Chapter 31
Countdown Until Conspiracy
Kana always hoped her Captain would show up one day at the Repentance Tower. Despite this finally coming true, she couldn't say she was exactly happy. Her mindset likely had something to do with how hard Toushirou Hitsugaya was glaring her younger brother's way. Arashi in response chuckled, leaving his older sister to wonder if he had gone insane.
"I had a feeling you would come here tonight eventually, Captain. Looks like you got yourself caught up in some trouble before that though. I could sense your spiritual pressure all the way here. Someone must've gotten you mighty upset to cause you to draw your sword," he stated calmly. He snapped his fingers and dismissed the water clone pinning Akira to the floor. "Right now isn't really the time for us to be fighting from the looks of it."
Akira stood and wiped herself off. All the while she kept her eyes glued on Hitsugaya and Vice-Captain Rangiku Matsumoto. She wasn't sure why they were there or what they wanted, but her instincts were informing her it was nothing good.
Hitsugaya surveyed the scene before saying, "...You have a lot of explaining to do, Mitarashi."
"That I do, Captain. It looks like you finally realized something was amiss about this whole execution."
"Indeed. You seem quite well informed on the matter."
"Something like that, yes."
"Ugh! Would someone please talk in a way I can understand!" voiced Kana, pouting her lips.
"Sorry, Kana, but we're still trying to sort out all the details here," said Rangiku. She set her sights on Arashi and Akira, scowling hard enough at them to kill. "You two have a lot of nerve coming here after what you've done!"
"Fuck off, you cow-chested bimbo!" roared Akira. "Mind your own damn business!"
Offended, Rangiku placed a hand on the hilt of her sword, but Hitsugaya held his arm out and signaled for her to stand down.
"I'm only going to ask once," he stated to Arashi. "Just what are you plotting? Are you in league with Akiyama here? No, I guess what I'm trying to ask is if you're working with Ichimaru."
"Tsk! If you were smart, kid, you wouldn't stick your nose where it doesn't belong!" said Akira.
"...I wasn't talking to you, Akiyama."
Suddenly, Akira felt the strength in her body sap away. She fell to her knees and realized Hitsugaya was exerting the full brunt of his spiritual pressure on him. As much as she hated to admit it, the Captain was on an entirely different level from her.
"W-Why you…!"
"You don't have to be so harsh on her, Captain," said Arashi, frowning.
Hitsugaya ignored the remark. "We already know Akiyama's and Kira's cells were opened from the outside."
"We actually just bumped into Gin and Izuru before we got here," said Rangiku. "Gin was...trying to get Hinamori to kill the Captain. He somehow convinced her that the Captain here was the one who murdered Captain Aizen."
"H-Hinamori…?" Akira mulled Rangiku's words over. "I-I don't know anything about that! Fine. The Captain was the one who freed me, but he said I could do whatever I wanted after that!"
"Is that so? And what about you, Mitarashi? The guards that were tasked with taking you to your cell are all dead. Care to explain how that happened? I really don't want to believe you had anything to do with that, but..." said Hitsugaya.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just what are you trying to accuse him of, Captain?!" cried Kana. "We all know Arashi would never…!"
"Ah, sorry about that, Captain," interjected Arashi. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "Yes, I was the one who killed those men. Being captured would have been rather inconvenient for me, so I got a little desperate. I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble."
His nonchalant explanation of how things went down left everyone at a loss for words.
"C-Captain..." began Rangiku.
"...I should've suspected you from the start," said Hitsugaya. His voice was even colder now. "I know exactly what your Zanpakutou can do. I never thought you were capable of something like this though. That was my biggest mistake. You were the behind the giant wave of water yesterday, the one that swept away Kuchiki and that Ryoka kid, weren't you?"
Arashi replied, "Guilty as charged. Fortunately for me, no one else got caught up in that. It's a shame about Aaron though. I never thought he would go out of his way to try to save Rukia like that."
"So Kuchiki was your target. Why?"
"Well..."
Arashi felt his arm being yanked on out of the blue. The culprit was Kana, and from her bitter expression, he could tell she was livid.
"What's going on?! You're the one who did all that yesterday?! T-The Captain is just kidding, right?! Come on! Say something, Arashi!"
Rather than obliging her, her brother leered away. She gasped at him basically admitting to the accusations and began punching him in the chest over and over.
"Y-You big idiot! What were you thinking?! Have you lost your mind?!" she hollered as warm tears streamed down her face. "Rukia and CT are probably dead because of you! Why?! What in the world is going on with you?!"
Arashi stood by and took the damage she was dealing out. "Calm down, sister. Although it's probably impossible for you to believe it, I had a good reason for doing what I did. You're simply going to have to trust me for the time being."
Kana stared at him like he were insane. What he was asking of her right now really did seem to be out of the question. Nonetheless, she had known him long enough to know when he was lying, and she didn't get the feeling he was at the moment. As soon as she ceased hitting him, he leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.
"The plan was for me to spring you out of here, dear sister, but it appears that won't be happening. I don't think the Captain over there would let me. I know it's selfish of me to ask, but can you sit tight here for a little while longer? I'll be back for you in due time."
Kana was far too vexed at the proceedings to do anything but nod at his request.
"Akira, you're coming with me," he said afterward. "If Gin finds out you failed to kill me, he's going to come hunting after you to snuff out your life. He likely already considers you expendable at this point."
"W-What in the hell are you talking about?!" asked Akira.
"That's a very good question," voiced Hitsugaya. "You really are well informed when it comes to Ichimaru. In that case, I'm not letting either of you escape from here. Time is of the essence, and I need a bunch of answers from you, Mitarashi. What is Ichimaru planning?"
"You...wouldn't believe me even if I told you, Captain," retorted Arashi. He weakly smiled and added, "It's like I said earlier: I don't have time to be caught. Oh, sorry about the damage in advance."
He held his palm out toward the wall behind him and suddenly blasted a hole into it using a red fireball.
"Ah! How long has he been prepping that spell?!" wondered Rangiku as thick, scarlet smoke filled the Repentance Tower.
Hitsugaya braced himself and yelled, "Mitarashi, wait!"
"I've got him!"
Rangiku charged into the miasma, but her path was cut off by Arashi. He swung his Zanpakutou at her, and at the last second, she was able to draw her own blade and parry. However, he tripped her up with his foot and aimed his blade for her heart as she began to fall. Her eyes widened like saucers, though Arashi was frozen solid before he could land the finishing blow. He landed beside her with a thud, resembling an ice sculpture.
"T-Thanks, Captain," she said to Hitsugaya, who was hovering above her. "I didn't think he would come at me the way he did. He...really was trying to kill me."
Sheathing his Hyourinmaru, he said, "You may have domain of water, Mitarashi, but I have full domain over ice, and ice trumps water any day."
"Damn. And here I was hoping to finish things before you two reared your ugly heads. Sheesh. Nothing is going to plan, is it?"
Astonished, Hitsugaya and Rangiku looked over to see another Arashi holding an equally befuddled Akira. Things soon became clear when the frozen Arashi and the ice encasing him melted into a puddle.
"A water clone," muttered Hitsugaya.
Arashi, already climbing down a rope and out of the tower, replied, "Well, you were right about your powers beating mine. Good thing I have no interest in taking you on."
He tossed what the others soon realized were lit flash bombs. Before Hitsugaya and Rangiku could even think about going after him, the explosives detonated, painting the room in white light. Those present cried out in anguish as the illumination burned their eyes.
"Agh! I-I'm blind! I'm blind! I can't look at myself in the mirror if I'm blind!" cried Kana.
"You're not blind! C-Calm down already!" said Rangiku, who was trying in vain to track down Arashi with her watery eyes. "He really pulled a fast one on us!"
The Repentance Tower darkened again in due time, though the damage was already done. A growling Hitsugaya glanced around and saw his quarry was long gone.
"I'm confident I can catch up to them, Captain! They couldn't have gotten that far!" said Rangiku.
"...Forget it, Matsumoto. Mitarashi has likely set up traps to cover his escape route. He's not leaving Soul Society. He's already made it clear he wants to rescue his sister, so we just have to wait for him to show his face again."
"R-Right..." Rangiku took a careful step away from her Captain. Even if he didn't show it with his words or expression, she could tell he was steaming mad. "Uh...what do we do now then?"
"I'm blind! I'm totally blind!" voiced Kana, flailing her arms around. "This totally sucks! Now I'm gonna have to go and learn piano or something! That's how it works, right?"
"...You're not blind, Mitarashi. Open your eyes," said Hitsugaya tiredly.
"Huh?" Kana did just that and saw he had a point. "Oh! I-I knew that! Anyway, what in the world is happening?! What is Arashi doing, and what does it have to do with Captain Ichimaru?!"
"...We're going to stop your execution, Mitarashi."
Kana's brain took some time to soak up this information. "Y-You're gonna what?! A-Are you actually saying you're going to bust me outta here?! Well, it's about time! You sure know how to keep a girl waiting! As a matter of fact…!"
"I'm going to change my mind if you keep yammering on like that."
At once, she zipped her lips.
"You've gotta stay quiet about this, Kana!" Rangiku told her. "The Captain and I have found out there's more to this execution than punishing you for giving your Shinigami powers to a human."
"Someone has more than likely set it up further their own ambitions. It's also likely they're getting impatient, hence the reason your execution date keeps getting moved up. If that's the case, we can't sit by and do nothing," explained Hitsugaya.
"Wait, you don't mean...Captain Ichimaru?!" gasped Kana. "B-But...why?!"
"We have an idea, but nothing on concrete. It's clear your brother knows something about all of this, so for the time being, we need to work under the assumptions he's allied with Ichimaru."
"W-What are you saying?! Arashi wouldn't…!"
Kana's sentence trailed off. She recalled how her brother mentioned having killed a group of Shinigami without so much as batting an eyelash. He also confessed to possibly killing Aaron and Rukia. She was speaking as his older sister, but now, she wasn't sure what to think of him. The Arashi she knew wasn't capable of causing all this mayhem. Her eyelids began to water.
"What in the world is going on around here?! I just don't know anymore!"
Rangiku wrapped her arms around her. "There, there. Everything is going to be alright. If the execution goes on as scheduled, Gin will get his way, so...we'll stop him!"
"O-Oh. R-Right...got it."
Only then did Kana recount that Rangiku and Gin were quite acquainted with one another. Her friend was acting as if nothing was wrong, yet Kana could tell Gin possibly being the head of some conspiracy against Soul Society was eating at her.
"Eh? What's that for?" said Rangiku when Kana hugged her abruptly.
"You just looked like you needed one too! Anyway, I'm just about ready to go! Oh, I'm totally going to get a pedi and a mani as soon as possible! My nails look like I've been grinding them against a chalkboard! Maybe I can even do some shopping!"
"Sorry, Mitarashi, but I'm going to have to ask you to stay put for the time being," said Hitsugaya.
Kana didn't even bother to keep her voice down. "WH-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-AT?!"
Rangiku quickly put her hand over the brunette's mouth. "J-Just relax! Sheesh!"
"Matsumoto's right. It's going to be hard enough explaining what happened here. If we just up and break you out on top of it, it'll just add to the chaos. We're still not sure what Gin is planning, so we need to make things look as if they're going according to plan. Don't worry though. Matsumoto and I will be back to rescue you long before the Soukyoku can finish its job."
Unconvinced, Kana mumbled, "Y-You promise?"
Rangiku flashed her a smile and answered, "Of course! We'll save you for sure! We'll try to figure out what your brother is up too as well. You never know! Maybe he isn't as guilty as he looks."
Kana held her head down. She sure hoped that was the case. She would end up losing even more family otherwise.
"Matsumoto, let's go. I can hear the guards coming," said Hitsugaya. He was gone in the blink of the eye with some Flash Step.
"H-Hey, wait for me, Captain!" cried Rangiku. "Uh...d-don't worry, Kana! We really will be back! Just...act like everything's normal!"
With a wave, she went on her way as well. Kana didn't see how anyone could pretend things were on the up and up considering everything that transpired, though she guessed she had no choice but to try her best.
"Man, even after all that, I'm still stuck here by myself!" She sniffled but suppressed the urge to cry again. "...I really wanna see CT. I hope he's alright. No, he's gotta be alright! I'll kill him if he isn't!"
#
Fate evidently did not wish for Kagami Meigi to get any rest. Though he was away from the furious ruckus of his guests' training and tucked comfortably in his bed, the gods once more conspired to keep him awake, this time using his alarm clock to do so. It shrieked like a harpy at exactly 5:00 AM. The man in its presence was instantly awakened, and a wave of anger swept through him. Rather than shutting the device off, he turned over and threw his sheets over his head in order to drown the horrid noise out.
"J-Just...five more minutes..." he sleepily moaned. When it became abundantly clear his alarm clock was in no mood for his nonsense, he gave in, opened his eyelids, revealing the bloodshot orbs behind them, and sat up. His fist wrathfully hit the snooze button. "Give it a rest already..."
He scratched at his five o'clock shadow and struggled to recount the reason he wanted to get up so damn early in the first place. Even the sun wasn't fully up at this point. The gears in his half awoken brain began churning, and he soon snapped his fingers.
"That's right."
He wordlessly rose and got dressed before trudging out of his bedroom. His maze-like home tended to be very creepy so early in the morning. The only sounds one could hear was the old pipes creaking and spiders spinning fresh webs. The torches illuminating the many halls seemed dimmer too. He had to squint as he pressed forward and thought his eyes might have been getting worse every day because of his old age.
"Hmm…?"
As he retrieved his pack of smokes, his mind went back to how hushed things were. He stuck a long stick of tobacco between his lips and hoped it meant Aaron and Rukia were taking a break. They might have been young, but they still had their limits. No matter how much they desired to learn Bankai, they would be of no use to anyone if they ended up killing themselves in the process.
"Bankai, eh? Heh. That takes me back. I trained like hell during those days too..."
After some twists and turns, he made his way to the cavernous training room. He was fixing to light his cigarette and greet whoever was there, yet he completely lost his train of thought thanks to the two figures sleeping on the floor.
Aaron, snoring contently, muttered, "S-Stay out of my fridge, Kana! T-That yogurt...isn't yours!"
Meanwhile, Rukia, who was fast asleep on top of him, murmured, "Y-You never listen to...a word I say...Ichigo! You're...as stubborn as a..."
Her sleep talk trailed off, and she shifted ever so slightly so that she and Aaron were now face-to-face. Kagami wasn't sure whether to intervene or continue suppressing his tittering. How he wished with all his heart he had a camera on hand.
Whether it was mere coincidence or him sensing someone laughing at his expense, Aaron awoke just then. In a stupor, he blinked and rotated his head all around like it were on a swivel. He shortly became aware of the circumstances, more specifically, the ninety pound woman on his chest. Looking like a deer caught in headlights, he wriggled his limbs all over to try to free himself. Rukia might have weighed next to nothing, yet he felt like a sheet of parchment being held down by a paperweight, a paperweight that would no doubt tear his head off if she realized what was happening. He eventually caught wind of the Kagami, and without saying anything, pressed the man for help with the desperation on his face. For reasons he couldn't fathom, Kagami gave him a thumbs.
"Looks like the two of you got quite comfortable after I left last night. Hey, don't mind me. I'll just get out of your hair..."
"W-What the hell are you going on about?! This isn't what it looks like!" protested Aaron. He could already feel all the blood rushing to his cheeks. "D-Don't just walk away, you idiot! Get over here and…!"
But it was too late. He held his breath while Rukia come to life. It was of course on account of his bad luck that she was a quick riser. The two locked eyes. Silence then permeated the room, suffocating those present like thick, black smog.
Before Aaron could get a word in edgewise, Rukia exclaimed, "Y-You really are some kind of creep, aren't you?! Mitarashi was right after all!"
She leapt to her feet and away from him like he were a perverse landmine. As much as he wanted to proclaim his innocence and as much as he craved to assure her this was nothing more than a misunderstanding, he merely sighed and held his head down. He didn't see the point in fighting it anymore. Strange occurrences like this happened far too often to be called coincidence. Clearly, some invisible force enjoyed making a fool out of him, so he was going to let it have its way this time around.
"Um...Higuchi?"
The depressed aura he was radiating caused Rukia's rage to subside. Coiling her mouth, she admitted she couldn't remember much of the previous evening other than the two of them passing out shortly after exiting the hot springs. Therefore, she opted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Then again, she didn't see how she could be upset with someone who looked so pathetic.
"Y-You're not gonna hit me?" Aaron dared to ask at her inaction. "Well, that's a first! Maybe I can still change fate after all!"
"...What in the world are you talking about?"
Aaron wasn't sure himself. He sprang to his feet, stretched his sore limbs, and directed a sharp glance at Kagami.
"The Bankai training...I think I'm ready to get started again."
"Yes, so am I," said Rukia. "The sooner, the better. We don't have much time."
"Ah, that's right," said Kagami with a stiff yawn. "That's why I got up this early. Here."
He tossed the pair a Tenshintai each before turning around, walking away, and waving in a manner that said, "Have fun!"
"Hey, wait a sec! Where are you going?" asked Aaron.
"Hmm? It's not like you need me around right, kiddo? You two should know how to work those things by now. If you don't mind, I think I'm gonna get a bit more shut eye..."
"Tsk! You lazy son of a…!"
"Just ignore him, Higuchi," said Rukia. Aaron could tell she too was annoyed by their host's carefree behavior, yet she was doing a much better job of masking it. "He has a point. Let's just get started."
"Right. Good luck to you then.
"You as well."
She gave a curt nod and went on her way toward the room in the back.
"Right..." Left alone, Aaron peered at the Tenshintai in his grasp with a mixture of conviction and dread. "M-Maybe it it isn't such a good idea to call Seigetsu here..."
He rethought his statement and gathered he didn't have much of a choice in the matter, not if he wanted to learn Bankai anyway. Unsheathing his wakizashi, he gave it a twirl ahead of piercing the Tenshintai. Blinding light stung his vision for a split second before fading away and revealing the blue-haired girl known as Seigetsu. The brown rags she wore fluttered as if a breeze were blowing through. That was impossible though, Aaron thought. They were deep underground, a place where even natural light was unable to seep through. He pondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him so early in the day.
"Greetings, Aaron. I see your injuries have recovered quite nicely," she said in that soft voice of hers. It belied just how fierce she could be in combat. Aaron learned that the hard way the previous day. "Tell me, how are you feeling?"
"...If you don't mind, let's just save the small talk," he replied fiercely.
Seigetsu paused. "...I see. Are you perhaps apprehensive over something?"
"I-I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about..."
Maybe he didn't, but his Zanpakutou spirit opined his chattering legs might. He picked up on her staring and ordered his limbs to calm down.
"Did you perhaps believe I had some sort of hellish ordeal in store for you, Aaron?"
The way he blushed in embarrassment gave her the answer she needed, and she gave him a thin, knowing smile. It was weird seeing her tease him like this. Aaron didn't know she had this kind of mischievous streak to her personality.
"You will be relieved to hear that the training I had in store for you will not be nearly as harrowing."
"Really?!" Aaron hadn't meant to yell so quickly and so loudly. His face grew even more hot. "I-I mean, is...that so? If you don't mind me asking, what..."
It hit him like a ton of bricks. At first, he wasn't even sure what it was and mistook it for his lack of sleep catching up on him. However, he quickly came to the conclusion it was something much more worrying.
"T-This spiritual pressure…!"
Yes, he could feel the crushing energy of a nearby entity. Seigetsu could as well. A bead of sweat trailed down her tan-skinned temple.
"W-Who the hell is this?!" declared Aaron.
Seigetsu replied, "W-While I am not sure, it appears to be growing closer with every passing second. If I am not mistaken, this spiritual pressure is on par with a Captain of the Gotei 13..."
Aaron's mind (and heart) began to race. The last thing he needed was a Captain of all people intruding on his training. Still, there was nothing he could do about the person now. As his and Seigetsu's heads shot up, they realized whoever it was was right on top of them.
With a deafening crash, something punctured a hole through the concrete ceiling. Debris rained everywhere, and Aaron had to make a hop, a step, and a jump to avoid being crushed like an ant. Nevertheless, he was way more concerned with whoever by the source of the disturbance.
"There you are, Aaron," said a voice behind the layer of settling dust. "You know, you're a very hard man to track down. To think you were hiding out under the Seireitei all this time. That should've been my first guess when you think about it. After all, you did something similar with me previously."
Astounded, Aaron was unable to speak as the figure came into plain view. There was no mistaking it. From his voice to his dirty blonde hair to his skinny frame, Arashi Mitarashi might have been rather plain looking, yet one was unable to confuse him with another. He was there alright, though as to why, Aaron couldn't fathom.
Arashi wasn't alone. Just like him, the rough and tough exterior of Akira Akiyama's was difficult to attribute to another. From the way she could scowl at someone hard enough to cause harm to her pink buzzcut and numerous piercings, she just looked like trouble.
"Why don't you take a picture, Higuchi?! It'll last longer!" she barked.
Aaron blinked and noted he hadn't meant to stare. "Well, this whole thing just keeps getting better and better."
"Mind your manners, Akira. There's no reason to yell at the guy when we've just got here," said Arashi. It was then Aaron recalled the two unexpected arrivals were childhood friends. That was likely the reason Arashi could stand to look at Akira with a smile even though she was scrunching her face up so nastily. Aaron didn't think he could do something like that in a million years. "That girl next to you...is she the spirit of your Zanpakutou, Aaron? Ah. I see. I was wondering what you could've been down here doing. It all makes sense now."
Although being wary of Akira made sense to Aaron, he found himself even more unsettled with Arashi for some odd reason. He might have come off as a happy camper, but the younger Mitarashi sibling gave off a feeling that sent chills down Aaron's spine.
"What's the matter, Higuchi? You look like you've seen a ghost," said a smirking Akira.
"Eh? Can't you kids keep it down in here? Man, what's an old geezer like me gotta do to get a decent night's rest around here?"
Kagami didn't notice anything was amiss at first as he dragged himself back onto the scene. He gave a mighty yawn and rubbed the sleep out of his peepers. A strong, comforting breeze swept past him. Considering how hot and stuffy his home was, it was like someone had turned on an industrial strength fan. His eyes suddenly enlarged, and he recalled the reason his abode was always so uncomfortable was because there were no windows or openings to the outside world. At least that had been the case before someone had gone and put a hole in his roof.
Staring at it blankly, he said, "...You've got to be shitting me."
"Ah. Sorry about that!" said Arashi cheerily. "We couldn't figure out a more suitable way to get in here. Akira and I searched the sewers for a number of hours to no avail. ...You went to a lot of trouble concealing the entrance, mister."
Kagami's expression sharpened. "...Believe it or not, I don't like just anyone waltzing into my home. Speaking of which, is there something I can help you two with?"
"I was just getting to that actually," said Aaron. "The girl back there is trouble for sure..."
"Hey!" whined Akira.
"...but this guy here is the younger brother of the girl I'm trying to rescue. Arashi, weren't you back at the Repentance Tower with the others? How could you have ended up here? And why do you have her with you?"
"Quit talking about me like I'm not here, you punk! I'll…!"
"Enough, Akira. We aren't here to cause trouble," Arashi told her. She without a doubt had more to say, but her childhood friend's tongue was enough to stay any venom she could spew. "Don't mind her, Aaron. She's a bit...testy since I wouldn't let her have her way this evening. Anyway, you're working on learning Bankai, aren't you? Why else would you have summoned the spirit of your Zanpakutou here?"
"Ha! You can't be serious! Like hell this punk could learn Bankai! Not in a million years!"
"Akira..."
"Tsk! This whole thing was a waste of time! Do you really think a guy like him will be of any use to us?!"
"You think so? You're telling me you don't feel how much stronger Aaron has gotten since your last encounter? His spiritual pressure is practically giving me goosebumps! Heh. You must've been training like crazy!"
Aaron thought he was one to talk. The man's spirit energy was debatably higher than his right now. He didn't get it. What had Arashi done to get such strength in such a short time?
"I'm...not really sure what's going on here," admitted Kagami. He ignited his cigarette, took a drag on it, and blew out jet black smoke. "Did the two of you come here just to chat...or should we be getting nervous?"
Arashi chuckled. "Well, it's like I said earlier: we didn't come here to start any trouble. Besides, Aaron and I share a common goal. We'd both like to rescue my sister before she can be executed. Wouldn't that make us allies? I would say the same for Akira here despite her...deplorable behavior thus far."
"Like hell I am!" the woman in question roared. "You think I'm gonna go on some suicide mission to save the likes of Kana Mitarashi?! Both you and her can kiss my ass! She can just go ahead and get herself executed tomorrow for all I care!"
Her offhanded remark was a total shock to Aaron's system.
"W-What in the hell did you just say?!" he breathlessly yelled. She was lying. She had to be.
"Oh, you didn't hear the news? I guess not since you holed yourself down here like a filthy rat. Poor Kana. To think she has a freaking pussy like trying to save her."
The instant she finished speaking, Aaron lost it. He saw nothing but red as he charged for her like a bull. This was exactly how she hoped he would react. It was like dangling a ball of yarn in front of a cat. However, Kagami ruined her fun by parking himself in between the two.
"Get out of my way!" proclaimed Aaron.
"Don't let her rile you up like that, kiddo. You're better than that."
Akira shouted, "Oh yeah?! Maybe you wanna fight me instead, old timer!"
If Kagami's idea of a fight was waving cigarette in her face, she was honestly confused.
"I think you could use one. You're a little uptight," he said.
While hesitant, she eventually took the peace offering and mumbled, "...Give me a light."
"You really should break that nasty habit of yours," said Arashi as she took a long, hard drag. She told him to back off with the severe look in her violet eyes. "Alright, alright. I get it."
"What did she mean when she said Kana's execution was gonna happen tomorrow?!" said Aaron. "That can't be right! That wasn't supposed to happen for another…!"
"Things have changed," interrupted Arashi. "For whatever reason, Soul Society felt it necessary to move Kana's execution up. Specifically, it will happen twenty nine hours from now."
Twenty nine hours? That wasn't enough time. Aaron was supposed to spend three days learning Bankai. This meant he had the rest of today and then five hours after that. Even if he pushed himself to the limit, he was unsure if he would be able to complete his training in time. It felt impossible.
"No. We simple have to double our efforts with the time we have left, Aaron," said Seigetsu. It was eerie. He could have sworn she was reading his thoughts. Then again, perhaps his dismayed countenance made it easy to tell what was bothering him.
Kagami spewed out more cigarette smoke before saying, "Yep. Whether you learn Bankai or not is gonna depend on you, kiddo. The odds are against you for sure, but you never know. Maybe you can make a miracle happen."
"At this point, you do not have much of a choice. You can either learn Bankai or allow Kana to die."
He nodded at their advice but was still shaken by the state of affairs.
"Why?! Why is this happening?!" he asked Arashi.
"...All of this is apart of a conspiracy."
"'A conspiracy?' What are you talking about?! What conspiracy?!"
"I'm afraid I can't give you all of the details because of...personal reasons, but a Shinigami by the name of Gin Ichimaru is behind everything. Rukia and my sister being apprehended by Soul Society, the two of them being slated for execution, and he is even the cause of the date of the execution being constantly pushed up. Isn't that right, Akira?"
Akira took another drag on her tobacco and leered away.
"Gin Ichimaru? Who is that? The name sounds familiar," said Aaron.
"It should. He's a Captain of the Gotei 13, specifically, Captain of the Third Division," said Kagami. "Yeah, all of this isn't too shocking. That guy has the face of someone suspicious."
"You're rather well informed for a guy who lives underneath the sewers. Just who are you exactly?" inquired Arashi.
"...I'm just an old man who'd like some peace and quiet. Speaking of being 'well informed', how is it you know so much about what Ichimaru is planning?"
"It's like I said: I can't tell you anymore for my own reasons."
Without warning, Aaron rushed over to him and dragged him close by his collar.
"Quit screwing around already! This is your sister we're talking about here! She's going to die if we don't do anything! If you know anything more about what that bastard Ichimaru is plotting, I'd advise you to say so! Otherwise…!"
"Otherwise what?" Arashi stared at Aaron coldly, so coldly in fact that Aaron was under the impression he would actually freeze solid. "...I suggest you let me go if you value those arms of yours."
"You wanna repeat that?!"
The tension was high. A single spark would no doubt ignite things into full on warfare. However, all of this was shattered when Rukia entered the room alongside Sode no Shirayuki. All eyes fell upon her, and she flinched, believing she had done something wrong.
"I-Is everything alright out here? We heard a ruckus, so..."
"Ah. Rukia Kuchiki. So, you're unharmed. Good."
"Y-You're Arashi Mitarashi, right? Mitarashi's brother."
"That's correct. Heh. I can't believe a member of the notorious Kuchiki clan remembers a lowly grunt like me."
There were many ways to describe the Kuchikis, though Rukia didn't think 'notorious' was one of them.
"I can't begin to describe how happy I am to see you alive, Rukia. I really did try to hold back during that whole ordeal at the Repentance Tower. It was difficult to do so though and make it all look convincing. It looks like I'm fortunate here Aaron was so willing to throw his life away to save yours. He's no doubt the reason you're still alive and breathing. For that, Aaron, you have my thanks."
His speech didn't make a lick of sense until Aaron recalled the wave of rushing water that nearly killed everyone.
"T-That was you?! Are you insane?! You nearly wiped out…!"
"Oh, quit your whining," said Arashi informally. His tone came as nothing less than a shock to the others. "You and Rukia here are still alive, aren't you? And I can assure you no one else at that tower perished, so I honestly have no clue why you're getting so worked up."
Aaron couldn't suppress his ire or the urge to take a swing at him. His fist was inches away from landing on Arashi's smug face, yet Akira Flash Stepped in between the two before it could connect and aimed her Zanpakutou right between Aaron's eyes. Startled, he bent his body back and eyed the steel miss him by a hair.
"D-Dammit!" he snarled as he used Shunpo himself to get away from her.
"Watch you who you get all touchy-feely with, kid," warned Akira.
"Tsk! How cute! You've got a bodyguard!"
"If you're upset, Aaron, you should take all your anger out on Gin. After all, he's the cause of all your misfortune," said Arashi. He might have had a point, yet Aaron was more than fine with settling on pounding his face to a bloody pulp for the time being. "As for you, Rukia, don't go off and get yourself killed on me. You dying would be rather inconvenient."
"...And just what does that mean?"
All Arashi had to say on the matter was, "...I got you out of that tower for a good reason. Don't waste my kindness by doing something idiotic."
The rage swirling all about became palpable. Kagami was certain someone was going to deliver the opening blow, so his head moved from person to person to see exactly who. However, everyone remained unnaturally still for what felt like an eternity.
Finally, Arashi glanced over to Akira and said, "I believe it's time for us to go. We told them what we came here to. Let's leave them to their training. I have preparations to make of my own."
"Tsk. Quit ordering me around already..."
Despite her grumbling, Akira trailed after Arashi without so much as a waver.
"And just where in the hell do you two think you're going?! We're not through talking!" blared Aaron.
"Give it a rest already, Higuchi," said Akira in exasperation. "If you've got the energy to whine like a little girl, why don't you spend it on that so-called Bankai training of your?. Not that it would help. Punks like you are nothing more than a lost cause."
That was the last straw. Aaron intended to put an end to Akira and her smart mouth once and for all. Like an ever present roadblock though, Kagami barred his path.
"She ain't worth it, kiddo. She makes a good point though."
"Y-You're taking her side?!"
"Just calm down and listen. No need to blow my ear out." Kagami looked positively exhausted, though Aaron could tell the bags under his eyes were from more than just a lack of sleep. "If that girlfriend of yours really is going to be killed tomorrow, you don't have any time to waste on the likes of them."
"Indeed. We can worry about what Mitarashi and Akiyama are planning later," said Rukia. She placed a firm hand on Aaron's shoulder and quietly communicated what was at stake here.
"R-Right..." Reluctantly, Aaron nodded and stood by while Arashi and Akira floated upward toward the crevice from whence they came. "...Just who in the hell are you, Arashi Mitarashi? Who are you really? Are you on our side or…?"
The man in question could feel the burning stare he was receiving on his back. In turn, he leered back at the young Shinigami, leaving Akira miffed at what was occupying his thoughts.
"Why are you even bothering with a kid like that? He isn't even a real Shinigami. I said it before and I'm sticking to it: he's not gonna be of any use to us."
"Maybe, but he may make quite the splash here in Soul Society nonetheless. I really do see why my dear sister is so enamored with him."
Kagami was beginning to forget the meaning of peace and quiet. He groaned and extinguished what little remained of his cigarette in an ashtray before muttering, "...I'm getting too old for this shit."
Aaron half near felt the urge to apologize. It of course wasn't his fault Arashi and Akira had barged in out of nowhere, though he still felt a tad bit guilty in light of them coming there to tell him the news about Kana specifically. His body jerked when he caught Kagami gleaning his countenance for something or another.
"W-What?"
"I probably don't need to tell you this, kiddo, but watch out for that Arashi character. He might be even more dangerous than Gin Ichimaru."
Aaron didn't want to believe that. He didn't yearn to picture Kana's younger brother as some kind of villain. There was no denying what just transpired, however. He recalled the aspect in Arashi's eyes as clear as day.
"What do you think all that was about? I've never seen Mitarashi acting so strangely."
"...You're wrong," Aaron informed Rukia. "He wasn't acting. I think...that was the first time he was being truly himself in a long time."
Rukia wasn't sure what to say to this.
"...I really don't know what Arashi is thinking, but I don't believe he was lying when he said we both wanted to rescue Kana. If he was going to hurt her in anyway, he could've done so at any time. So, as much as he just got on my nerves, I'm going to have to have some faith in him or at least faith he won't try something funny before I can finish my training."
"It's hard to tell where the lies end and the truth begins, huh?" said Kagami.
"Indeed. I'm troubled by what Mitarashi said about Captain Ichimaru. That man...is rather unsettling to be around to be perfectly honest," said Rukia. Perhaps reminiscing of one of her encounters with Gin, her face contorted into a look of discomfort.
"None of that matters!" declared Aaron with vigor. "I don't care who's planning what! At the end of the day, I'm rescuing Kana! I'll take down anyone who gets in my way!"
Maybe it was the way he was standing. Maybe it was how he spoke. Maybe it even had something to do with his brash confidence. Whatever the case, Rukia was left awestruck at how much he resembled Ichigo right now. She couldn't help but feel the two were more alike than they realized.
"Well said, Aaron. Well said indeed."
Seigetsu had held her tongue ever since Kagami's unwanted guests appeared. Because of this, she scared everyone half to death by choosing now to break her silence. Their overly dramatics reactions peeved her slightly, although she kept this to herself.
"Are you ready to get started for real this time?"
Aaron nodded. "I'm ready whenever you are."
"That means we should take our leave as well," said Rukia, who nodded Sode no Shirayuki's way. She and her Zanpakutou spirit headed off again, yet she suddenly felt obliged to stop and give Aaron another once over. "Higuchi, I..."
Without looking at her, Aaron said, "You don't need to worry about me, Kuchiki. Regardless of how my training turns out, I'm going to be there tomorrow at noon to help our friend."
"…You're right. She's our friend. That's why we can't give up."
"One more thing, Kuchiki. It's...probably not my place to say this, but...I'm sure that Kaien guy you spoke of would be proud of you if he could see you now. ...No, I'm sure he's watching you from wherever he is even as we speak."
"...You fool. You have no idea what you're even saying."
Rukia hid her tears from him as she went on her way. He was a fool alright, she thought. It seemed she had a penchant for fools though.
"Weren't you going back to sleep?" Aaron asked Kagami, who was just standing there with a genuinely goofy grin.
"Hmm? Well, that was the plan, but that was before things got as interesting as they have."
"And just what about anything that's happened is 'interesting?'"
"Cut me some slack, kiddo. When you've lived down here as long as I have, stuff like this automatically qualifies as interesting. If you don't mind, I think I'm gonna watch and see how all this turns out."
It wasn't like Aaron gave a damn what he did, so he shrugged and let him be, thinking it was somewhat nice to see a lazy bag of bones like Kagami motivated.
Speaking of motivation, he understood he really did need to make a miracle happen before noon tomorrow. He felt selfish for even contemplating it, but he was going to have to ask Kana to be patient for a little while longer.
"Tsk. Like that girl even knows the meaning of waiting without complaining..."
He smirked and could picture her whining for him to hurry along. The term 'spoiled brat' came to mind, and it would be one Kana wouldn't hesitate to claim as a bizarre sort of badge of honor. Her tactlessness often got on his nerves, but it was also one of the things he admired most about her. She never failed to say whatever was on her mind.
"I'm gonna save her, even if it's the last thing I do!"
"...I like that look in his eyes," Kagami mumbled to himself. "Maybe, just maybe he can really pull this thing off."
Seigetsu admired his resolve as well. She gave a slight smile one could easily confuse as pride for her owner.
"I was going to take it easy on you today, Aaron, but in light of the situation changing, I'm afraid I am going to have to throw everything I have at you. I will apologize in advance if you accidentally perish."
Unlike yesterday, her words didn't shake him. No, Aaron sat by as she touched the floor, inducing the whole area to quake. Deep blue light illuminated her body, and Aaron could detect the energy around her swelling to new heights. Evidently, she was dead serious about going all out. That suited him just fine.
"Whoa there! She's gonna end up bringing down the place!"
Kagami held onto an adjacent wall for dear life. While he was fine with things heating up, this was more than his poor, old heart could take.
Soon enough, light bathed the entire room, obscuring the battle that was to come.
#
Letting loose a voracious yawn, a visibly upset Izumi Higuchi asked, "...Did we have to come all the way here during the crack of dawn? What was the big rush anyway? Didn't you say Kana's execution wasn't for another week? Jeez, I barely had time to even pack anything!"
The person frustrating her to no end wasn't listening. Rather, he was peering out onto the horizon like all of life's answers were tucked away there.
"Hey, pay attention when I'm talking to you! You seriously space out too much! You said I was one of your customers, right? Then start treating me like one! This is why you never have any shoppers at that dusty shop of yours!"
Her threat, if one could call it that, did the trick. Glancing at her out of the corner of his gray eyes, Kisuke Urahara lifted his green bucket hat off his disheveled blonde hair and placed it over his heart.
"Forgive me, Miss Higuchi! You just caught me during some deep thinking. I of course value anything you have to say!" he said in that far-too-cheery voice of his. He even bowed for good measure. Izumi rolled her eyes and had the sinking suspicion he wasn't being one hundred percent sincere with his apology. "Still, I was under the impression you would have settled down some after arriving here."
"And just how in the world could I have done that?! Just look at where we are! This isn't just some run-of-the-mill field trip!"
With a curious sort of look, Urahara scanned the surroundings and then shrugged as if the two of them being in the middle of the Seireitei really was an everyday occurrence. Izumi palmed her hand over her face and seriously debated on snapping one of his limbs like a twig.
"Would you get serious for once, you lunatic?! And what's with this freak place?! There are crazy spiritual pressures all over the place! It's honestly making me dizzy..."
"Um...are you sure it isn't all that yelling you're doing?"
She gave him an icy stare that told him to zip it or else. He was more than happy to comply.
"It's weird though. Sunrise here in Soul Society looks just like it does back home. ...You never answered me when I asked earlier. Why are we here, and why did we have to drop everything at the drop of a hat? I'm worried about my idiot brother and his friends too, but weren't you more interested in why all those weird ass Hollows were popping up in Hino?"
Urahara weighed his response carefully. "…That is precisely why we're here, Miss Higuchi. I believe I have finally put two-and-two together."
"...I don't buy it. You're so full of crap that it's hard to tell when you're being serious."
"Y-You don't have to be so harsh! I'd personally say I'm quite an agreeable fellow!"
"...See what I mean?" Izumi shook her head. "I guess I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. You're pretty goofy, but I get the feeling even a guy like you wouldn't do all of this if you didn't think it was important."
"I am very serious, Miss Higuchi. You likely haven't heard the news, but Miss Kana Mitarashi's execution is scheduled for this afternoon."
"...Come again?! You're just joking around some more, right?!" When she got no answer, Izumi muttered, "...I'm getting too old for this shit."
"I believe that's my line. This is troubling news to be sure. There's no doubt in my mind your brother has learned this as well."
"Ugh. Knowing that idiot, he's gonna freak out and do something stupid."
"That's why we're here!"
"What the hell are you saying? I mean, we wouldn't even be in this mess if you had just come here yourself in the first place instead of sending a bunch of teenagers to do your dirty work..."
"Did you say something, Miss Higuchi?"
"N-No. Nothing. Nothing at all." Izumi cleared her throat awkwardly. "So, what do we do now? Watching the sunrise is nice and all, but..."
"We wait. We have plenty of time before Miss Mitarashi is skewered!"
"Y-You don't have to say it like that. Waiting, huh? Thrilling."
She frowned and wasn't sure why she anticipated a guy like Urahara saying something different. He definitely wasn't what one would call a man of action, not in her eyes anyway.
"I'm guessing whoever you're trying to catch won't show up until that execution."
"Correct! My, you're as sharp as a tack, Miss Higuchi!"
"Yeah, yeah. Quit trying to butter me up. I'm still pissed I've gotta be here. You could've just asked those guys that work at your shop to come along. They seem capable enough. Tsk. You're just lucky I've only got one brother in the world. It would be a pain if something happened to him."
"Considering I have put you through a lot of trouble these past few days, I think it's only fair I reward you."
"If it's one of your weird ass inventions, you can just..."
The item Urahara dangled in front of her was no gadget, but a brown sack filled with sugary, delicious candy. Immediately, her mouth began to water, and she totally forgot what the discussion entailed. A sinister gleam shone in Urahara's eye.
"There is plenty more where that came from assuming you tame that iron tongue of yours."
Izumi moaned. He was well aware of her Kryptonite. Kisuke Urahara might not have been the most driven person, but he was downright scary when it came to figuring out people's weaknesses. Feebly taking the candy (and basically admitting defeat), Izumi stuck a piece in her mouth and knew she would have to observe this man cautiously.
"Oh, shut up," she told him. The taffy tying her teeth together muffled her remark some. "...It might just be my imagination, but I get the feeling something really bad is going to happen. I'm really hoping it doesn't have anything to do with Kana or Aaron."
It was at times like these she seriously hated having such accurate intuition. Whenever she thought something was going to come to pass back in the day, it ended up doing so without a hitch. Her mother would often joke she had psychic powers or could even see into the future. There was nothing ever humorous about the situations to her.
"...I wouldn't mind being wrong just once in my stinking life."
END
