09
Ah, he liked how everything always went smoothly if people were willing to listen and cooperate. The only thing he disliked was how most of the time, he had no choice but to show them their place first to make them behave accordingly. But what he liked or disliked was irrelevant as long as he could maintain control over the situation. And he knew he was still in control as he observed this world leaders tried their best to understand all he had explained so far, despite their understandable wariness.
He should give some well deserved credit to Hatake though for all of his help in making the whole revelation easier to accept. The young man who was referred as the Kazekage also made things easier with his open-mindedness and encouragement for his fellow leaders to do the same. So, as they reached near the end of this meeting, he was only left with the task of further convincing these people to follow his suggestion. That was when his reliable ninja associate stood up with a somewhat sheepish expression.
"Well, now that everything is clear, please allow me to check on that wayward student of mine before he gets into a deeper problem."
"Very well. I will catch up with you later, Hatake-san. Thank you for your help, and good luck."
Once the masked man left, he was about to speak again, but then noticed the naughty smile that the Mizukage gave him.
"Hmm aren't you a sweetie, Toushiro-sama? You actually care towards others despite your freezing nature. I love that."
He returned the smile, and it still hadn't failed to amuse him how the strong lady blushed prettily each time he did. Honestly, he enjoyed this mature woman's company. She reminded him of his Lieutenant in some way. Maybe if they met in a different time he would've liked to have some good time with her. As it was however, there was nothing mattered more than his duty and responsibility.
"Perhaps I really do. And that is why for the sake of this world and its people, I plead with all of you to reconsider your plan. An all out war would only make it harder for us Gotei 13 to prevent a cross-realms calamity from happening. Do I need to explain more about the chronological account on how a war may greatly affect this crisis?"
Everyone shook their head silently, showing that he didn't have to. Most of them still didn't seem so sure about this, however. The Raikage in particular really hated when he couldn't rely on his strength to deal with problems.
"We really get your concern, Shinigami-dono. But what are we supposed to do then when the Akatsuki is clearly trying to invoke a war against the world?"
"If only it was not forbidden for Shinigami to harm humans, I would deal with this Akatsuki myself. Unfortunately, I've already interfered too much by having this meeting with you. My only advice is to focus on survival instead of winning if a war is really inevitable."
It crossed his mind for a second that he should've just stopped giving a damn about the rules after going this far, but he found himself still unable to do so. He could only hope that this people wouldn't make a bad decision. Thankfully, again the Kazekage understood his reasoning.
"That might work, if we fortify our defenses and only response to enemy's advances through small scale skirmishes." Honestly, Gaara himself cared much more about protecting his people than defeating the enemy.
"That's a good idea, Kazekage-dono. You just need to hold on until our research and development institute discovers a solution to this crisis."
Just as he was about to assure them about the S.R.D.I.'s capability, suddenly his mobile communication device gave a sign that he had received a new mail. He checked it out immediately, but not before giving everyone else an apologetic look. No one seemed to mind as he looked up again almost in an instant.
"It was a message from a fellow Captain of mine who has been keeping watch over Konohagakure. He mentioned that a dimensional tearing just occurred there, and from it, a powerful prisoner of hell managed to break through. He has already dealt with it, but it raises a new concern. I've predicted before if we are not careful, this world might collide with Hell itself. This occurrence proved that my prediction is most likely correct, and we might see increasing appearance of hell-gates all over this world in the immediate future."
Seeing how the news even managed to make the seemingly invincible Shinigami look this distressed only made it harder for the rest to not feel panic. Even the most senior of them, the Tsuchikage silently cursed the Hell for being too impatient in claiming his withered soul.
"I know I would go to hell eventually, but I've never thought I would have to deal with it while still alive."
"Don't worry. I will make sure the Soul Society dispatches at the very least two third of our squads to protect this world. This is our responsibility as Shinigami."
The Captain's unwavering resolve was apparent on his young face, but there was a trace of regret somehow. It was none other than the Mizukage herself who saw this, and she was filled with a desire to make him feel better somehow.
"Well, I'm sure it wouldn't be so bad if we have you on our side. Please take a good care of me then, Toushiro-sama." She smiled, sweetly this time.
"It would be my pleasure, my lady. Sadly, I'm afraid I cannot participate in this upcoming campaign no matter how much I wish to. As I've mentioned before, I've already broken too many rules in this mission. An execution is in order by the time I return to Soul Society. I am really sorry."
The room went silent for a moment. They were all left speechless by the revelation of the Shinigami Captain's fate. Even the leader of a hidden village that used to be known for its brutality such as Mei couldn't believe how such a powerful person like him could just accept his fate so easily.
"H- How is that possible? Aren't they your comrades? I mean, surely you are an irreplaceable asset to Soul Society..."
"The law in Soul Society is absolute. Not even the Captain-Commander himself receives special treatment. And it is only fair, considering that I've broken some of the most the fundamental rules for Shinigami."
"Still..."
"It's okay, my lady. I thank you for your concern. And thank you, everyone, for your cooperation. I guess it's enough for now. I wish all of you good luck."
Even though it wasn't necessary, he gave the leaders a respectful bow as he ended the meeting.
―
Argh, she hated how everything always irritated her whenever she was faced with a dilemma. Her emotional friend had make it clear that her help would not be appreciated. Well, she originally didn't come here to help that ungrateful bitch anyway. She had some business to settle with a heartless Shinigami who was supposed to be somewhere around here. But somehow, she didn't feel so sure anymore about meeting him. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to talk rationally and only worsen their barely there relationship. Besides, she was still worried about her best friend.
Seriously, that girl was absolutely determined to assassinate her former teammate who so happened to be a very dangerous criminal. She just couldn't leave her mentally unstable friend alone trying to do something that would most likely cost her life. But it seemed like she was kind of late already as she look at what she found. She just got herself into another dilemma.
Should she barge in on Team Seven's long awaited reunion even though said reunion looked to be too hostile? Certainly.
"Hyoryu Senbi!" A massive overflowing ice burst forth from the tip of her fingers in a crescent form to intercept Sasuke Uchiha's attack that came from some kind of giant purple avatar of his.
It was more than effective enough not only to protect her friends but also to get everyone's eyes on her. And she began to question her decision as she found herself in such an awkward situation. Unbeknownst to her, her best friend was actually grateful to see her there, but of course she would never show it, knowing very well that it would only boost the blonde's stupid ego.
"What are you doing here, Ino!?"
The other blonde teen, however, momentarily forgot about the tension between him and his livid teammate as he looked on in amazement.
"What was that?! That was so cool!"
"It was ice, duh. And I'm here to make sure my friend is alright whether you like it or not, Sakura."
Unlike those two, however, the wayward member of the team was more than pissed by the interference. He glared at the girl whom he recalled as nothing but a useless annoyance the last time they met. He was even more pissed as he felt somewhat threatened by her unexpected power...
"That power... Why does your power feel similar with that icy bastard?!"
"Huh? You mean Toushiro? You've met that condescending jerk then, too bad for you. Well, you could say he's the one who taught me all of this."
She looked around in anticipation, expecting the Shinigami to appear at any moment. And it made the angry Uchiha even angrier for being ignored. Even more, he really despised people with power that they didn't deserve to have like the scum he just killed earlier.
"And why would someone like him even bother to teach an eyesore like you?! Did you sell your body to him or something? Tch. Not that I think he would care to purchase a must be secondhand goods."
It was like being struck by a Raikoho! Not that she had ever been struck by one, but that was not the point. She froze for a moment before suddenly her whole being was consumed by cold fury as she glared murderously at the traitor. It wasn't the demeaning words that affect her so much but the chance that they might be true. She refused to accept it.
"Sennen Hyoro." Somehow, the words just came out of her mouth even though she had never even come close to success in performing this technique.
At once, towering ice pillars rose up all around the Uchiha, encircling him along with his chakra avatar. Sensing the imminent danger, he tried to break free with all his might. Unfortunately, even the Susanoo's immense power could barely scratch the otherworldly ice. He was severely exhausted already from the previous fights, but he could still figure out what would happen next if he couldn't escape from this prison. And dread began to engulf his mind as he saw his opponent swung her right arm ninety degrees counter-clockwise, prompting the pillars to close in on him. However, to everyone's surprise, each one of them suddenly shattered into a shower of diamond dust just before they could crush him.
Once Sasuke regained his bearing, he smirked at a familiar presence that had appeared a good distance away. He just knew that the icy bastard was the one who saved him even though he still didn't know the real reason behind his unpredictable actions.
"Do you expect me to thank you again?"
"That is not necessary. You may continue what you wish to do. I will not interfere again."
True to his words, the Shinigami Captain only spared him a brief glance as he took the opportunity to make an escape. No one stopped him. The still furious demi-Shinigami didn't even bother to look at his escaping form as she turned her killing intent toward the impassive Captain.
"Care to explain, Toushiro? You suddenly came out of nowhere and ruined my attempt to finish a traitor. Seriously, what do you have against me huh?!"
"It is forbidden for Shinigami to harm human. In your case, you are automatically bound by Shinigami law each time you utilize Shinigami power. Rest assured, however. I will not even give a glance at what you're doing as long as you abide this rule."
"So you really don't care..."
Without another word, she walked away to distance herself from the others. She didn't need anyone to notice how hurt she was at that moment. No one came to bother her because each one of them had something on their mind already. So the group with the addition of the Uchiha's female former companion spent the short break before they returned to Konoha in silence.
At some point, Toushiro found his gaze unconsciously found a certain blonde girl sitting alone in the distance. It was then that he allowed himself to think about them. He had to admit that he had been so unfair to her ever since that particular fight they had during their time in the Dangai. However, this also reminded him why he decided to distance himself from her in the first place. Things had become unnecessarily more complicated ever since he associated himself with her. And once again, he came to the conclusion that he couldn't afford to let the thought of her freely invade his already overworked mind.
He forced his gaze away. And as he glanced over the resting group, he remembered something important to ask his masked comrade.
"Hatake-san. As I saw your uncovered left eye earlier, I noticed its resemblance with Sasuke Uchiha's unique eyes. If you don't mind me asking, can you explain the reason behind it?"
"No worries, Captain Toushiro. This eye... It's a gift from my first ever friend who came from the same clan as Sasuke."
"Eye transplant is a quite common practice in this world then. What I'm worried about is the possibility that someone might misuse the eyes of that Pain person who had performed mass resurrection in your village."
His worry proved to be valid then as Kakashi's visible eye widened. The man immediately turned toward his male student, silently cursing himself for overlooking such a concerning detail.
"Naruto, what happened to Pain's dead body the last time you saw it?"
"Eh? If I remember correctly, Konan brought him back to their hometown... Amegakure or something?"
The Shinigami Captain immediately stood up, having come to a decision as soon as the information registered in his mind.
"It would be best if I head there immediately then. I assume you know where that is, Hatake-san?"
"I do, but forgive me, Captain Toushiro. As much as I wish to help you to get there, I'm afraid my presence is most needed Konoha. It is currently leaderless in a time when it needs a leader the most." He looked around then "Anyone here can help?"
For some reason, the Captain instinctively looked at the man's female student who blushed instantly as she met his intense gaze.
"How about you, Miss Sakura? You seem to be almost as knowledgeable as your sensei."
"I- I'm sorry... Toushiro-sama."
"It's okay. Though I admit I was hoping you could accompany me."
Sakura blushed even harder. Oh she was really crushing on this handsome Shinigami. It wouldn't end well if a certain possessive blonde found out about this. Her eyes widened then as her thought wandered to her best friend...
"Wait! I'm pretty sure Ino's team has done a mission somewhere near there before. I know you hear us, Ino. Stop pouting! We need your help here."
"I hear you just fine, forehead. Why should I even bother though? Surely, the almighty lord Shinigami over there thinks it is far beneath him to ask help from a silly teenage girl like me."
The tension was palpable then as the quarreling pair finally looked at each other. The girl was looking forward to see him begged on his knees. And the boy cursed his luck for having to depend on her of all people.
"Your cooperation would be highly appreciated, Yamanaka-san."
Her anger was ignited again in an instant. She couldn't believe he had the gall to address her formally as if he purposefully tried to hurt her even more.
"So I am now Yamanaka-san to you huh? I'm flattered. Sorry though, I'm pretty much a selfish bitch. I'm not interested to do anything that doesn't benefit me."
"Just say it. What do you want?" He should've known better than trying to be civil with such a shameless female.
"I see we're coming to an agreement. Good. Now if you're okay with my condition, let's talk about it further later, darling. In private."
With a clearly visible smugness, she stood up and walked away from the group, fully expecting the proud Shinigami to follow her like a hopeless servant.
―
Laying on a small bed inside a plain looking bedroom was a lovely woman with long wavy black hair. She wasn't there because she was asleep though. She had been brought there because she fell unconscious from the sudden release of a Shinigami Captain's full Reiatsu. Another Shinigami, female and much younger, had been keeping watch over her condition. Earlier that day, the Captain had called her to this place to treat this new lady friend of his. There was no need to worry, though. It was very normal for a human to be completely overwhelmed by the intensity of Captain-level spiritual pressure.
Soon later, the lady stirred from her slumber with a groggy look on her face. She managed to sit up by herself. And as soon as she did, she recognized that the room she was in belonged to a certain lazy old friend of hers. She sighed in relief, but then raised her eyebrow as her gaze fell on the cute preteen girl sitting quietly beside the bed.
"Hi there. Who are you?"
The little girl's face lit up instantly. She opened her mouth to shout as usual, but then closed it abruptly as she remembered the Captain's warning that he would not tolerate any disturbance. So she had to keep her voice in check.
"Nice to meet you, lady. I am Nemuri Hachigo. Captain Kuchiki asked me to check on you after you fell unconscious."
"Oh, thank you. And nice to meet you too, Hachigo-chan. You must be a Shinigami too then. Where is he, by the way? Kenseikan- um Captain Kuchiki that is."
"He's currently having a meeting with the Captain-Commander in the living room. The Commander is not really here of course. They're using this large screen to communicate from afar."
"I see. I'll wait until he finished then." Though with her exceptional hearing, Kurenai could hear them quite clearly if she tried... and she did.
There on other side of the wall, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki spoke clearly with his usual strict tone.
`The Kushanada are supposed to prevent such a thing from occurring in the first place. It's quite clear that something abnormal is happening in Hell.`
`I have a similar suspicion, Captain Kuchiki. Well, I'll form a team to investigate Hell then. It's gonna be awkward, though. What am I going to say really? You, you, and you, go to hell! Sorry sorry, it's really not the time to try to be funny. Oh, I'm so not suited for this position.`
`I agree completely. Now, if you don't have anything else to say to me, please allow me to continue my mission.`
`Now that you mention it, I do have another thing to tell you. This one is from the Central 46 themselves.`
`If it's about Captain Hitsugaya's sentence, it would be more appropriate if you inform him directly.`
`I'm afraid Hitsugaya-kun's fate is already decided. I hate that I couldn't do anything about it. But no, this one is not about him. It's about you.`
`Other than my slight mishap of releasing too much Reiatsu earlier this day, I cannot recall that I have broken any law recently.`
`Don't worry. You've been a good boy. It's actually about your family. The Central 46 have declared that if within the next ten years, a new heir for the Kuchiki Clan is not born, the position as one of the four great noble houses of Soul Society will be relieved from them. And as much as we adore your sister, she can't take over this responsibility for obvious reason.`
`Do you conveniently forget that I also have a blood cousin? Suzuya is more than worthy enough to continue Kuchiki bloodline.`
`No, of course not. How could I forget one of our best Lieutenants? But after what happened between her and Captain Hitsugaya...`
`Let's not talk about private matters.`
`Alright. Lieutenant Suzuya is such a fine lady. But you know how Central 46 is. They want a direct heir for your clan, Captain Kuchiki. Come on, it's not so bad! Tell you what, I wouldn't mind giving you my blessing if you wish to marry either Lisa or Nanao!`
`I have already married. And I would appreciate it if we could postpone this matter until the crisis is over.`
`Hisana-san really regretted that she had to leave you too soon, you know. The least you can do to relieve her regret is by moving on with your life, Byakuya.`
Somehow Kurenai didn't feel comfortable listening to their conversation anymore, and decided to leave. Unfortunately, in her still disoriented state she didn't realize her foolish mistake, not until after she get through the door hurriedly to the living room.
It all went quite as the man in front of the large screen stiffened. The man who appeared in said screen, however, looked at the woman in amusement.
"Oh, I get it, Captain Kuchiki. I get it now. I will tell the Central 46 to not worry anymore. Now if you please, would you introduce this lady to your Commander?"
"It would not be necessary. She is merely a stranger."
"I- I'm sorry for the intrusion. Please, excuse me."
She quickly left her friend's apartment, feeling her chest tightened painfully without even knowing why.
―
On their way to Amegakure, Ino was practically in the lead the whole time. Toushiro had decided to not question her, only because he felt there was already too much tension between them than he could endure without losing his composure. That was why he wordlessly complied with her desire to stay at an inn when the night fall. And since she was the only one who could see him there, it was pretty much expected that she only requested a room with a single bed. Not that he cared about the arrangement, considering that he didn't really need to sleep to stay on his top performance. So the two stubbornly kept their tense silence even after they got themselves in the room with the door locked.
There, the female laid on the bed seductively, and the male simply chose to rest his back against the wall. His still apathetic look even after seeing her in such a compromising position annoyed her to no end. So she decided to loosen her Shihakusho a bit, showing him a nice view of her cleavage. She then smiled sultrily.
"Come lay with me, darling. Aren't you tired?"
"No, thank you. It's impossible for me to be physically tired by normal means."
"Sounds promising. Aah, it would surely be a long night for us. I just know how to make you pleasantly tired. Still... aren't you already tired of pushing me away, pretending there's nothing going on between us?"
"Rest assured, there is nothing noteworthy going on between us. You know I'm not interested in under-aged girls."
There it was again. She absolutely hated when he brought that nonsense up as an excuse. Did he think she was blind or something?
"Oh, really? Do you honestly think I didn't see you back there flirting with my best friend?"
Interesting. He could see a trace of jealousy there and perhaps even possessiveness. He knew if he took a good advantage of it, he could finally make her stop making his life so complicated. It was not something to be proud of for sure. So the least he could do was silently apologized to the best friend in question for using her even indirectly before he began.
"She seems mature enough to me."
"Hah. Don't make me laugh. She's still a virgin for a reason."
"A good reason perhaps. I know I would like to give it a try and make her a woman if she let me."
Despite having ice element, she felt her whole body burned in heartbreaking anger. She couldn't help resenting her best friend for beating her once again. But it was nothing compared to her hatred for this insufferable male. He had not only made her feel like the dirtiest trash but also dared to treat her precious friend like a prize to sate his twisted desire.
"You disgusting bastard. Stay away from her!"
"Why? Someone as kind and caring as her could make me feel alive and want to stay alive. At the very least, she wouldn't like to see my live execution."
She winced for being reminded of her own words, but she tried to not let it affect her.
"You don't deserve to live. You don't deserve her!"
"Perhaps I don't deserve to live. But who do I deserve if may ask? You?"
"Like hell."
"Still thinking so highly of yourself, I see. Compared to your friend, you two are like night and day. You're no more virtuous than a disgusting bastard like me."
Then it happened. She sniffled. She cried.
All the while, he watched her stoically. It surprised him that some part of him relished and took pride in being able to make such a proud girl weep like this. And it sickened him. All he managed to accomplish by trying to push her away was bringing up the evilness within him. He had to stop this.
A while later, once she calmed down enough, she looked up in defeat.
"So it's true... It's because I'm not as pure as Sakura that you don't like me..."
"That's just absurd. I'm not a hypocrite."
"Still, you don't like me... Am I not pretty enough for you, Toushiro?"
"You're one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen."
"You're joking..."
"You really don't know me then. Before when I was lying, you believe me right away, but now when I'm telling the truth, you deny it."
What a plot twist. Such a plot twist was just too good to be true, she was sure of that. This guy before her was a master of manipulation. He was a seasoned player. He was only using her. Even then, hope began to blossom in her heart, and she was helpless to stop it. Oh, who was she kidding? She cheered on it!
"... So you don't fancy Sakura?"
"Not particularly."
"... So you think I'm the prettiest girl?"
"One of them, out of the ones I've seen so far, and I've seen more than plenty enough."
For some reason, she blushed madly like never before. This was so out of character of her. She had never doubt her prettiness even for a second. Many others had told her how pretty she was, heck even this boy had offhandedly said before that she was pretty. What was so different this time?
Meanwhile, this strange display of hers began to disturb him.
"You look sickening, Yamanaka. Stop blushing. It doesn't suit you."
"You jerk! Does it hurt your pride to be sweet to me once in a while? I'm just a girl in love!"
"In love?"
She tensed for a moment, unsure of how to confess this to him, or if she should confess at all... In the end, she sighed in resignation.
"It's just... being away from you made me wish we could just go back to the way we were before... We were bickering all the time, annoying the hell out of each other... And yet, I enjoyed every moment of it. It's funny. It was definitely not the happiest time of my life, not even close but... somehow, I felt strangely complete like I've never been before. I want to relish it again. I don't want to be away from you ever again."
"So you're in love with me. This won't end well, Yamanaka."
"I know that! Gawd! Just entertain me, would you? We have an agreement, remember? That's why I decided to spend the night here with you. All I wish is to be with you... even just once."
"It's done then. You've been with me ever since we started this journey. We've also been together for a year in the Dangai, just the two of us in fact."
"Don't play dumb with me, you jerk! You know what I meant! I want you inside me, Toushiro!" Unbelievable, she never thought that she really had to say such a thing out loud to him just to get her point across.
"If you only wish for such a trivial thing, we shouldn't have wasted time by going to this inn. We could've simply done it in the woods once we left the others."
"In the woods?! You're the worst, you know that?! Fuck you, Toushiro! Just go die - Umph!"
She was left pleasantly shocked as she suddenly found herself being pinned down on the bed by the white-haired male. He was right on top of her, staring at her flushed face intensely.