Four days after Aizen's escape:
Soifon continued to walk the echoing hall of the Shihoin Estate. Some man, Shihoin Katsutoshi, a distant cousin of Yoruichi, tried to stop her, but she didn't even slow her pace as she stormed past him.
"Captain," he called, hurrying after her. It was the only title she ever answered to; she might have been given Yoruichi's position over the family, but the title of captain she had earned. It was the one she felt was her own. "Have you given any more thought to the matter-"
Soifon spun around abruptly. "What time did you get here this morning?" she demanded.
The man blinked. "What time?"
"You have been waiting to see me, haven't you?" she demanded.
The captain had been out when he arrived. He'd been told she'd gone out to Rukongai. It had been nearly three hours since then. "Yes, ma'am," he said quickly. "I arrived at seven because I hoped to speak to you before you went in-"
"Did you see a cat, a black cat, at all?" she demanded. "Here or along the road to the gate?"
"A black cat, ma'am?"
"Yes, a black cat," Soifon snapped in exasperation. "Unless you saw Yoruichi-sama? But I presume you would have said something if you had seen the lady."
"I didn't," he answered. "I'm sorry. I will look for the cat or was it Yoruichi-sama you are-"
She wasn't listening. As soon as he had admitted he had not seen either, she had turned her back and continued her fast-paced walk down the hall.
"Captain," he called again, running to catch up.
"What is it?" she demanded.
"You promised to consider the matter of Ichimaru-"
"Can't you tell I have better things to worry about than that spineless worm? Yoruichi-sama did not arrive last night, and no one seems to know where she's gone. I've been to Rukongai and back already looking for her. Now, I have to send someone to the World of the Living to find out if she's gone back to that man. I'd go myself, but I promised her I wouldn't kill him, and I'm in no mood to have a fan waved in my face-do you know where that idiot, Omaeda, has gotten to?"
The noble gentleman was happy to send her in the direction of the kitchen, at which point she'd rolled her eyes, muttered a curse, and vanished, presumably to end the foolish and unfortunate lieutenant's feast.
-—-
Kyoraku's smiling assurances that he had nothing to worry about really weren't making Hisagi feel any better as he was being shown through a section of the First Division he'd never visited before to be questioned once again about Shihoin Yoruichi. He'd told Captain Soifon everything he remembered that morning, and it really wasn't much. He could only assume that she was in some way suspicious of him if she wanted him to come here for further questioning.
The fact that Kyoraku had actually offered to accompany him only made him more nervous. It made him wonder if Kyoraku was filling in for Tosen. If a lieutenant was suspected of a serious crime his captain would be expected to be present for his questioning and at his trial.
Then there was Nanao; what was she going to say when she heard about this? She wasn't thrilled that he'd been going out drinking to begin with. She was going to lose her mind when she heard he'd gone to their garden with another woman. "It's just a shortcut," he muttered to himself.
"I'm sure it is," Kyoraku agreed.
He looked up, but Kyoraku wasn't looking at him, and he sighed. That was just what he needed, Kyoraku thinking he was in the habit of taking walks in gardens at night with women who weren't Nanao. Pretty soon it wasn't going to matter if Yoruichi reappeared, stretching and yawning and telling everyone she'd just spent the night in her cat form, he'd still be dead.
A door down the hall opened, and Kira stepped out looking nervous and worried, not that that told Hisagi much; Kira always looked worried and nervous, but the other lieutenant did sort of smile at him as he passed by.
Hisagi paused and watched Kira leave. He was trying to think of something to say, to start a conversation and delay the inevitable, but Kyoraku set a friendly hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the open door.
"Come on now, no reason to be so nervous," Kyoraku said, cheerfully.
As Hisagi stepped through the doorway he had to wonder if anyone-besides Kyoraku-ever managed to step into this room without feeling at least a little nervous. The room was long and narrow, lit only by a fire roaring in an enormous western-style fireplace that took a place of prominence on one long wall. The General sat in a tall chair almost like a throne near the fire, with its orange light dancing over his rugged features. Lieutenant Sasakibe stood behind the chair and to one side, and Captain Soifon stood further back from the fire, raising her head and glaring furiously at Hisagi the moment he stepped through the door. The rest of the room was lost in shadow, and Hisagi had the uncomfortable feeling other people could be there, hidden in the dark, watching him.
The room was painfully hot, and he could feel the sweat forming on his brow immediately. He had the random thought that Toshiro would probably pass out the moment he stepped into the room. Then he realized that he might too if he didn't calm down.
"Lieutenant Kyoraku-"
"Just Hisagi," Hisagi interrupted and really wished he hadn't when the general's eyes narrowed.
"Why?" Yamamoto demanded. "Do you not appreciate the honor that has been bestowed-"
"Not at all," Kyoraku interrupted. "Not at all. We all talked it over, how confusing it would be with two Lieutenant Kyorakus and a Captain-be as bad as the Ichimarus, only even worse with Shunsui and Shuhei, so we agreed Nanao-chan and Shuhei would use their old family names. I've got no complaints as long as everyone knows Ai-chan's a Kyoraku."
The old man smiled indulgently. "Your granddaughter is a treasure, such a bright, well-behaved child."
"Thank you, sir," Hisagi said. Then he wished he hadn't because the general's sharp eyes returned to him.
"You were the last person to see Shihoin Yoruichi," Yamamoto said.
Hisagi flinched. It sounded like an accusation. "Yes, sir. I've been told that's so, but I don't remember."
He heard Captain Soifon snort in disgust. She was not the sort of person who sympathized with people who got blackout drunk. He'd tried to tell her that morning that he didn't do that very often, hadn't in years, in fact, but she had not believed him.
"What do you remember?"
"Yoruichi-sama came into the sakeya with Lieutenant Hinamori. Kira and Hinamori have been good friends since the Academy, and-" Hisagi realized the general probably didn't care about Kira's crush on Hinamori and decided to move on. "Yoruichi-sama made Lieutenant Hinamori stay later than she usually would, but they must have left around ten. Some men from the Third got into an argument about Captain Ichimaru-Gin, not Toshiro, and I guess I left after that. I can remember Yoruichi-sama telling me I was the one who shouldn't be trying to walk home on my own, but not much else. I'm sorry, but I've tried all day and I can't remember when I ran into her or where we went or when we parted. I want to help, but there's nothing I can tell you."
"You remember nothing else?" Yamamoto demanded.
Hisagi paused for only a second, but that was enough to give him away.
"What is it?"
He sighed. "It's not important, sir. All I can remember is her laughing at me."
"Laughing, why?"
Hisagi blushed. "She kept trying to take me to the Ninth, and I had to explain why I needed to go to the Eighth. She hadn't heard Nanao and I were married."
"And she thought that was funny?" Yamamoto asked.
Hisagi noticed a smile turning up the corners of Soifon's lips. Of course she would find it funny too, which was why he hadn't mentioned it. He still wasn't about to tell anyone Yoruichi had called him 'Nanao's boy-toy'. There was only so much a man could take. "Yes, sir, she seemed to."
"Can you remember where this conversation took place? Did you see anyone or anything?"
Hisagi thought back. It had been very dark. Even wearing brilliant orange, Yoruichi had been difficult to see when she stepped away from him 'to get a good look at him'. She had to have eyes like a cat. They must have already been in the garden where the trees got so thick you couldn't see the sun, much less the moon and stars. She'd asked if he thought the tattoos made him look tough, and she wasn't the only woman laughing.
"I think there was another woman there," he said slowly.
"You think or you know?" Soifon demanded sharply.
He closed his eyes, trying to remember. He remembered Yoruichi laughing; she was seriously drunk, and she kept hanging onto his arm and complaining he had gotten her drunk on purpose. Then she was arguing about the Eighth or the Ninth. It seemed like someone else joined them then because he distinctly remembered feeling ganged up on, which made him think immediately of Nanao; she really did enjoy adding her two cents if anyone started in on him, but it wouldn't have been her. It was a girl's laughter; it felt familiar, and he wondered for a moment if the girl, whoever she was, was also missing, and they just hadn't noticed yet.
Then, suddenly, one last memory came to him: a sudden, severe pain to his head, and the girl's voice saying, "I am sorry, Hisagi-san."
"There was a girl, someone I know, but I can't remember who. I think she may have said she was sorry."
"You want us to believe a girl got the better of Yoruichi-sama?" Soifon demanded, looking and sounding completely disgusted.
She stepped forward, glaring at the young lieutenant. "Or maybe you and a few of Aizen's faithful followers got together, and you walked Yoruichi-sama directly into a trap."
And that was the accusation he expected, had to some degree expected from the moment he realized Tosen had betrayed Soul Society. It's what everyone had to think, that he had been involved, helping in some way. He had so obviously admired his captain and had worked almost as obsessively as Nanao to keep his division running perfectly for Tosen. How could they possibly think otherwise?
"I never had anything to do with Captain Aizen," Hisagi answered firmly.
"But your captain did."
"I don't know anything about that."
"I find that hard to believe, Lieutenant," Soifon answered. "You were very dedicated to your captain. Everyone knows you thought highly of Tosen and that your ambition was to be like him. Everyone knows how hard you worked for him, and how proud he was of you. He moved you up to lieutenant very quickly. Do you really think we're going to believe he didn't bring you into Aizen's plans? He wasn't just going to throw you aside when he left, was he?"
That hurt, believing that Captain Tosen had not even wanted to make him a part of their plans and had intended to cast him aside after all he had done was downright painful. There was only one thing that made it bearable. "Captain Tosen knew I would never betray Soul Society, not even for him. I don't understand why he did what he did, but, whatever his reasons were, I couldn't have followed him. I am a lieutenant of the Gotei 13, and I will not betray my duty."
"Well said," Kyoraku agreed, patting him on the back. "You've had your questions answered, Yamaji. Think I can take my boy home? Nanao-chan's going to be put out with both of us if I don't get him home in time for dinner."
Yamamoto sighed. "If he was not your son I would allow Soifon and the Punishment Squad to help him remember things a little more clearly, but the last thing I need at the moment is more noble families breathing down my neck. After the losses in the Central 46-Be grateful, Lieutenant-Hisagi, and don't forget where your loyalties lie."
As soon as the door had closed behind them Hisagi felt like he could breathe again. Being questioned by the General had been bad enough, but knowing he was still under suspicion was enough to leave him shaking. "Thank you, sir," he said to Kyoraku as he followed a step behind the colorful captain. "Thank you for believing in me."
Kyoraku turned back to smile, his wide, friendly, lopsided smile. "Think I'd a let you have Nanao-chan if I wasn't one hundred percent sure of you?"
Hisagi stopped abruptly. "I have to tell her, don't I?" he said, turning an unhealthy shade of gray.
"Nah," Kyoraku answered, his smile growing. "I told her before I left. Then I sent her to go check up on poor Rangiku-chan. Thought it might give her a little perspective."