Three Days after Aizen's escape to Hueco Mundo
"All we are asking is justice," Kuchiki Akihiro said. His face was bowed to his hands in a gesture of supplication, and his words had been most respectful, but his entourage of a dozen of the highest ranking men in the Kuchiki and subordinate houses sent a very clear message. This was not a request.
Kuchiki Byakuya was not amused. By now these men should have realized he could not be bullied. He understood why they were upset; many of the eldest and most respected members of their houses had been murdered in the slaughter of Central 46. Akihiro's own father had died. "I assure you the apprehension of Aizen Sosuke is of prime importance to the Gotei 13. He will be brought in to stand trial for his crimes or he will die. There has been no suggestion of anything less."
Akihiro sat back, and the other men followed his example. "And what of Ichimaru Gin, his accomplice in these crimes? I have heard he admitted to murdering members of Central 46, and yet he is not to be charged for his crimes. Instead he will remain a captain! Where is the justice if my father's murderer walks free?"
Byakuya literally did not care what happened to Ichimaru. He had spent most of the past century ignoring the man and had every intention of continuing to do so for as long as the old man considered him worth keeping around. If the old man ever changed his mind, Byakuya would have no objection to killing Ichimaru, but he wouldn't volunteer for the job either; killing a man like Ichimaru was like killing a bug, not particularly enjoyable, but sometimes necessary.
He did not, however, appreciate someone in his house telling him what the Gotei should be doing about the sometimes traitor. Did they actually think he should let them tell him how to deal with the Gotei? Either as head of the house or as a captain? Even if he didn't have other things to worry about he was not going to bring their complaints to the old man, and as things stood now, he had one and only one issue of concern, and that was how to get Rukia back from Hueco Mundo.
"You give the servant far to much significance. Ichimaru was nothing more than a tool for Aizen's use. Now he belongs to Yamamoto. He is of no interest to me in either case--if you feel the need for his blood to avenge your father I will not stop you from exacting your own vengeance. It is within your rights."
Akihiro went slightly gray at the suggestion. He was no shinigami, none of the gathered men were, and only a few of them had reiatsu worth noting at all. Even if they took every guard they had and went together, any attempt they made to pay back Ichimaru would be nothing more than a very bloody way to commit suicide. "My lord, as head of the Kuchiki House--"
"As head of this house, I find Ichimaru Gin beneath my notice. I will be satisfied with nothing less than the blood of Aizen Sosuke."
It took a while longer to get rid of them entirely. If he had been paying attention Byakuya might have wondered at them being so worked up. It wasn't usual for the men of the Kuchiki family to express such anger and frustration. He might also have noticed they had more knowledge of the Gotei than they should have. The reasons Ichimaru Gin was under guard in the Fourth had not been made public. Officially Gin had been one of the heroes of the battle, severely injured by Aizen; not that the rumors of his double betrayal hadn't spread far and wide, but these men should not have known he had admitted to killing members of Central 46, but Byakuya was too distracted by a much more urgent and personal matter to notice.
"Enter," he commanded the moment the men had left.
Renji stepped in through the outside door where he had been waiting for most of the meeting.
"Had they heard anything?" Byakuya said, before Renji could complete his bow.
"Nothing, Captain, I'm sorry," Renji flinched at that last bit. That was way too much like acknowledging his captain had feelings, and he'd learned pretty thoroughly, during his time as Byakuya's lieutenant, that Kuchikis didn't have feelings; hearts were for lesser beings.
Byakuya stared straight ahead, his eyebrows drawn in only slightly. He was worried, and Renji knew it. Of course Renji was also worried which was why he'd visited the Shiba Estate in the first place. Gin had said there were three people Aizen might send news about Rukia: Byakuya, Renji himself, or Ichigo, so at the end of the day Renji had once again raced over to the Shiba Estate to speak to the human who was Shiba Kaien's guest.
"Ichigo wants to go to Hueco Mundo," Renji said. "He's talked to Yoruichi about it, and she told him she thought Urahara could manage it, even if the Gotei's against it."
"Kurosaki has no respect for the way things should be done," Byakuya answered coolly. "He would charge into a world he knows nothing about, without the strength or knowledge necessary to succeed, with only some childish idea of right on his side."
"Yeah," Renji agreed. That was exactly what Ichigo had done, and it had worked out a lot better than one could reasonably expect. If that was what Ichigo wanted to try in Hueco Mundo Renji was all for joining him, but he wasn't about to suggest his captain do the same. Byakuya would do things as they were supposed to be done, as he always did, but Renji had already decided that when Rukia's life was at stake there was nothing he wouldn't do.
As long as she was alive, only, "Ichimaru said we'd hear something, but it's been three days. Do you think Rukia's still--" he broke off, and his head dropped. His captain never approved of displays of emotion, even on Rukia's behalf.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "Aizen enjoys playing games to inflict mental anguish. Do not allow yourself to become another one of his victims," he answered, and Renji felt his captain's condemnation of his fears in his icy tone. He was surprised when Byakuya's next words were almost comforting. "He has most likely kept Rukia alive if only to taunt us with that fact."
"Yes, sir," Renji said, raising his head in surprise.
Byakuya's gaze shifted to his lieutenant for the first time. "Be assured, Rukia will come home. And Aizen Sosuke will pay for his insolence in using a Kuchiki as a pawn in his games."
Shiba Kaien did not have Byakuya's gift for extruding arrogant superiority from every pore, nor had he spent a lifetime training to be head of his family. He struggled in every one of his dealings with the Shiba family. Most of the time he figured it was fair; Kuchiki could handle his family seemingly without effort, but at least Kaien knew how to smile. However, there were times...
Kaien closed his eyes as yet another family elder demanded to know why Ichimaru Gin was not being tried for any crimes. He'd already told them he wasn't going to meddle in the Gotei's decision, told them at least a dozen times over, but they didn't listen. It was probably his own fault. He had a tendency to do whatever they told him to; it was usually the easier option. Miyako had told him more than once that he really had to lay down the law with the entire Shiba family or they were going to keep pushing them both around for the rest of their lives.
Easy for her to say; she was playing host to the Ryoka, not listening to her duty as defined by a bunch of five-hundred-plus year-old nobles with nothing better to do.
"Ichimaru Gin is the only reason Miyako is alive," he said, suddenly, interrupting Shiba Hidemitsu, the wealthiest member of the family, and the only member of the family council who'd been against Kaien's succession to Isshin.
It was commonly known Hidemitsu had wanted the position himself, but he had been blocked by another branch of the family who felt he already held too much power. He paid Kaien back by working people up at every opportunity. Kaien was fairly sure he was behind this particular meeting, although there were representatives from every branch present.
The silk-clothed nobleman paused and leveled Kaien with an icy gaze almost worthy of Byakuya himself. "Is that so?" the man asked, his tone thick with doubt. "And why has no one heard tell of this before? Surely we should have been informed if we owed anyone our gratitude for protecting our dear Lady Miyako."
"The incident was classified top secret at that time," Kaien answered. "Although recent events have rendered that classification unnecessary I have not had the opportunity to discuss with my captain exactly how much of the incident should now be shared publicly."
He watched the disapproving expression spread from Hidemitsu to most of the other men and women present. They did not like that their head was only a lieutenant of the Gotei, answerable to a captain, Ukitake Jushiro, who was, himself, only head of a very insignificant noble family. They'd known he was Ukitake's lieutenant when they appointed him, and as far as he could tell they all expected Ukitake to have the good grace to die so Kaien could take his place.
Their attitude disgusted him, and, although he always forced himself to swallow the desire to tell them exactly what he thought of them, it definitely did not help his mood.
"You will have to accept that I owe Ichimaru a debt of gratitude that I can never repay," he said, surprising even himself that Ichimaru would be where he'd draw the line with the family. Ichimaru deserved their hatred. He had murdered members of Central 46 and a great many others, as well, over the years. Their families were perfectly justified in calling for his blood. Kaien couldn't deny that, but knowing the position Ichimaru had been in he couldn't blame him. Even if he'd let Miyako die, it had been Aizen, not Ichimaru, behind everything. Aizen was the monster, even if Ichimaru was easy to hate. "If you cannot share my gratitude then you can at least understand I will not act against Ichimaru, and if any of you try to act against him yourselves I will stop you."
To say they looked shocked was an understatement. "You would protect a murderer from justice?" his elderly great-aunt Etsuko demanded, sounding truly distressed.
Miyako had warned him the old woman was tough as nails and played up her frail appearance to get her way, but Kaien had a hard time disagreeing with her even so. "I prefer mercy," he answered. "The same mercy he showed Miyako when Aizen had chosen her to die. It is what I owe him." Then, stealing a page out of Byakuya's book, he added, " It is what my honor requires."