Chapter 3: The Lost
(**ALL NEW CHAPTER!**)
Toshiro slowed on his approach to the Seireitei's entrance, blinking slowly as he felt that his fukutaicho had sensed him and was on her way to meet him. Normally, her approach would cause him some amount of annoyance, but distracted as he was, and anxious to explore the mystery around the faked death and continued existence of Ichimaru Gin, he flash stepped forward to hasten their meeting.
"Taicho!" his subordinate called out as he appeared in front of her, just inside the Seireitei gates, "I'm so glad you're all right! I was worried about you. You are okay, aren't you? Everybody's been looking for you. We…"
"Rangiku," Toshiro snapped, cutting her off, "I'm fine."
The redhead gave him a skeptical look.
"You don't look fine," she countered, "You've been healed a bit, but you're a mess, Taicho. Come on. We should go and have you checked out at the…"
"Where is Kuchiki?" Toshiro asked shortly.
"Huh?" Rangiku mused, blinking, "Why…?"
"Don't ask stupid questions," he scolded his adjutant, "I need to speak to Kuchiki taicho now. Do you know where he is, Rangiku?"
"Kuchiki taicho? I heard that he took the survivors of the sixth division to the hidden encampment where the elders, women and children of his clan were being protected during the war."
Rangiko paused, her expression clouding.
"There was a memorial today for Kuchiki taicho's cousin, who was killed protecting the encampment."
The white-haired taicho's turquoise eyes widened.
"What? Tetsuya was killed? When? How did this happen? I was there when Byakuya received word that the encampment was not breached during the offensive."
"It happened after Ywach was slain," Rangiku sighed sadly, "Tetsuya took a group of healers to the battleground to find and heal Ichigo and the others there, but although he found and healed Ukitake taicho and Renji, his reiatsu suddenly disappeared and there were signs that someone had attacked and killed him. All that was found was the hair clip that he wore, that was a gift from Kuchiki taicho."
"But there was no body?"
"Captain!" Rangiku objected, "What a question to ask. I mean, Tetsuya was a fighter, but everyone knows he had even stronger healing powers...and you are aware that he wears the healer's mark when he acts as a healer. Not that the quincies would have hesitated to kill even a simple healer."
"Hmm," Toshiro mused, frowning, "I don't think the quincies would have known about him. I understand that they learned about all of us from Central 46's records and also those of the twelfth division. Tetsuya wasn't a soldier and because he was Byakuya's protector, information about his powers were not shared outside the Kuchiki clan."
Rangiku's brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed.
"What are you getting at, Taicho? You're acting like there's some kind of conspiracy going on. Is there some reason you think that Kuchiki Tetsuya is still alive?"
"No!" Toshiro snapped.
He shook his head, scowling.
"I mean…I don't know about Tetsuya, but…"
He broke off again, gazing silently at the confused looking redhead.
It would be cruel to tell her, especially now that Gin is running, and it would be dangerous if she took off to look for him, which she would absolutely do if she knew he still lived.
I have to keep this to myself for now.
"Taicho, are you really all right?" Rangiku pressed worriedly, "You look so beat up and you're not really making a lot of sense."
"I told you, I'm fine," he said shortly, his tone softening a measure as he read the depth of her concern, "I just need to find By…"
He broke off again as he spotted Renji and Kurosaki Ichigo exiting one of the nearby buildings. Rangiku blinked and sucked in a surprised breath as he flash stepped away, then she shook her head, sighed and followed.
"Abarai!" Toshiro called out as he caught up with the sixth division fukutaicho.
"Hey, Hitsugaya taicho," Renji greeted him, his voice and cinnamon eyes radiating heavy emotion, "I didn't know you were back. Glad to see you're okay."
"Me too," Ichigo added, his voice reflecting the same sadness, "Good to see you, Toshiro."
"That's Hitsugaya taicho to you," Toshiro scolded him, though more gently than usual, "and…I'm all right. Thank you for your concern."
"Is there something we can do for you, sir?" Renji asked, "Ichigo and I were just…"
"I need to find Kuchiki taicho," the white-haired taicho explained, "I'm sorry. I know today is a difficult day for all of you, but…it's important."
Renji nodded briefly.
"We're goin' to meet him right now, if you wanna tag along."
"Can I go too, Taicho?" Rangiku asked, flash stepping to join them.
Toshiro rolled his eyes.
"No! Go back and inform the head captain that I've returned safely and I'll come to give my report soon. I just…have something I need to do first."
"You're no fun at all," Rangiku huffed, scowling, "I hear the Kuchiki encampment has warm baths and way better food than combat rations."
"Just stop complaining and go!"
"Fine. All right. I'm going," the red-haired woman said, rolling her eyes, "Sheesh…"
"What a pain," Toshiro sighed, shaking his head.
He turned his attention back to the other two men.
"We should go."
The three young men continued through the moderately busy streets, quietly observing the work going on to clear the wreckage around the damaged buildings and to begin repairs.
"Man, the Seireitei took a hellish amount of damage," Ichigo said softly.
"While we were up top, everyone else down here was just trying to stay alive," Renji mused, his heart sinking as he watched the body of a young soldier being carefully extracted from a section of the fifth division ruins, "I heard it was pretty awful."
Ichigo gave him a tormented look.
"I hate thinking of Tetsuya being out there…outside the barrier, fighting to protect everyone inside. I mean, I know he was strong enough to do that, and that what happened to him happened after, while he was just looking for…"
He broke off, closing his eyes for a moment as Renji laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You've gotta stop blaming yourself for what happened to Tetsuya," the redhead said in a comforting tone, "I mean, he wasn't just looking for you out there. He was doing what he always has, taking care of anyone who needed help."
"Renji's right," Toshiro interjected, "Tetsuya would have known that the most important thing after the fall of Ywach would be to get to the battleground as quickly as possible to heal our fighters. Every moment counted."
"He healed Ukitake taicho, which was pretty miraculous, considering that no one else had been able to do it in all of this time," Renji added, "Tetsuya's a hero, and everyone here knows it."
"But, part of what I was fighting for was so that the people I cared about wouldn't die. I think you both get that I was starting to feel something more than friendship for him…and…I really wanted to protect him."
Ichigo stopped for a moment, letting out a shuddering breath.
"We didn't even get to say goodbye. The last time we saw each other was just after I had to kill Kugo Ginjo. He was tailing Byakuya, like he sometimes does, and Byakuya asked him to heal me once the fight was over. I wasn't hurt bad or anything, but I did need a kind of healing. I felt bad about having to kill Ginjo and Byakuya and Tetsuya knew that. So, while Tetsuya was healing me, he told me that he feels terrible when he is forced to kill an enemy. His zanpakuto is a healing sword, not really meant for fighting. It's just that, when Byakuya rescued him as a child, he told Tetsuya that if he wanted to remain free, he had to be able to fight for his own freedom. No one else could do that for him. His zanpakuto respected those words, so she agreed to help Tetsuya use their powers to fight for their freedom and to fight to protect lives. Afterward, it was still hard for him to kill, but he was able to keep focus and determination at those times, because he trusted his heart and his zanpakuto to guide him. I ah…felt like he really understood."
Renji and Toshiro exchanged sympathetic glances as the shinigami substitute continued.
"I had this feeling…like I wanted to…I don't know, like I wanted to kiss him. I didn't though. Now…"
"You were his friend," Renji said supportively.
"Abarai is right," Toshiro affirmed, "Being that he was a half-blood noble, people didn't always treat him well. That you didn't care about the content of his blood and only thought of him as your friend meant everything to him, I'm sure."
"Yeah," Ichigo sighed as the three continued on their way, "Thanks, guys."
Toshiro's brow furrowed and he retreated into his mind, mulling over his options for his looming meeting with the leader of the Kuchiki clan.
I have to be really careful about how I do this. I do trust Byakuya, and I'm going to need the help of someone who knows how to deal with the clans and their leaders if I want to get to the bottom of what happened to Gin. Byakuya is the strongest of the clan leaders, and his clan is considered the greatest of the five great clans. Yes, I'm going to need help on that level if I'm going to find the truth.
But…will Byakuya help me?
He's not always the easiest person to understand. I've seen, myself, how carefully he hides what he's thinking a lot of the time…and how he acts when he's following his heart, rather than acting his part as the clan leader he is. If I approach him in the wrong way or if I misunderstand him, I'm not going to get anywhere.
He spent the rest of the time as they continued on their way, brooding over the details and trying to form a strategy, but as the three men arrived at the gates to Kuchiki Manor, he still had little inkling of how to get what he wanted from his stoic and complex comrade.
"Abarai," he said quietly, frowning as he registered their location, "why are we here? Aren't Byakuya's relatives still at the encampment?"
"Yeah," Renji sighed, leading them past the attentive guards at the damaged manor gates, "but he came here so that he could perform the final rites at Tetsuya's graveside, himself. He didn't want anyone else there."
Renji's eyes clouded up again as he regarded the path that led out of the shattered back gates of the estate.
"He was closest to Tetsuya and he wanted to do right by him…no posturing, no one expecting him to act a certain way, just the two of them…except…I mean, Tetsuya's not really there. Still…"
"We get it," Ichigo said, giving his friend a sad smile, "Byakuya won't really let down and show what he's feeling unless he's sure he's alone, or at least if he's just with his attendant, Torio."
Renji nodded, bringing them to a stop in the gardens. Toshiro's head tilted slightly and he felt a sinking feeling in his chest at the sight of the heavy damage to the buildings and the famous gardens that had been so beautiful and serene before.
Although, buildings and gardens can be replaced. The people who were lost cannot be replaced.
He frowned as thoughts of Gin flitted across his mind, but was distracted out of his thoughts as he spotted a young man with dark hair and reddened green eyes sitting on the edge of the walkway outside what had been the main building. He kept silent and barely moved, but even so, the tenth division taicho could feel the man's pain burgeoning. He wondered if he should say something, but before he could move, Ichigo flash stepped to the young man's side and sat down.
Ah, it's Kuchiki Koji, Tetsuya's attendant.
"Hitsugaya taicho?"
Toshiro startled at the sound of Byakuya's voice and turned to face his comrade as the noble passed through the remains of the back gates to join them.
"Has something happened?" Byakuya continued, "I sensed your arrival and your reiatsu seems…restless."
"Hmm," Toshiro sighed, gathering his thoughts, "I'm sorry to disturb you right now, but there's…something I need to ask you about, and I need to do that somewhere private."
Byakuya glanced at Renji and then nodded in Toshiro's direction.
"Abarai, will you and Torio please accompany Ichigo and Koji back to the encampment?"
"S-sir?" Renji said uncertainly, "The standing order of the head captain is…"
"I understand," Byakuya assured him, "I will remain with Hitsugaya taicho and the two of us will join you at the encampment when we have concluded our discussion. Please send a hell butterfly to Toshiro's fukutaicho and make sure that she is at the encampment when we arrive."
"Yes sir," Renji answered, bowing, "I'll see it done."
Toshiro shook his head, smirking slightly.
"Are you sure you're not asking for trouble, inviting Rangiku to your family's encampment?" he chuckled, "She gets on my nerves a lot on her best day. She's going to drive them crazy."
"Be that as it may," Byakuya said, sounding completely serious, "the head captain did order all adjutants to remain close to their captains at all times."
"Right," Toshiro replied, frowning and looking around questioningly, "So, where should we go to talk?"
"Come this way," the noble said, turning and leading him a short distance away from the main building, where another set of ruins smoked fitfully.
"Um…" the white-haired taicho muttered, blinking and frowning more deeply, "Byakuya…"
The Kuchiki leader extended a pale hand over the ruins and Toshiro made a sound of surprise.
"Kuchiki, is that the…?"
"It is."
The Kuchiki family archive, Toshiro mused inwardly as Byakuya led him through the open doorway that had appeared.
In moments, they stood within the famous archive and Byakuya secured the door behind them. The younger taicho's turquoise eyes took in the deep stacks of carefully arranged books, shining display cases filled with expensive and powerful artifacts.
Records and histories of the clans are stored here, as well as clan leader diaries, artifacts that are too dangerous to leave anywhere else. It is said that only the Kuchiki leader, the royal family and those they invite can set foot in this place.
Amazing!
"Hitsugaya taicho, I am sure that you have something very important to discuss with me. Will you tell me what it is that brought you here?"
"You are…sure we are private here?" Toshiro inquired.
"Absolutely," Byakuya affirmed, "Only the soul king and I, myself, are able to monitor what happens in this place…and as you are aware, there is no king to listen to us."
"Right," Toshiro agreed, "I don't know about you, but even though I'm obeying the order to keep that knowledge to just taichos and fukutaichos, I find the order troubling."
"Of course," the noble agreed, "It is distressing to experience the loneliness of losing the one who listens to our hopes and our fears and wishes."
"Yeah."
Toshiro lifted his chin, meeting Byakuya's dark grey eyes directly.
"I don't know if you can give me an answer to this, but…do you think that we'll have a new monarch soon? There's a way to do that, right? To make a new king?"
"Is that what you've come to ask me?" Byakuya queried, "I think that if you're asking me that question, you already suspect the answer. And I will just tell you that you are probably correct in your estimation."
Toshiro let out a disgusted breath.
"So, you think that the clans don't want a new king?" he surmised, "And they're just going to leave that thing on the throne instead? Do you agree with that, Kuchiki?"
Byakuya's stern eyes narrowed.
"If I did think that way, you would not be standing where you are. That I brought you here to let you speak your mind to me should tell you where my own loyalties lie."
"You want there to be a new king."
"Yes."
"Do you know how to do that?"
Would he tell me if he did?
"Urahara Kisuke and I are researching the matter at present," Byakuya informed him, "but you must not repeat that to anyone. To do so would put all of us in danger."
He paused briefly, studying Toshiro's still troubled expression.
"Is there something else you wanted to ask me?"
"There is."
How do I say this?
"You know that I was missing for a short time as the war ended."
"Yes."
"The truth is, I was injured and someone I did not expect found me and healed me."
Byakuya's eyes widened.
"Tetsuya?"
Toshiro blinked in surprise.
"No, not Tetsuya, but…do you have any reason to believe that he might have survived?"
"There is no evidence of his survival, no," the noble said somberly.
"I'm sorry," Toshiro said sympathetically, "I wish it had been him, but…this person who rescued me and healed me, he's supposed to be dead. If Central 46 or the Gotei 13 suspected he was still alive, he would be given a death sentence. Byakuya, there is something very strange going on."
"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked, his frown intensifying, "Toshiro, who are we talking about?"
"I was unable to see him. I suspect now that the blindness I suffered was caused by him, because he feared being recognized and sought by anyone, especially his keepers in Muken…and Aizen."
Byakuya's dark eyes rounded and his mouth opened and drew in a hissing breath.
"I think you understand why I came to you, now."
"I do," Byakuya managed softly, "Toshiro, if this is true, then we have to be extremely cautious in our movements. Do you know where he is right now?"
"No. Unfortunately, he got spooked and ran. He kept saying that there was a monster after him. I think he meant Aizen Sousuke."
"But Aizen is back in Muken," Byakuya assured him, "That was not kept a secret. It has to be known, not just here in the Seireitei, but throughout the Rukongai. That being the case, why would he have run from you?"
"He may have realized that I was close to recognizing him. Byakuya, Gin said that he was being tortured. He didn't say why and even seemed confused about what they really wanted. Whatever it was, it made them lie about his death, even to the point of giving Rangiku a fake body she buried. Whoever is involved in this didn't want it known that Gin was alive."
"Do you know how he escaped?" asked Byakuya.
"He didn't say. He could barely talk because of the damage they'd done to him. But after he left and I started thinking, I wondered. Why was he so afraid? Why did he run at the slightest hint I'd figured him out? Is Gin worried that his captors will come after him or…"
"Or," Byakuya posited, "is it possible… that Aizen Sousuke is not in Muken?"
