I'm not one for warnings, I assume that if you've read the manga you're prepared for anything I'll throw at you but this chapter includes some mentions of child abuse, so… yeah.


Part I

Kukaku wasn't sure how to describe the last few hours, much less the last day.

One on hand, it seemed like everything went by entirely too quickly: events flashing by, people coming in and out, calls being made and taken, all the while she seemed barely aware of any of it. It was like she was reading a summary of the day, rather than experiencing it.

On the other hand, the day's events crawled painfully on as it became increasingly obvious that despite all this busyness, despite all this worrying and waiting, nothing would really get done, today. Each useless call and meaningless interaction went by with all the pacing and excitement of a slug.

It was all unbelievably frustrating, though hardly unfamiliar. (Gods, she felt like she needed a drink.)

She knew now was probably the worst time to get tipsy, much less sloshed. Rukia needed Kukaku's full attention, right now, no distractions, no delays. So, she instead did something that she hadn't done in a good few decades. She sat on the back porch and smoked like a goddamned chimney.

It was a brand that she had liked way back when, one that she was surprised was still in business. It tasted different, somehow, she thought. That may have just been her imagination, though.

A presence flickered into existence beside the woman. Without even turning to look, she held out her pack, offering a stick.

"Can't," Yoruichi huffed. "I've barely got a minute to spare. Then, it's back to searching."

Kukaku set the pack down, taking another long drag from the cigarette in her fingers, the smoke leaving her mouth in a satisfying cloud. "So… You still haven't found them?"

The sigh that Yoruichi let out was even more telling then the words she next said. "It's like they've fallen off the face of the earth. I've checked just about all of Karakura, and I've gotten nothing. Zip. Nada!" Her frustration was clear on her face.

"And the hideout?" Kukaku tried.

"Everything got left behind," she bit out. "They must have been in quite the hurry."

"Dammit."

"That's my line…"

Kukaku stared at the ground, chewing on her lip. With a mixture of frustration and disappointment she smooshed her half-finished cigarette into the ash tray. "What's the plan?" she asked flatly.

"Keep looking, what else?" Yoruichi sighed out. "They've got a master Kidō practitioner, so it's possible I just missed something… Otherwise, we've got to start considering the possibility that they just ran off."

"I doubt that," Kukaku said with a frown. "If those Visoreds were anything it was loyal. They wouldn't leave one of their own like this, not without good reason."

"So… you're thinking they had a reason?"

Kukaku pursed her lips, staying silent. Yoruichi grumbled something under her breath.

"Fine," the tracker mumbled, "don't tell me… But real quick, before I go, you should probably know that Byakuya isn't taking this very well."

Kukaku stiffened, her eyes widening. "Shit! I knew I forgot something!"

Yoruichi barely suppressed a grimace, here. "Yeah, I figured when I ran into him. Poor guy had literally no idea what was going on. I, of course, had the glorious job of telling him and then also talking him out of going to Hueco Mundo by himself."

"I can't believe I forgot," Kukaku moaned.

"Hey, if it helps, I doubt Byakuya even noticed you forgot. He was way too focused on Aizen for that, after what I told him."

"He wanted to go alone, in his state?" she asked incredulously.

"That's what I said." Yoruichi shook her head. "I'd keep an eye on that one if I were you."

"Oh, I will," Kukaku promised.

With a nod Yoruichi stood, stretching her arms out in a practiced motion before turning her eyes to the sky. "Then, it's time for me to go. I'll make sure to update you if I find anything. In the meantime…" She looked Kukaku up and down, an eyebrow raised. "You should probably get some rest, maybe a shower while you're at it."

"Thanks," Kukaku snorted.

Yoruichi gave her a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Any time."

The woman left after that, and suddenly Kukaku was alone again. For a moment she considered Yoruichi's suggestions.

She felts like she would really appreciate some rest right about now but doubted she had the time for it. She had a few more calls to make, a few more idiots to stop from doing something rash. Once that was all done, she might settle for a bit of sake induced slumber but until then, it was nothing but coffee and–

Running a hand through her hair, it suddenly struck her that if she had a mirror right now, she'd probably say the woman in the reflection needed some care, too. A shower seemed like a good idea.

She walked back into the shop. She had more work to do.

There was always more work to do.

Part II

Perhaps he had desired a distraction. Perhaps he had simply been through too much misfortune in his long, long life. Either way, Byakuya, barely four hours after Hisana's funeral, left Karakura town with little more than a brief case and a neatly organized file folder.

He had been gathering its contents since the very day Hisana had given him that request. (She never was one to ask for much. She always said she never wanted to be a bother… He was getting off topic, wasn't he?)

What she had wanted was an investigation, something not terribly difficult to have done in their line of work, but this one was personal. She wanted him to find someone, someone that she had lost a long time ago.

She gave him plenty to work off. Despite how weak she had become in those last few weeks, Hisana had been more talkative than ever. The past that she never wanted to speak of, she was suddenly going into incredible detail on. If it were anyone else, he may have considered it jarring, may have even been uncomfortable with it.

It was her, though, and it was then, so he made sure to commit every detail to memory.

Her parents were horrid people, long stuck in a loveless marriage. They took much of their rage out on her, and for the longest time she did nothing. (Could do nothing, he assured her.) Then, one day, when she was barely out of high school, they had another child.

"I'd almost say it was a type of magic," she'd described. "I had gone through just about every day of my life feeling empty inside. A part of me was just waiting for it to be over. Then one day I hear this baby cry. She's in a crib, all alone. No one else is even home, and suddenly I wake up. I did the first thing I could think of, that day. I took her, and I ran.

"It didn't last, though," she had continued. "I barely knew how to take care of myself much less… It… well… It seemed like the right thing to do at the time…"

It was her one true regret, she had said.

"I had to leave her."

She thought of looking for the baby after things had settled, after she had gotten her job, gotten a life, but the guilt was just too strong. She could never bring herself to do it, but maybe he…

Byakuya agreed before she even had time to finish the sentence. He would, of course, he would. He would find Hisana's sister if it was the last thing he did.

Two weeks after making that promise and he was off to a Yokohama orphanage, grief buried deep in his chest.

The child had been easy enough to find. She was right where Hisana had left her, so to speak. He had scheduled his visit a few days ahead, introducing himself as a prospective parent, a half-truth at best.

(Yes, Hisana had wanted them to be approved for such a thing right when they were married. She was well aware of his "circumstances," and for a while, both were unsure if having kids was even on the table for them. All that being said…)

He didn't go to the orphanage with any set plan, other than–

"Just see her, for me. Make sure she's alright."

Yes… that. So, on that stuffy summer day he walked into the orphanage.

"Mr. Orikasa!" the caretaker greeted warmly. "I'm glad you were able to make it."

"I'm sorry for being late," he near mumbled. "Something… came up."

"No worries," the woman assured. "Now, come in. She's right here."

She led him through the main entrance into a rather sparse waiting room. Decorating it were little more than a few chairs and an old coffee table but sitting on one of those chairs was a little girl, legs dangling below her. The second she noticed them she jumped down, eyes remaining on the ground. Byakuya's heart stuttered.

"This is little Rukia," the woman had said. "Rukia, why don't you say hello to the nice man?"

"…Hi…"

She looked up at him with something between curiosity and thinly veiled suspicion, but he didn't very much mind. He was too busy just looking at her. The way her bangs fell messily into her face, the way her big doe eyes just sparkled, it was all Hisana. One look and he knew he had found her sister.

The caretaker proceeded to introduce him to the girl, listing off various points from his profile: his job, where he lived, the fact that he requested Rukia specifically, all things that a seven year old child probably wouldn't care for, but he had neither the mind nor the nerves to interrupt, not even to correct the woman when she mentioned his wife.

He more or less just stayed silent, watching Rukia as she unabashedly watched him back, her curiosity clearly rising. He left the orphanage that day not remembering even half of the things the caretaker had said and having barely said a word to the girl at all. The second he reached home, before he even left the car, he wept. He'd say he didn't know why but he'd be lying.

The next day he received a phone confirmation of the second visit that he'd apparently scheduled with orphanage. He decided to confirm the meeting, and this time he really didn't know why.

He wasn't the most stable person, certainly wasn't one equipped to care for a child, no more than those people were, anyway. The facilities Rukia had found herself at were nice, and besides, she was a cute child. Certainly, a normal couple would want her sooner or later.

Still, he continued the farce, being allowed to peak in on the children's playtime one week later.

They were all scattered about outside, making full use of the flimsy playground equipment. Rukia was at the edge of the lot, in the sandbox, concentrating on a crumbled sandcastle, a bucket and shovel in hand. She was speaking quietly to another girl across from her, one that for some strange reason, Byakuya had trouble seeing. He hadn't even noticed her at first glance.

Wait…

Byakuya nearly did a double take. Her friend… That was a Spirit, no doubt about that. He realized that just as two boys ran by, one very intentionally kicking sand into Rukia's face. With a grimace, she wiped it off, adding it to the pile. When the Spirit whispered something, pointing at the two boys, Rukia burst out into giggles.

That development was… unexpected, to say the least. Hisana had never displayed such abilities. Then again, it wasn't impossible that they had simply manifested randomly. It was a common enough story for Ranked Officers, former Rukongai brats, that still remembered their time in the World of the Living.

He went home that day conflicted, considering.

Two weeks after Hisana's funeral he sat down with Rukia, and for the first time, truly introduced himself to her. He wasn't sure if those cursedly tiny chairs made him feel more, or less, awkward about the whole encounter.

"I am Byakuya Orikasa," he had said. "You could say I'm your Brother in Law."

"Brother?" she had asked curiously, the only part of what he had said that she had understood or cared for.

"Yes, in a sense," he answered, but despite this, her eyes sparkled.

"I didn't know I had one of those," she near whispered.

He nodded. "And we have plenty in common, as well. For example, our ability to see things others cannot."

She let out a quiet gasp. "You mean the ghosts?! I didn't think anyone else could do that."

"More can than you think," he said, somewhat cryptically. She nodded enthusiastically, as if committing those words to memory.

"Everybody else just thinks they're creepy," she lamented, "but you don't do you?"

He nodded once more in agreement, somewhat amused.

"Hey, you're a grown-up," she said suddenly. "You've probably seen all kinds of ghosts. Could you tell me about them?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Well… I suppose I could try."

The girl proceeded to interrupt him animatedly at just about every turn with question after question about the various "ghosts" he'd seen. Keeping things as nondescript and child friendly as he could, he answered, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. It was then that something became apparent to him. Despite their similar looks, this child was nothing like the quiet, reserved Hisana.

Despite every single reason he had given prior, he still ended up coming back again and again. When who-knew-how-many weeks into that he was handed the adoption papers, he signed them because that seemed like the natural thing to do.

(He, of course, later found out that he was way in over his head, but that was beside the point.)

The point was that Byakuya felt like he had kept his promise. He would look after Rukia the same way Hisana had always wanted to. He would care for her, give her all she needed, and maybe one day give her some answers, should the time arise.

He would keep her safe.

Now, standing at the back of their house, glaring uselessly at his Zanpakuto, Byakuya felt like a failure.

He narrowed his eyes, stepped forward, and said, "Scatter, Senbonzakura." He watched as his blade dissolved, as the light caught off of thousands of tiny shards. He raised a hand, sent the shards flying through the air–

And nearly growled in frustration as they stuttered along, slow and ineffective. Tightening his jaw, he tried again, moving them into a simple yet flashy maneuver, the kind that used to send his enemies to their knees. They swirled around him, steadily picking up speed, before slowing to a crawl once more, the petals falling around him pathetically.

He clenched his fists. This is what his Shikai was reduced to, huh? It was like he was two hundred again, still being teased by Yoruichi. He considered throwing his empty hilt to the ground in frustration, just to complete the image. Instead, he brought it close, scrutinizing it.

"Don't you have anything to say?" he asked.

Silence.

"You can't stay quiet forever," he growled, "certainly not now."

Still more silence.

He let out a sigh. "Then again, that was always your way, wasn't it? Strong, silent, cryptic, yet somehow you still never knew what you were doing."

Even at his least frustrating, Senbonzakura would too often sit back and watch as Byakuya struggled, never saying a word. For the longest time Byakuya thought him cruel for that. When the Spirit explained it was meant to make him more independent, stronger, he wanted to hit him for that. (He did… hit him, that is.)

A part of him wondered what lesson this was supposed to teach him, because really, he couldn't see it. Letting out a shaky breath, he collapsed back, settling for just sitting in the dirt, head in his arms as the shards of his Zanpakuto remained scattered around him.

Part III

Yoruichi ran as fast as she could, paying no mind to random passers-by, startled at nearly being knocked over by what they probably thought was the wind. Now wasn't the time for stealth or cover, now was the time for results.

So, ignoring her Gigai, or even her more subtle cat form, Yoruichi searched for the Visoreds. She'd already gone through all their favorite hangout spots, had checked the warehouse that they didn't think she knew the location of, and was currently scouring all of Karakura for the second, no third time that day.

Needless to say, things weren't looking good.

She paused, settling on the tallest rooftop in the area, some office building deep in the business district. She sat back heavily, legs dangling over the edge, and carding a hand through her tangled hair she tried to think.

Maybe it was time she widened her search. It was possible they left Karakura town entirely and had gone somewhere else in Tokyo, or maybe even further away. If that was the case, though; she certainly had her work cut out for her.

It had taken her and Kukaku the better part of five years to track them down in the first place, and in the end they were only able to convince them to stay put because Kisuke was there and they owed him their lives for helping them escape the Soul Society all those years ago.

She let out a sigh of frustration at that thought. If Kisuke were here with her maybe she would have found them by now, maybe then they wouldn't be trying so hard to stay hidden, maybe…

Yoruichi stood up suddenly. Of course! she thought. She felt like a complete idiot. Why else would the Visoreds go into hiding now of all times? For whom else would the Visoreds go into hiding now of all times? It was Kisuke. It was always Kisuke.

With that thought in her mind she sprang off the roof, heading right in the direction of the shop. She needed a Senkaimon.

Part IV

Mashiro jogged her leg, struggling to stay seated. She'd tried just about every position she could including standing, pacing, jogging in place, and (of course) standing on her hands. Having exhausted all her options, she settled for frustrated sitting.

Her and every other Visored were holed up in Urahara's old hideout, the one back in the Soul Society and holy heck did she not think she'd be back here any time soon (or ever).

What were they doing here, anyway? Urahara hadn't explained anything when he'd dumped them there. One moment he and Shinji were outside talking and the next they were all being shoved into a Senkaimon.

The lack of explanation bugged her. The current silence bugged the heck out of her. Rose didn't even have time to bring his music with him. In fact, he was just sitting around looking as defeated and bored as the rest of the them. The only ones that seemed to have any idea of what was going on were Shinji and Hiyori, the two of them speaking in hushed tones near a rock structure. Mashiro wondered if she'd get into any trouble for eaves dropping…

Before she even managed to stand up a large hand was wrapped around her arm and dragging her down with a stern grunt. She let out a childish whine.

"Come on!" she complained. "You're really okay with this, Ken?"

"It's not about whether I'm okay with this," he said in a low voice. "We have our orders."

"Orders?!" she yelled. "I thought we were done with that stuff?! What we're back in the Soul Society for like two minutes and we're back to that?"

He leveled her a stern look.

"Oh, you know I'm right," she snapped back. "One of our own is missing and we're just sitting around and waiting for orders. It's complete s–!"

"Seriously?!" another voice yelled. "You didn't think to tell anyone else about this?!"

"It was a little need to know, Yoruichi!" another voice echoed. "Anyone knows they're here and we're all dead."

"I've been looking for them for the last twenty-four hours straight, Kisuke!"

The two finally came into view from around the corner, having the decency to look sheepish at being caught in such an argument. Hiyori let out a sarcastic whistle.

"Ahem," Urahara cleared his throat. Yoruichi rolled her eyes, nudging him forward with her elbow. The two sent each other several loaded looks, then, a silent conversation happening before everyone's eyes. It ended with Urahara, head in hands, stepping forward.

"I'm sure you're all," he sent Yoruichi a pointed look, "wondering why you're here."

"No shit," Hiyori grumbled. "We've been here for like an hour, Kisuke."

He wasn't quite able to meet her eyes.

"Well, I'm here to explain it," he said smoothly.

"It better be good," Yoruichi mumbled.

Urahara snapped, "Maybe you'd know if you–"

"We're not going to Hueco Mundo," Shinji interrupted with a sigh.

Noises of alarm and surprise rang throughout the field, Mashiro being one of the loudest.

"You can't be serious?!" she cried.

Shinji looked back at her grimly. "I'm still not sure why, myself." He looked back at Urahara.

"It's… complicated," the scientist explained. "Not that anything involving Aizen isn't, but…" he glanced back, catching sight of Yoruichi who sent him quite the glare. He shivered. "Certain circumstances mean we have to think outside the box on this one.

"As some of you may know, Old Man Yamamoto wants to hold off on a full-scale invasion. Me and a few others respectfully disagree."

"We don't have time for riddles," Hiyori snapped. "Names, now."

Urahara let out a nervous chuckle. "Captains Ukitake, Shiba, and Kyoraku would be others and we think we've found a way to do this that will make an invasion seem much more favorable."

"The kids," Yoruichi said quietly. "No wonder Ukitake and Isshin were so gung-ho about sending them over. You're sending them as scouts."

Urahara winced guiltily. "Yeah, basically. They carve a path, cause a little chaos and set up the perfect situation for us to jump in, in the process. One of them even has the Combat Pass, from what I understand, so we'd be able to keep an eye on them the whole time."

"Yamamoto isn't going to like this," Yoruichi grumbled.

"Oh, I know," he said nervously. "I'm just hoping the ends will justify the means, in this case. We might be able to take down Aizen before his plans ever get a chance to begin. I'm not giving that up."

Yoruichi's eyes widened. "I'd heard you went on that mission but… really, you've figured it out?"

"Me and Kurotsuchi have made some interesting progress," was all he admitted.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Mashiro spoke up, hand in the air. "This sounds good and all, but you still haven't said where that leaves us!"

The other Visoreds all looked at him expectantly. Urahara gulped, nodding.

He began, "At first, I was going to leave you to your own devices, but then the rest of us got thinking. A part of the reason Aizen got as far as he did was his planning. He knows all of us, he knows our power, he knows we're coming for him. It was why the Captain Commander was so hesitant in the first place.

"But you guys? He hasn't seen any of you in over a hundred years. You weren't on any of the surveillance he took, as far as we know, and if his taking Rukia is any indication, he probably doesn't know much about Visoreds at all. You're, in plain terms, the perfect trump cards."

"Make it plainer," Hiyori insisted. "What are we doing here?"

"You're helping me take down Aizen," he said finally.

"…Huh?" Hiyori sounded.

"Wasn't that what we were already doing?" Love asked, head cocked.

"No, no," Urahara shook his head. "You're helping me take down Aizen. You're the only people he and his upper ranks aren't prepared to fight. So, when the time comes, when the final battle happens, I want you at the head of the charge."

Silence stretched on as the weight of his words sunk in.

Hiyori was the first to break it. "Tch, so what, we just sit here with our thumbs up our asses until then?"

"But for a real crack at Aizen…" Kensei said in a low voice. "It's pretty tempting."

Shinji stared at the ground, considering.

"Okay," he finally said. "We agree, if only to get a shot at Aizen, but it's a loose agreement. Debt or no debt, if we back out or make a change of plans, that's our business."

Urahara gulped heavily. "I accept."

To the side Yoruichi hummed in appreciation. "I'll admit, it's not a bad plan, assuming it all goes well.

"Yoruichi, when have my plans ever failed?" he asked with a rueful grin.

Clapping him on the back she let out a hearty laugh.


Mashiro is legally not allowed to curse.

Next (last) chapter is an interlude with a bit of backstory that I think you'll all appreciate. After that we'll be discussing the next Hiatus, and due to irl stuff I'm thinking that this one might be a little longer than usual. Still, I'll try to keep you posted.

(Your reviews give me life. Thanks for supporting me this far.)