoulders in resignation, "and I'll do it. Don't worry."

"Do you have doubts about this?" Keitarou asked her softly, and Eiraki shook her head.

"I never have doubts in the world you want to create," she said thoughtfully. "I've seen for myself why the one that exists now is broken and needs to be torn down. I don't mind if the Kuchiki is wiped out, or if the other Clans are – it would be nice if people could live in Seireitei without being oppressed or tortured by the people who have too much power and money and who use it just to make people suffer. All of those things I understand and I believe in them too."

"Even if that means resorting to dark ends?"

"Even so," Eiraki nodded. "I told you – I'm not afraid of it. Whether I like it or not, I have Endou blood and Endou people exist to purge and destroy – I learned that a long time ago. You shouldn't worry about me becoming frightened or weak – I won't."

"I know that," Keitarou admitted. "I see it in your eyes – that bold spark of something that tells me you're willing to fight even against your family if need be."

"Then why are you asking?" Eiraki cocked her head on one side. "I don't understand."

"It may become more bloody from hereon in. It may last a lifetime, and it may be a lifetime steeped in blood," Keitarou said frankly. "I want to know that you can face that fact and still act."

"I already made that choice." Eiraki gazed at her hands. "I already crossed too many lines, and even if I wanted to, I can't go back. But I don't want to, so it's all right. You need people on your side too, Kei-sama. Like I said before, I'm your ally. I will be right up until I die – isn't that the duty of a wife towards her husband?"

"I suppose it is." Keitarou looked momentarily taken aback, then he smiled. "Very well. I won't insult your pride by asking you such foolish things again."

"It's all right." Eiraki shuffled up beside him. "It's because you care what happens to me – I know that. You're only thinking of my well being – so I don't mind."

She gazed up at him.

"Did you meet with that idiot Seiren?"

"Yes. I did."

"And he's still alive?"

"So far, yes, though struggling valiantly." Keitarou's expression became derisive. "I'm cross that I can't make better use of him, Eiraki, but Chudokuga won't let me infiltrate his heart the way I did your grandfather. Instead I have to potter about with other ideas. That's why it's become imperative that his son dies. At the moment Seiren seems happy to relinquish his life in the knowledge his line will inherit through Ryuu. But his power is on a knife's edge and could blow with the least amount of provocation. Therein lies the other benefit in killing Ryuu – because if we do that, Seiren no longer has anything to protect. That is his true weakness – I believe losing his son might very well drive him mad, and mad people are fun to play with when in the heart of a family's political meltdown. It should reignite the chaos and he'll draw a good deal of suspicion onto his actions and his family, perhaps dragging others into his downfall. If we're more fortunate, once his resolve to protect Ryuu has been broken, I might find a way to manipulate him more effectively against his kin. It's messy and I'd prefer to handle it in another way…but for now, it's the only path we have."

Then I suppose there's nothing to do but kill Ryuu-dono," Eiraki said matter-of-factly. Keitarou nodded.

"To which end, we'll watch these precious students of Genryuusai's a little longer," he agreed. "Onoe can be my eyes just as keenly as you can and he can move more swiftly after the sun has set. We'll bide our time and see how they act and whether they have protection with them or not. Then, when they least expect us…we'll strike."

The night was drawing in now over District One, and little by little the Academy was settling down for the evening, students hurrying to take late baths or collect forgotten belongings before the sounding of the curfew bell. At the window of the Healing Bay, a lone figure watched them, absently pulling his plain white robe more tightly around his body as he gazed out across the familiar landscape.

So much had happened, but somehow he felt comforted in a way he had not done for some time. Something that had been set ajar with the death of his cousin had little by little begun to work itself back into its normal alignment – standing here like this, Shirogane could almost imagine he was back at the Academy, the proud Anideshi surveying the many juniors who scurried around below.

Not for the first time since his adventures had begun, he realised what a safe place this school had been and how little he had understood the hidden warnings in his old Sensei's lessons.

"I suppose this must be a nostalgic moment for you, Nagoya-fukutaichou."

Retsu's soft voice made him turn, and he smiled, nodding his head as the tall, slender Clan leader entered the small sick room, setting a tray down beside the bed and gesturing for him to come and join her. He did so – despite the gentleness of her appearance Shirogane remembered with startling clarity that Unohana Retsu was not somebody most people dared argue with once, let alone twice, and as he settled himself more comfortably on the covers, the healer reached out to touch his brow, nodding as if confirming something to herself.

"Your spirit power is quite scattered. I imagine your thoughts have been, too," she said quietly. "When Genryuusai-sama alerted me to your situation, I was anxious for him to bring you here right away – but of course, this is not Unohana land, and I do not have the right to make such pronouncements. There is no neutrality of politics here like there is in District Four – and Genryuusai-sama was doubtless quite right to be cautious. Still…your condition is not as good as I would like. A long sojourn in a cave preceded by a difficult journey – you have faced a lot of things in recent weeks, have you not?"

"Mm." Shirogane nodded his head. "But right now I feel…at ease. I know it's far from over, but being back here makes me feel almost as though I've woken from a bad dream."

"Your cousin's death was a very bad circumstance indeed." Retsu's clever eyes became grave and she scooped up a steaming mug of something Shirogane felt certain wasn't tea, holding it in his direction. "Here. Drink this. Your body is undernourished and therefore struggling to rebuild your reiryoku – it may taste quite strong, but you'll feel better for it, I promise."

"I don't feel particularly ill now," Shirogane admitted, nonetheless obediently taking the mug and draining the contents. Somehow he managed to prevent himself pulling a face at the strong flavour, and as he set the vessel aside, he saw a flicker of compassion in the healer's eyes.

"You are not ill," she agreed. "A stubborn fever that comes and goes is not always a sign of medical ill health – but more a sign of recovery. Your body has been through a tremendous level of trauma, hasn't it? I have not had the chance to speak to Mitsuki-san about your condition, for obvious reasons – but I think the remedies she has been giving you have probably helped to tide you over and prevent things getting worse. Still, without proper treatment and rest, you can't hope to regain your full strength. Therefore until things here are a little more straightened out, I hope you will allow me to dictate your actions a little more than is perhaps my right."

"You're a Captain of the Gotei and my ranked superior," Shirogane said wryly. "You called me Fukutaichou, but I'm not sure if right now I even still hold the badge of lieutenant. That was my position, however, when I left District Six and I am therefore subordinate to your commands. I will do as you tell me, Unohana-taichou."

"Genryuusai-sama said that he thought you had grown up some way since your graduation," Retsu eyed him thoughtfully, "and I can understand his meaning. Sometimes shocks can cause one to re-assess their whole life – perhaps such a thing has happened to you."

"Yes…" Shirogane faltered, then shook his head. "No. I think I'd like it, if it had – but I can't say for sure that anything I've learnt of late will remain when things become peaceful and everything dies down. I want to find justice for Ribari-sama, and so I've done my best to survive to this point – but if things were to go back to a state of normality, I might easily forget the kindness I was shown on my journey here."

"A boy who knows his faults is closer to being a man than a man who claims he has none," Retsu said sagely. "It is down to you whether or not you remember, Nagoya-dono. Nobody else can remember for you – and nobody else is going to try. Whatever hardships you faced to come here only you really know. Whether they become foundation stones in your future actions or discarded like pebbles in a flowing stream is up to you."

"I suppose that's true," Shirogane agreed, his gaze flitting to the ledge where Shikiki's precious flute lay alongside the token that Funaho had given him. "I hope I don't forget, but I've realised that I'm very selfish, really. I don't imagine that will change just with a few months hardship."

Retsu chuckled.

"Doubtless selfishness is a lifelong enemy to battle with," she said reflectively, "but if you know that enemy, it is a good part of the fight. Nobody is asking you to change yourself, but if there are things you have learned – it would be a shame to discard them, would it not?"

"You said that I'd undergone severe physical trauma on my journey here, and that's left my spirit power in disarray," Shirogane mused. "It's true – such a thing did happen. I took a sword wound to my chest from one of the Kuchiki retainers – and though I escaped, I lost a lot of blood. My lung was cut through and I thought I was going to die."

He frowned.

"In that moment, when I thought there was no hope, I saw my cousin," he added softly. "I thought perhaps Ribari-sama had come to fetch me to the world beyond. But I didn't die. I was rescued – by a young girl of eleven or twelve and the family who support her. I've come to realise, Unohana-taichou – I didn't see Ribari-sama because he had come to take me beyond. I saw him because I still had unfinished business in this world. For his sake I needed to keep living – since I was the only one who was with him that night who remembers anything at all."

"You loved your cousin a good deal, I can tell," Retsu said gently. "The pain in your spirit ripples whenever you mention his name. Your cousin was a young man and he should not have died. His murder was a terrible thing for your Clan both politically and personally – when I examined his body, I understood the love and grief with which his remains were shrouded. But I think that your wound is possibly deeper than that of your other division comrades. You said it yourself just now – you were with him the night that he died. Do you feel that in some way you should be punished, Nagoya-dono? Do you think the death of that boy was somehow your fault?"

"There are people who believe so. Or that it was by my hand."

"Yet I asked what you felt, not what others did."

"I…suppose I do," Shirogane sighed. "Maybe I feel a little guilty for living when he died. I certainly feel inadequate for not having protected him, even with my life. I know that as it stood there was nothing I could have done. I'm aware that the drug in my system prevented me from doing anything at all. But that doesn't change the emotion of it. I…was fond of my cousin. I didn't expect to lose him."

"It's easier to think of avenging him and assigning blame than it is to simply embrace the grief of losing him, isn't it?" Retsu sighed, tut-tutting softly under her breath. "I see it often in those who fight with swords. People like to believe they are immune to danger and to death. When a comrade is killed, the first cry goes up to avenge him – but that vengeance does nothing for the one who died. I understand your wish for justice, Nagoya-dono – and I share it, also. A young man's life was stolen and somebody should be punished for that act. But it serves no purpose to feel responsibility yourself. You were not to blame. As a healer I can tell you this, because I examined all of you as well as Ribari-sama in the early hours of that morning. All of the five of you who lived were unwell – you alone might have also lost your life if not for Mitsuki-san's determination to save you. Ribari-sama's murder was committed by a force of evil. Understand that and move forwards."

She rested her hands lightly on his shoulders.

"Genryuusai-sama said you wished to go to the Real World with Kuchiki-kun, and that he'd refused to let you," she murmured. "His judgement was correct, even though I can tell from the restlessness in your spirit that you feel you should be there. You do not have to do penance for Ribari-sama's death. You do not have to shield Kuchiki-kun from the dangers that surround him. Your life is not forfeit in any of this. Please understand that fact. Whatever the Kuchiki Clan currently do or do not believe, there is no need for you to martyr yourself because of a regret that can't ever be changed."

"But…I…" Shirogane stared at her, his eyes widening as he realised how well she had read his thoughts, and Retsu laughed.

"You don't need to die for anyone's sake," she said lightly. "Doing so would do nothing to bring Ribari-sama back to life. Besides, I believe your loss would cause a good deal of grief to some significant members of your family."

"Such as…?" Shirogane frowned, and Retsu tut-tutted again, shaking her head.

"You believe your kin has lost faith with you, therefore you've abandoned faith with them?" she chided. "How does it help, to draw more lines in the sand? What's needed in this situation is unity, not division. Mitsuki-san and Kuchiki-kun aside, there are people in District Six who care for you a good deal. They are people who have already suffered a great enough loss…do you wish to make them grieve again?"

"Unohana…taichou?"

"Your Uncle Guren is very fond of you, Nagoya Shirogane," Retsu said frankly. "Whether you believe it or not – understand or not – he is. For that reason, you are still alive now. Do you really believe that if he was serious about hunting you down and destroying you, you would have escaped him? A man of his calibre? I think not. Guren-sama has let you go – because he hopes that if he does so, things will die down and it will be safe for you to return. I am absolutely sure of this fact – I have no doubts about it at all."

"Guren-sama's seal…was on the warrant the soldiers had," Shirogane said sadly. "I saw it. He wanted me…he just couldn't get me."

"Perhaps it was," Retsu patted her companion on the head as though he were a small boy and not the Vice Captain of a powerful shinigami squad, "but just as you've worked to protect those who sheltered you, maybe your Uncle too has other ways of acting that go beyond the obvious. Your innocence has to be established – him refusing to face the accusations or worse, trying to overrule them would not improve your situation at all. Doubtless he's gathering evidence as much as he can, in order to prove once and for all that you had nothing to do with the murder of his son."

She eyed him thoughtfully.

"At the Council session, after his life was attacked, he was very clear on making sure people there knew he was seeking you, but not under suspicion of any crime," she added softly. "I believe he wants to know you're safe, Nagoya-dono. Don't you believe that too?"

"I've always been very…I've always…admired Guren-sama," Shirogane acknowledged slowly. "As a child I had no father, not really – since mine was always away and then he died. Guren-sama was close to my mother, and when she died, he took charge of me. Sensei thinks Mother had plans for me…I'm not sure if she did or not. But Guren-sama…even when I was small, he showed me attention that I shouldn't have received considering my rank. Between Futsuki-dono and Guren-sama…I had male role models growing up. Yet…"

"When I reported to Guren-sama about his son's condition, he confided in me a few things that I…should probably not share with you now," Retsu said quietly. "It is irresponsible of me, but I think I shall do so nonetheless. Guren-sama intimated to me that everything he'd done for you from the moment your mother died was not of her will but of his own. More, that he chose you as his Vice Captain because he believed you were the right person – and made you Ribari-sama's shishou so that he could strengthen the bond between the two of you. Guren-sama…seems to see you more as a second son than as a nephew. You did not see his fear or his relief when he knew that at the very least your life had been saved. You should put more faith in his human emotion, Nagoya-dono. Just because he is a powerful Clan leader with a tremendous amount of power and influence does not mean he is lacking in a heart. And yet, in spite of that heart, he is also now alone. You understand that too, I think – since your mother's death also left you alone, did it not?"

Shirogane sighed.

"I've let him down," he murmured.

"How so?"

"I left the manor and fled into exile." Shirogane raised his gaze to hers. "I should have stayed, shouldn't I? I should've countered Seiren-dono's arguments and fought back against the accusations, rather than disappeared. Probably that made me look more guilty – but what it definitely did was leave Guren-sama alone to deal with things like Sixth Squad. I deserted my duty on a proud whim of my own – whether Seiren-dono's accusations were fair or not, I should have reacted differently."

"Possibly that's true,." Retsu said pragmatically, "but we can none of us change the past, so instead of ruminating on it, let's look to the future, shall we?"

Her eyes twinkled.

"For tonight, I want you to eat the food I've brought you and make sure you rest soundly. Tomorrow, I hope you'll eat another good meal," she said briskly. "At present please remember that the students don't know you're here, and so I hope you won't do anything to make yourself a bother while you're under my care. I'll help you recover your full spirit power and then we'll see how things stand with your family. It's Genryuusai-sama and my intention to return you to District Six when we can – but until that time, once you're fit…I'm sure there'll be other things for you to do."

Shirogane gazed at her for a moment, then he smiled, bowing his head in acknowledgement of her command.

"I understand," he said softly, "and I'll do as you say. Thank you, Unohana-taichou. I'll think more on what you've said, and I'll endeavour not to be a troublesome patient from this point on."

"You know, Sensei could've chosen a far nicer terrain for us to camp out in."

Kai stretched his arms over his head, gazing ruefully around at the barren mountainscape that surrounded them on all sides. Unlike their companions, who had been dispatched into inhabited territory, Akira's group had been sent along entirely another path, and as they had progressed further and further to the east, the patches of grass and scrubland had become more and more scarce, giving way to a strange kind of blackish stone that none of them had ever seen before.

The moment they had reached their destination, Akira had given clear orders for them to set up their camp supplies and other bits and pieces inside one of the larger caves, and even eying it with the critical gaze of a Shihouin, Kai had to acknowledge that of the dips and holes this mountain boasted, the Yamamoto had chosen the best place for them to settle. The entrance was not obvious to anyone passing from the outside, but it was also not too narrow to slip into and even the most directionally challenged of individuals would have found it hard to get themselves lost once inside. It was also warm – Kai did not know how that was possible, but inside the cave was far warmer than the night air outside, and as he and Hirata had been charged with creating kidou lamps to light the base, Aoi had stumbled on a further chamber beyond through which ran a bubbling underground stream.

The water here was also warm, and Suzuno had soon confirmed that although it was high in certain Real World prevalent minerals, it was not harmful to drink. All in all, therefore, their arrival in the Real World had proved to be a smooth one.

A short time earlier, on Akira's instruction, Kanshi and Aoi had headed out into the darkness in search of food for the evening, and as an afterthought, the group leader had sent Suzuno and Naoko along with them, saying that Suzuno's expertise with identifying poisonous plants would come in handy. His reasons for sending Naoko he had not voiced, but Kai allowed himself a wry smile as he had realised the perception of his classmate.

Even in the short time they had been assigned together, Akira had apparently realised that Kai and Naoko did not have a very good working relationship. Despite Enishi's playful comments to the contrary, the friction between the two of them had been a long standing joke among their peers, and it was clear that even in such a short space of time, Akira too had picked up on the negative vibes. As a result there were only the three of them left at camp – Akira, who was some distance away surveying the area with his usual look of superiority, Hirata, who was assembling wood together to form a fire, and Kai, who had been charged with 'look out' duty. Though it was a job Kai had done in District Two many times during training, it had rankled his pride a little when Akira had said in his off-hand, imperious way,

"I suppose as a Shihouin, you'd be good at that."

However, thanks to a glance from Hirata, he had held his tongue, instead acquiescing with a quick nod of his head. That had been two hours ago now, and the sun had more or less set over the horizon, painting the landscape a rich ochre and red as it disappeared behind the peaks.

"I wonder why Sensei did send us here." At length, Hirata got to his feet, rubbing the dust and tree dirt from his fingers as he gazed at his handiwork pensively. "A level further down there was still a good amount of greenery – and right at the foot the forestland was in abundance. Yet we've been particularly sent out to camp here. I wonder if it's because of Hollows, or if it's because of something else."

"Sensei's ulterior motives often have ulterior motives. Probably it's better not to wonder too much about them," Kai said wryly. "It's quite far from where Kuchiki and the others are, which probably suits his purpose so far as I'm concerned. Maybe that's all it is – but probably there's a pocket of Hollow activity somewhere near these caves that isn't so prevalent down a level or two."

"Sensei might not want me near Kuchiki-kun, either," Hirata murmured, and Kai cast him a quizzical look.

"You're not planning to assassinate him, are you?" he asked playfully, and Hirata snorted, shaking his head with uncharacteristic impatience.

"No, of course not. Don't ask silly things, Kai-kun."

"Then why would you think Sensei'd want to separate you and Kuchiki?" Kai asked. "Your family is completely unconnected to this particular Seireitei scandal – more likely Sensei paired us this way for my benefit rather than because he had concerns about you."

He offered a smile.

"I don't know if I should say thanks or apologise to you, though – you'd have rather have been with Ukitake, wouldn't you?"

"I don't mind." Hirata shrugged, muttering the words to the Kidou spell and stretching a thin, pale finger in the direction of the cluster of branches and dried leaves. Kai watched as a perfectly controlled lick of red flame began to curl itself around the heap, catching light immediately.

"There. That should do it. I'm not the clingy child I was in the First year, and besides, Juushirou-kun has enough pressure on him in enough areas without making my decisions for me as well. I don't object to being your partner, Kai-kun – and you should know it, too. Since I spent time with your family, I'm almost like a little brother – isn't that what you said?"

"S'pose I did," Kai acknowledged. "All right, you win."

"You really do talk a lot when other people aren't around." Before Hirata could respond, Akira strode between them, pausing to cast an approving glance at the younger student's fire. "I hadn't realised you knew so many words, Endou – or that you could string them into such long sentences."

"There's no point in speaking just for the sake of making noise." Hirata sent Akira a level glance. "The fire is lit, Yamamoto-kun. What would you have me do now?"

"It's getting dark." Akira did not answer the question directly. "Kanshi and the others will hopefully be back soon, then we'll eat."

"I wonder what food supplies exist in this world," Kai reflected. "I really hope Amai knows the good stuff from the bad."

"You shouldn't question your senpai so easily," Akira said reprovingly. "Suzuno's no fool – she'll know."

"Amai-san isn't our senpai any more," Hirata said simply. "If I'm not needed here, Yamamoto-kun, would you mind if I went into the cave for a while? I thought I might organise the bedding a little better, since we really only dumped it in a pile so far. It might be warmer in there, but the wind's getting up and I think it'll be a cool night."

"Whatever." Akira flicked his fingers dismissively in the direction of the cave opening, and Hirata bowed his head slightly, his opaque blue eyes meeting Kai's amused ones for a brief moment before he withdrew from the area completely, leaving the two students alone.

"You know, you shouldn't treat him like a child, Yamamoto." It was Kai who broke the silence. "He may only just be twenty, but he's not an idiot."

"Never said he was," Akira said gruffly, "just what do you do with a shrimp like that? Make fires, prepare bedding – I'd expect one of the girls to fuss around over that, but no, it seems Endou'd rather take those tasks on. I only hope we don't face a situation where he has to draw his sword – I don't want to be reporting back to school with any injuries or fatalities."

"If that did happen, I guarantee it wouldn't be to Hirata," Kai said categorically. "You underestimate him…that's a bad trait for a leader to have."

"You're not a leader, so you really don't have authority to judge my decisions," Akira bristled, and Kai offered him a sweet smile.

"No, not yet. Not in Sensei's make-believe games," he agreed. "But next year, for real, I will be. My sister wants me to head her Onmitsukidou, so you can rest assured I'm learning as much as I can about being a good leader. I'd hoped you might teach me something on this trip – but I guess we'll see."

"You're cocky," Akira sighed, leaning up against a tree and folding his arms across his chest. "I'll grant you that your birthline's equal to mine, but you are still my kouhai, Shihouin. Whatever wrangling Sensei did with the classes this year, it doesn't change the fact you're a year less trained and at least a year younger than I am."

"True on both counts," Kai agreed, "but Hirata's right too, you know. You began as our senpai, but you're not really that any more. Last class tests, I ranked right behind you. By the time we leave – I wonder that anyone will know who was senpai and who was kouhai at the start."

"I'll know." Akira's gaze darkened. "Like I said, you're cocky. I've not had much to do with Shihouin before – are all of you as cocky as this?"

"I'm quite a mild example," Kai reflected. "How far did you send Souryou and the others, by the way? They've been gone plenty of time – are you sure they aren't lost?"

"They won't be lost." Akira shook his head. "Aoi's good at tracking paths, and he won't lose his way so easily. Besides, I gave Kanshi the map. They'll be back."

"You have faith in them?"

"Of course," Akira agreed with a nod. "Leaders delegate. I've delegated. Do you have a bone to pick with that, too?"

"Not at all." Kai shook his head. "I just think you should extend it to Hirata as well."

"When he's cut his sword-fighting teeth, then we'll think about it." Akira shrugged dismissively. "I grant his Kidou is good and his shunpo effective – but a shinigami is about the sword most of all. It's for his own safety, Shihouin – you should trust my judgement and let it go."

"Mm. I suppose we'll see," Kai responded. "I think you'll…"

He froze, pausing mid-sentence as he felt a strange prickle run up his spine, his eyes narrowed and, his fingers closing around Meimei Anshi's hilt, he leapt down from his rock, drawing the black sword from its sheath.

"Shihouin?" Akira's voice cut through his concentration and Kai frowned impatiently, gesturing towards the shadows beyond.

"Something's there," he said sharply. "Can't you feel it? Something's right on top of us."

"Hollow?" Akira's casual demeanour was gone in a moment, his own sword hand hovering above the hilt of his weapon. Kai did not answer, darting forward with all the characteristic nimbleness of a hunter trained for stealth. As he reached the far side of their chosen camp area, he felt the first wave of spiritual aura break over his senses – the unmistakeable warping of a broken soul as it trailed its huge body across the landscape. It was a Hollow, he realised with a jolt, but it had felt so completely different in this vaccum of spiritual emptiness than it ever had in Seireitei. It was approaching them and at some speed. As he heard the heart-wrenching shriek split through the night air, he realised that the creature was hungry – and that they were probably it's chosen prey.

Oh well. Better us than people from this world. We were sent here to fight Hollows – so I s'pose there's no reason to wait till after dinner to begin.

Kai adjusted his hold on Meimei Anshi, preparing himself to strike with all his usual composure and drive, but at the last moment the moon broke through the smoky atmosphere that made the sky over their campsite so heavy and bleak, filtering through in slithers to the land below.

It was only for a second, but in that brief flash of light, Kai's gaze met the gaze of another…and his heart stilled in his chest as eyes as golden as his stared right back at him across the rocky ground.

The next minute the illusion was gone, for the moon disappeared back behind its cloud, and even the outline of the individual was no longer anywhere to be seen. There was no presence on the wind, no sign of anyone having ever been there, but for the briefest instant Kai had been absolutely certain.

Tomoyuki.

The word trickled like ice through his senses, and the Hollow forgotten, he hurried forward, reaching into the black for a shadow he knew was no longer there. Had it ever been any more than his imagination? Kai could not be sure, yet all his instincts were screaming at him that what he had seen had been no mirage.

"Shihouin! Look out!"

The next moment an ear-splitting cry broke through his daze, followed by something shoving him roughly to the ground. Belatedly Kai realised that the heavy, dark reiatsu of the Hollow was almost on top of him, and as he caught the glint of something silver sweeping through the air, he was aware of someone standing between him and the beast, protecting him from the swing of the monster's terrible claws.

Struggling to regain his grasp on his wits, Kai scrambled into a more upright position, a jolt of fear flaring through him as he realised he had loosed hold of his sword and that the ebony weapon was lying unheeded against the dusty ground. The Hollow was close enough to him and his rescuer to cleave their bodies apart now, its hot, fetid breath like poison on the breeze and its heavy steps shaking the ground with every movement. There was the sound of someone cursing, and a sudden shadow, and Kai swallowed hard, recognising the next scent that filled his surroundings as the smell of freshly spilled blood.

As he reached for Meimei Anshi once more, Kai was aware of his rescuer dropping to the ground, his right arm clutched protectively in his left, and something thick and wet dripping from the cradled limb. The sweeping silver blade that had swung so strongly a few moments before fell with a clatter onto the rocks, and the Hollow let out a tremendous shriek of triumph, baring fang-like teeth sharp enough to bore through bone to the muscle and vital structures beneath. They had been well and truly caught off guard, and Kai could not fully pull his thoughts together as he struggled to process the severity of the situation. His companion was hurt, and he was dazed and lacking in his usual rhythm, the Hollow having taken and used the element of surprise in a battle that should have been easily won. The gleaming red eyes glowed maliciously through the heavy night air, and Kai stiffened, tightening his hold on Meimei Anshi's hilt as he deliberately shifted his position to protect his wounded comrade.

Meimei Anshi was not designed for close combat with a Hollow who already had stolen all of the tactical advantages. It was a sword created from stealth and shadow, not bright techniques or ruthless parries, and Kai was none too sure whether in their current situation he could use his weapon effectively to bring down the beast. The air around him felt suddenly heavy and empty, as he faced the stark realisation that he could not draw on the atmosphere to help boost either his speed or his reactions, two things on which his survival strategy relied. The Hollow was used to this dead world, but Kai and his companions were not. They had assumed that they would have the fighting advantage – but they had been naïve. The beast was full of hate and despair, its desire to kill and destroy driving it forward and giving it additional strength. It was not afraid of them – it saw them as food and nothing else – and Kai's blood ran cold as he realised that Hollows who could survive and act in the Real World were not the same as the Hollows he was used to in Seireitei.

We've been trained on minnows, but this one isn't a minnow. This one is for real.

As the Hollow's blood-spattered claw came down towards them once again, a sudden, sharp burst of wind ricocheted through the empty landscape. Without a moment of hesitation it bored through the heart of the monster, the disrupted fragments of dark spiritual energy dispersing and vaporising as the miniature whirlwind spread outwards, dissolving the beast into nothing more than spectral fragments of black rain.

As the heavy aura disintegrated, Kai heard a sigh, then as suddenly as it had come, the wind dropped. In the silence that followed, the Shihouin was aware of the soft sound of someone sheathing their sword.

"I suppose that answers our questions about why Sensei chose to send us here."

Something about the calm, detached tone in Hirata's voice broke the spell and Kai started, turning to stare at his friend with a mixture of relief and disbelief.

"Hirata…?"

"It's a good thing that I pick up things when they're carried on the breeze, even in this atmosphere." Hirata held out a hand to pull his friend to his feet. "Are you all right, Kai-kun? You look as though you saw a ghost."

"I…maybe." Kai hurriedly gathered his wits, turning his attention to the third member of the group who, huddled on the ground was still cradling a wounded right arm in his red-soaked left.

"Yamamoto's hurt," he said frankly, dropping down at the older boy's side and reaching to pry the limb free from Akira's protective grip. "Let me see it, Yamamoto – he gored you quite badly, judging from the stench of blood."

"I'm all right," Akira snapped roughly, pulling his arm away and sending his companion a glare. "If you'd been paying attention, it wouldn't have happened. Some Onmitsukidou leader you'll make, if you let a Hollow take a direct hit at you without even putting up a fight."

"Kai-kun?" Hirata shot his friend a quizzical look, and Kai sighed.

"Thank you for interfering," he said quietly, bowing his head towards his group leader. "I'd have probably been impaled if you hadn't."

"Like anyone would just stand back and watch someone else get killed," Akira muttered, but despite the fight in his tones, it was clear from the whiteness of his face that the injury he was guarding so closely was a painful one. "Some leader that would make me."

His gaze flitted to Hirata.

"You…that miniature tornado…was…"

"Tsumi no Fuuhi," Hirata said gravely, kneeling carefully down at Akira's other side. "I'm sorry it took me so long to intervene, Yamamoto-kun. I thought at first the two of you had it in hand, but when I realised you didn't, I thought that, if I had the element of surprise…"

"You probably saved both of us," Kai admitted, "but Yamamoto's arm needs help. Aren't the others back yet? I want Amai to take a look at it, since it's still gushing blood."

"If you have issues with blood being spilt, pay closer attention next time," Akira snapped. "Stop fussing around me – it was just a lucky swipe that caught a vessel, that's all. It's not a bad injury – it's certainly not broken. I'm not weak enough to be taken out by a Hollow of that level."

"You took an injury saving my life," Kai said bluntly, reaching across and forcibly pulling the arm away from Akira's body. "I'm a Shihouin. We don't take the debts we owe lightly. If you understand that – and my Clan pride – you'll shut up and let me see what that thing did. When Amai gets back, she can heal it more firmly, but if I can stop it bleeding now, then so much the better."

"You know how to do that?" Akira looked wary, and Kai nodded.

"It's all part of my training," he said grimly, "training which fell apart and let us both down this evening. I'm sorry, Yamamoto. All other things aside, I truly am."

"It's not like you to get so easily thrown off kilter." As Akira reluctantly let Kai peel away the stained fabric of the hakamashita, Hirata's brows knitted together in a frown. "What happened, Kai-kun? I would've expected you to swipe down that monster with Meimei without hesitation – how come you didn't?"

"I saw something that I couldn't have seen," Kai said blackly, ripping the stained fabric away and gazing at the blooded arm with a critical eye. The Hollow's claw had pierced the limb in two places, tearing through the muscle and blood vessels but missing the bone, and despite himself, the Shihouin boy was a little relieved.

Yamamoto had no reason to save me, except that it was his instinct as a shinigami and as our group leader to do so. I hadn't ever seen that side of him before – the one who'd put himself in danger to help a subordinate officer.

"Something like what?" The older boy asked now, wincing as a stray piece of cloth got caught in his wound. "Hey, be careful! I thought you wanted to help, not make it worse!"

"Sorry," Kai grimaced apologetically. "The claw pulled part of your sleeve right into your arm – it's hard to get it clear without it stinging some. Hirata, will you run and get some water from the underground stream? Amai said it was good water, right? I'll clean the wound and use my obi to bind it up until she gets back. Whatever her healing skills, she must be able to do something with this beyond what I can."

"Right." Hirata's eyes were still troubled, but he nodded, disappearing back towards the safety of the cave, and Akira sighed.

"That…was what you meant, wasn't it?"

The question was softly spoken, and Kai did not need to ask to what Akira was referring. He nodded his head.

"Hirata's sword is not something to be dismissed," he said simply. "With a normal katana in his hand, it's true that he can't fight and would probably disgrace the Third year, let alone the Senior Class. But with that one, it's different. Tsumi no Fuuhi is a ferocious wind blade, Yamamoto – what you saw just then is only a tiny element of what it can do when he has its shikai fully released. He didn't want to hurt us in the blast, so he controlled it to a minimum and shot through the Hollow's body to disperse it's spirit particles and break it down instead. But if he had wanted to, it could've been much worse. Hirata's power is controlling the wind – and remember, he's still in training. There's really no limit to that kind of power, considering that air is something that's everywhere around."

"He really doesn't look like the type." Akira managed a rueful smile, and Kai laughed, shaking his head.

"He doesn't, but that's his advantage," he said matter of factly. "That's why I want you to utilise him, not take him for granted. Tonight was unfortunate for you and especially for me – but thankfully for us, he was here too. It might've been a lot more miserable otherwise."

He sat back on his heels.

"Hirata's an Endou in more than just name," he said slowly. "Though we don't talk about it much, he knows it as much as I do. His family have a ruthless, blood-soaked reputation, and I don't say he's like them. Killing isn't something he takes lightly. But he's still part of that Clan – and he grew up surrounded by their values. He knows…that sometimes killing is the only option. That's what he did tonight. Without hesitation, he killed."

He glanced down at Akira's injured arm.

"I'm a Shihouin – trained as an assassin," he added, "but I'm not a killer. I've never been in a situation where I've been forced to kill – and though I've reaped Hollow souls in Seireitei, tonight was different. The Hollow's reiatsu foxed me…and I completely fell apart. My zanpakutou relies on me having the element of surprise – or at least, to cloak myself in its shadow. I didn't have the chance to do either thing this time…that's why in some ways Hirata's already a better fighter than I am, although I top the class in Ouyoudou."

"That's some confession," Akira observed, "for a proud Shihouin with such a stellar competitive record."

"None of those fights are fights to the death, though," Kai responded. "Tonight I would've taken down that Hollow, if I hadn't become distracted. If I'd done that, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. But when it attacked like it did and you blocked it, your life became part of the equation. When I realised you got hurt for my benefit, it threw me a second time. That's why I'd never make an assassin – I really have trouble dealing with loss of life."

"And that Endou kid doesn't?"

"Life and death aren't things to be played with," Hirata himself answered that question, coming to kneel soberly once more at Akira's other side and handing Kai the makeshift basin of warm water he had retrieved from the underground stream. "I really believe that, Yamamoto-kun. I think all shinigami do, because they can't put their own lives on the line if they don't realise that they can lose as well as win. If you understand that you aren't guaranteed to win each fight, it means you focus more on what you're doing. You don't take anything for granted."

He fumbled at his obi, pulling out a length of fabric.

"I took it from the spare blanket," he explained, holding it out. "I thought it would do to clean the wound more carefully."

He offered Akira a faint smile.

"If it can be avoided, I don't want anyone to have to be killed," he said softly. "When people die, it causes other people pain, but sometimes it works the other way around. There are times that, in order for many others to stop suffering, one or two people's lives become forfeit. I discovered a few years ago that if it comes to taking those lives, I can do it and not suffer for it in the long run. I suppose that if the same situation occurred in the future…I'd be able to do it again."

"It's better you don't ask." Before Akira could voice the obvious question, Kai shook his head, dipping the piece of blanket in the water and carefully beginning to wash the wound. "Focus on this instead, because it'll hurt."

"I think Amai-san and Shikibu-san are coming back. Amai-san must've sensed the fight." Hirata got to his feet. "I'll go fetch her, Yamamoto-kun."

Before either could stop him, the younger student was gone, and Akira chewed on his lip, his eyes becoming pensive.

"If I asked questions, would that make my life one of those which becomes forfeit?" he asked at length, and Kai smiled, shaking his head.

"I don't suppose so. Hirata's not that kind of Endou. Unlike some of his kinsfolk, he has limits and he understands right from wrong."

"I don't really care to know, anyway." Akira flinched at the sensation of warm water against his skin. "If I know he has a use, I'll use him. Far as I'm concerned, that's that."

"And me?" Kai looked rueful. "Do I get punished for causing injury to you like this?"

"You should. It damn well hurts," Akira retorted, "but its first night, so I'll let you off with a warning."

"Aye aye, sir," Kai winked, "and here's Amai. Yo, Amai – can you do something more with this? Yamamoto's been indulging in heroics this evening – but he took a bad injury for saving my life."

"Let me see." Suzuno came to examine the arm, consternation on her gentle features. "Oh, but no broken bones – that's good. You always like to rush in first and ask questions later, don't you, Akira-kun?"

At the faint reproach in her tones, Akira's expression became rebellious, and despite herself the girl laughed.

"I suppose I should expect nothing different from you," she said lightly. "All right, I understand. If it's a flesh wound, I should be able to help. Rest easy, Akira-kun. I'll see what I can do."

"Next time maybe you should be sent out on food errand, since obviously you're a useless look out." Naoko sent Kai a withering look, and Kai smiled bleakly, knowing that for once he had no comeback.

"I'll leave him to you girls, then," he said instead, getting to his feet and sheathing Meimei Anshi. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience – I'll get out of your way before I cause any more damage."

"What was it that distracted you, Kai-kun?" As he made his way back to the cave, Hirata's voice made him turn, offering his friend a helpless look.

"Nothing. Like I said, seeing it was impossible," he said with a sigh. " A trick of moonlight or something like that. I thought I saw…but I couldn't have seen it. And then…"

"If you were struck by it enough that you almost got killed by a Hollow, it was more important than a trick of light, surely?" Hirata said sensibly, falling into step with his companion. Kai shrugged.

"Did you pick up anything, other than the Hollow?" he asked, and Hirata shook his head.

"Nothing. Why?"

"Not even a scent on the breeze when Tsumi no Fuuhi was released?"

"Seizumi's not a tracker dog, Kai-kun. Plus, this world isn't exactly naturally attuned to spiritual vibes."

"No, you're not kidding." Kai groaned. "I don't know. It's crazy to even think it…and I know that I can't have seen anything at all. There's no way…but even so…"

"Will you tell me?" Hirata asked, and Kai frowned.

"You only," he said at length, "nobody else. You spent time at my home. You know how impossible it would be."

"I did," Hirata agreed. "Well?"

"I thought I saw Tomoyuki."

"Onoe-kun?" Hirata's brows knitted together behind his glasses. "You know that's not as impossible as it should be, Kai-kun – you said yourself that Onoe-kun was missing, and that there was a possibility…"

"I don't really understand what's going on," Kai admitted, "but someone with Tomoyuki's current mental capacity would not have been able to disappear quite so quickly or easily. Even when he was of sound mind, he struggled to outpace me. I can't imagine…"

"Maybe you have to imagine," Hirata said sadly, and Kai felt a sudden chill breeze whip around the barren landscape. "Kai-kun, I haven't said anything to anyone either. But I'm…worried by all of this. If you did see Onoe-kun…it doesn't make me any less worried."

"Worried?" Kai inclined his head. "Is this to do with why you think Sensei'd separate you from Kuchiki?"

"Mm." Hirata's expression was troubled, and for a moment he did not speak. Then he sighed, reaching up to adjust his glasses on his nose.

"Mother and Father believe Eiraki-chan is dead," he said quietly, "but I don't. I never have. I really don't think that man killed her. I think she chose to go with him and is still very much alive."

"Eiraki…hime?" Kai stopped dead, grabbing his friend by the arm. "And…you mean…Urahara..?"

"Yes." Hirata nodded, his eyes clouded. "I haven't said anything, because I don't know that it's true. Or maybe I just don't want it to be. But I…I did a bad thing, Kai-kun. A very bad thing that I can't be forgiven for, yet I had to do it all the same."

"Which was?" Kai pursed his lips. "Explain. I want to know everything you haven't told me, now."

"I eavesdropped when Tokutarou-sama came to speak to Shunsui-kun," Hirata looked guilty. "I told him I was going to leave them to it, and I did leave the bedroom, but I suppressed my reiatsu and cloaked myself in Kidou so I could listen in. I didn't hear everything – they weren't talking loudly and it was through the door. But I heard them mention a young girl masquerading as a Kyouraku. A girl who looks like my sister…using the name 'Nanaki'."

"And you think that was Eiraki-hime?"

"I do," Hirata said grimly. "I just haven't wanted to accept…but if you saw Onoe-kun, only that Urahara has the power to manipulate people into being puppets. And Nana…ki…I can't help thinking it's a deliberate clue, right in front of our noses. Just like he played with us all before – he's playing with us again by leaving evidence right where we can see it."

"Nana…ki?" Kai frowned. "Seven…and…"

"Hime. Ki." Hirata rubbed his temples. "Maybe it's farfetched, but I…don't think it is. And I've been worried about it, Kai-kun. I know Shunsui-kun'd probably be angry if he knew I eavesdropped, so please don't tell him. I haven't talked to my family about it either – Mother and Father would not bear it, I'm sure, and I don't have any proof. I haven't even mentioned it to Juushirou-kun, because he seems so preoccupied with things this year. But I can't help but think…"

"You believe your sister's under that Keitarou's control?"

"Mm. No." Hirata shook his head. "If you did see him, then Onoe-kun might be but…if Eiraki-chan is involved in all of this…I think she's doing it of her own accord."

Author's Note: Maths O.O

Kudos to Notchka for spotting my fail mathematics regarding Chi and Hiro's age vs Juu's in the last chapter. I must admit that I'm a tad mystified as to why the last reviewer poked me on this three or four days after I already corrected it - did the correction not make it into the final site version on Sunday? When I checked the chapter, it looked like it said "just more than a year" to me, but since I don't see it as you people do...I wonder O.O.

Either way, as people smarter than Vraie have pointed out, Hiro and Chi are around 16-18 months younger than Juu is. Meh. I hate numbers .