Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, Chad would be naked. Often.
Seventeen years, four months and five days.
Juushirou was good at keeping time. He always had been. Particularly when he felt it was urgent to do so.
Urahara Kisuke was sitting on a bomb.
So Juushirou Ukitake watched and waited. And kept his silence. Here was another secret he and Yoruichi shared. Made all the easier to keep because after the night they both became aware of the Hou Gyoku, they conveniently forgot about each other. Perhaps it was easier for him to mark time because that terrible night coincided with the last time he laid eyes on Traveler.
For a long time, the loss he felt at losing the cat only sharpened when he saw Kisuke's boon companion, whose laughter sometimes rang hollow and whose eyes would go dim when she looked at Juushirou.. She would still smile at him. She was always polite in conversation. But those hands had not reached for him since. It was only when he stopped missing them that he became aware of all the change that was going on around him.
Aizen Sousuke had chosen a new vice captain. Tall, dark and mostly silent Tousen Kaname followed his captain with the surety of a sighted man, and spoke with the calm optimism of a clairvoyant. He was a fitting counterpart to Sousuke's gentle kindness.
Sweet and compassionate Unohana Retsu took over the fourth. This was what everyone had anticipated; the old Captain had made it clear that he did not intend to waste the rest of his eternity in such a restrictive role; there were others outside of Sereitei in need of care. Retsu was his most cherished, most amiable disciple.
Kuchiki Byakuya, to the disappointment of old Yamamoto, declined year after year to take a captain's seat in the Gotei 13. Others sighed at the sight of him, handsome and noble as he was. It was a waste and everyone knew it. It was whispered he had been Shihouin Yoruichi's student at one time. And the Goddess of Shunpo did not take students.
Save one, informally.
These days she was not seen in public without her diminutive bodyguard. Of course the great Shihouin Yoruichi did not need a bodyguard, but custom dictated the necessity. And tiny Soi Fon, witnessed in action, was nearly as formidable as her mistress, though a tad awkward. Juushirou did not know if Yoruichi was the kind to confide the way women do, but he was certain that he had caught Soi Fon gazing at him with an odd combination of envy and awe in her pretty green eyes. Certainly, when she was sent in the capacity of messenger in the dead of night, he found her to be bashful but very business-like. And it was often.
Yoruichi's messages were meant to ease his worry. They were polite and just informative enough, or so she supposed, to relax his nerves. Juushirou would always answer with thanks and assurance that he was fine. They had mastered talking around the subject. And Urahara still sat on his bomb.
Kisuke was just the same. He was not tired, he laughed freely, and he never spoke of his treasure again. Not to Juushirou anyway. He was too busy making jokes and exploring other theories. His gray eyes were not clouded by any kind of apprehension. This made it easy for Juushirou to forget why he was counting the days.
By the time Juushirou remembered that Kisuke was brilliant and slightly deranged, he was being questioned by Central 46 about the twelfth division captain's extracurricular activities. Seventeen years, four months, and five days later.
The representative, who did not give a name, arrived with the first sharp, cold wind of autumn. She quickly drove Kiyone out and got down to business.
Do you know him well? Yes.
Do you see him often? Yes.
Who does he socialize with? Many of the same people I do. Captains, vice captains. . . it's a pretty long list.
Has he ever showed you his work? No.
Do you know what he's working on now? No.
Only one small lie. Juushirou did not waste time being shocked at his deviance. He instead focused on throwing Central 46 off Kisuke's trail. It was all he could do. "Perhaps you should speak to Urahara-taichou directly. He would be happy to share. He always is."
The representative gave no sign of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. She merely offered her respect and left his presence in no particular hurry. She barely missed being intercepted by Shunsui, who arrived five minutes after her departure, in a state of curiosity.
"Pretty girl," he said. "What did she want with you?"
"She wanted to know about Kisuke."
"What did you tell her?" One of Shunsui's many talents was his ability to go from jovial to serious in less than a second.
"Mostly what she wanted to hear," Juushirou answered, taking a deep breath.
"What didn't you tell her?" Shunsui's eyes were serious.
"For some time now, Kisuke's had in his possession an object that can make shinigamis into hollows. And hollows into shinigamis." If Juushirou was going to unload his burden to anyone, it would be Shunsui. First, because Shunsui didn't have a resentful bone in his hairy body. Second, because if Juushirou could be of any help to Kisuke, he would need help himself. But he was unprepared for Shunsui's response.
"The hou gyoku." Shunsui nodded.
"Did he tell you himself?"
"Yes--but how--"
"If you had your ear to the ground as often as I do, you'd know more than that. Did you know that he's working on a way to hide it?" Shunsui's eyes were suddenly grave.
"He told me he was going to destroy it."
"He gave up on that after about seven years. He's been working on a way to hide it."
"Has he found a way?"
"Yes." Shunsui motioned his friend to sit. "This is very bad. The only way to do it is to hide it within a human soul."
"A human soul?" Juushirou's jaw dropped.
"Yes. But that's only part of it." Shunsui scratched his head.
"How do you know all this?"
"That little toady vice captain of his. Kuro--"
"Kurotsuchi Mayuri?"
"That's his name. Creepy little fellow. Anyway, he's got quite a mouth on him. Can't imagine Kisuke would have chosen him if he knew."
Juushirou's blood ran cold. "Has he been talking to anyone else?"
"I've been leaning on him a little. He came to me thinking I could help him. Apparently he took his precious knowledge to Sousuke first and wasn't satisfied with his response. Not the greatest judge of character, that little Mayuri."
"Did you talk to Aizen?" As comforted as Juushirou was by the idea that only Aizen was in on the secret, he could not believe it. Not yet.
"I did. He told me he would do whatever he could to help me keep Kisuke safe, if needed. Although he doubted Kisuke would do anything stupid. But now that you say Central 46 is interested, I'm starting to wonder." Shunsui shook his head. "Look at you. We may be getting worked up over nothing."
Juushirou swallowed. "I'm sorry, Shunsui. I should have told you."
"Did Kisuke ask you not to?" The eighth division captain settled his hands on Juushirou's shoulders.
"Yes."
"There's nothing to be sorry for. We just need to do a little damage control." And then he winked. "Have you talked to the lovely Yoruichi lately?"
"No," Juushirou confessed.
"You'd best send for her. And Kisuke as well. Better to talk to him together. If just one of us tries to, we'll never work this out."
"They call it an 'intervention' these days, you know," Yoruichi says without smiling.
"I know," Juushirou replies. "It's unfortunate we didn't have a name for it then. Maybe it would have worked."
Yoruichi shakes her head. He smiles at her sheepishly. "Wishful thinking, I know," he sighs.
