Only You Understand
By: theunknownvoice
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
A/N: I promised another KaiRuki and I delivered. So read and review pretty please.
Chapter 1: Hidden in the Files
Aizen's legacy of experimentation ran throughout Soul Society. Many of the files were encrypted and hidden but that didn't stop Matsumoto and Hitsugaya for searching for them. Too many secrets had been hid from the other shinigami.
Matsumoto hated paperwork but right now she would relish it. At least in the office she could fall asleep while her cute little taicho filled out paperwork. The office couch was comfortable enough for her to lie down on.
The Central 46's archives were full of classified research.
"What are we doing here Taicho?"
Hitsugaya shook himself out of the research. It was dry reading even for him and he was grateful for Matsumoto's interruption.
"We're finding the files that Aizen used for his research."
"Taicho, do you really believe he has found a way to combine a hollow and a shinigami?"
Hitsugaya could see the worry in her blue eyes. His fukutaicho had been through hell because of Aizen. Gin's betrayal was enough to push Matsumoto over the edge. She had spent her days in a sake caused stupor. She mourned with Hisagi and Izuru the betrayal of the captains and the sake bottle was never empty.
Hitsugaya had taken the sake bottles and thrown them out. He had given Matsumoto work in order to prevent her from drinking. Members of the other divisions especially the third and ninth fukutachios, Matsumoto's drinking buddies, were not allowed in the office.
She wanted to die, and Hitsugaya wouldn't let her kill herself.
Gin had hurt her just as Hinamori had hurt him and he wasn't going to allow his fukutachio to suffer alone. That was why when the sotaicho asked him to lead in an investigation of Aizen's research, Hitsugaya had said that he would do it as long as Matsumoto was his assistant.
For the first time Hitsugaya could admit he was afraid not for himself but for Matsumoto. He couldn't lie to her. He couldn't pretend there was nothing wrong.
"I'm sure he has."
Matsumoto shuddered as she turned back to the files.
-
Mayuri Kurotsuchi hated that man.
He had always hated him and he always would hate him. That bastard Urahara had everything Kurotsuchi wanted.
He was famous for his developments and Kurotsuchi had one great success. Nemu was his creation and she was loyal to him. The most faithful and devoted of the dogs that served him and that was why he would never suspect her of going through his files or doing what she was doing now.
"Hello Nemu-chan."
Nemu tried not to smile at the man who had been a second father to her. The communication device had been one of Urahara's inventions and it seemed appropriate that he had a way to be contacted.
"It is good to Urahara-san."
"I take it old robot face doesn't know you're contacting me?"
"Mayuri-sama isn't here at the moment. Sotaicho Yamamoto asked that you be contacted by our division and I decided to be the one to follow the order.
Urahara bit back a smile. "I'm glad it's you, Nemu, and not your father. So what can I do for Soul Society?"
"Yamamoto-sotachio wants to know what you know about Aizen's hollow development."
"I can tell you my suspicious and some of what I know but it isn't much."
"Please Urahara-san…we need to know."
Kisuke Urahara knew then that he could trust Nemu. The girl wouldn't judge and she wasn't like her father. Her loyalty lay strictly with Soul Society.
"Be prepared to take notes."
"Hai, Urahara-san," Nemu said as she pulled at a notebook.
Urahara chuckled the kid was good.
-
Yamato sat in his chambers. Fukutachio Kurotsuchi had brought him her notes regarding the hollow experiments. The girl had been quick about it and Yamamoto suspected she didn't want her father to know she had contacted Urahara.
He could understand the young woman's worries and had already decided that if she was this loyal then perhaps she should be allowed to work on more projects without her father's constant supervision.
It was worth considering.
The knock on the door shook the old man from his thoughts. He wasn't expecting his fukutaicho Sasakibe to arrive for some time.
"Enter."
He glanced at the two shinigami before him. "I had assumed Hitsugaya-taicho that it would take you and Matsumoto-fukutachio several weeks to have finished your research."
"Sir, you informed my taicho that if we found anything of interest to bring to you right away," Matsumoto said.
"Yes, I did."
Hitsugaya moved forward with a file in his hands. "I believe sotaicho that you would want to have a look at this."
"Come on Taicho. Can't we take a break?"
"Matsumoto we'll break in another hour. We still haven't scratched the surface."
Hitsugaya continued to focus on the file in front of him. Most of it appeared to be about research involving gigais but one never knew if there was something hidden more in the text.
"Taicho?"
He glanced at his fukutaichou.
"Can we take a break now?"
"It's no like I said five seconds ago."
This was really boring. Apparently gigais had some weaknesses but most shinigami knew that but this was an in depth study of how to perfect a gigai. Each step of the research had been described.
"Taicho?"
"No."
"But Taicho—"
"MATSUMOTO!"
She giggled. "I knew you'd react that way Taicho."
Hitsugaya simply rolled his eyes. That woman could drive him crazy.
The rest of the hour passed in silence. So far he had read about the gigais and a few experiments with mod souls. There was nothing too special.
He was about to call it lunch when he glanced at Matsumoto.
Her face was ashen as she looked at the file in front of her. She quickly glanced away from the file and ran to the trash can to throw up. Hitsugaya grimaced at the sound of her retching and reached for the file himself. The minute he read the title he too felt sick.
Yamamoto read the file after hearing the lengthy explanation.
"I want you to keep this information between yourselves. However, I will allow Kuchiki Rukia to be told."
Matsumoto swallows. She remembers the lonely look on Rukia's face the day after she had come back from fighting the hollow. Matsumoto had lost a comrade that day but Rukia had lost someone even more precious.
Rukia had been consumed by guilt and here was the chance to fix that and then Yamamoto's words bring the world crashing down.
"Of course Kuchiki Byakuya must be consulted first."
Matsumoto knows then that Rukia won't be told the truth. The truth that the hollow that merged with Shiba Kaien wasn't dead. That somewhere a piece of Shiba Kaien still exists but if Kaien was one thing it was a survivor.
-
"You always were an arrogant prick."
The sixth division captain tried to reign in his temper. He didn't need this from the thirteenth bantai's fukutaicho especially in his own home.
"I don't deserve this from you. This isn't any of your business. Rukia is under my care and she is my sister."
"Sister or replacement for your dead wife?" Kaien's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Don't you dare insinuate such a thing."
"You want to handicap Rukia and prevent her from earning rank. You want to keep her sheltered just like Hisana."
"This isn't your business."
"She's my subordinate."
"Since when do you ever go this far for a subordinate?"
Kaien's hands were on his zanpakuto but he didn't draw. "If anything happens to her because of you I swear you'll regret it."
"This that a threat Shiba-san."
"It's a promise Kuchiki-san."
Byakuya blinked back the memory. He had been friends with the other children in the noble families since childhood. It had been friendships forged by their parents' desires that they become close.
It wasn't that Byakuya Kuchiki hadn't respected Kaien Shiba but they had been so different. Kaien was known to be the type of person to care about his subordinates but something was different about this. Byakuya could tell and so he watched.
The training room for the thirteenth bantai was normally empty. Byakuya didn't think much of it until he heard a familiar voice.
"You need to hold a zanpakuto like this. That stance will get you knocked about by a really strong hollow."
"But Kaien-dono—"
"There's no buts Kuchiki. You want to live right?"
"Hai."
"Then learn to hold your zanpakuto properly."
Byakuya can see her swing the wooden sword as she prepares to attack her vice-captain. She's getting faster and more confidence. The two practice sword and the sound of wood on wood echoes.
"Good Kuchiki, you'll be better than me in another few centuries. Or at least better than I am now."
Rukia only rolls her eyes. "I'll beat you one day, Kaien-dono."
Kaien grins. "I seriously doubt it."
At first Byakuya had reasoned it as some type of fondness for a subordinate. Kaien had recognized that Rukia was lonely and had decided to help her. It was nothing more than that. That was until the day we saw them at the lake.
"As long as you're in my division I'll stand by you. Even if I die."
The realization had hit Byakuya like a lightening bolt: He's in love with her.
Byakuya knew Kaien well enough to know that the man never made promises he didn't intend to keep. All of his actions towards Rukia had shown true affection but it wasn't the big brother in Kaien coming out. Kaien was protective of Rukia but it was more than that.
"Sister or replacement for your dead wife?"
Why hadn't he heard the jealous in his friend's voice then?
No, he could not tell Rukia of this. This would destroy her and break her. Byakuya only now had the chance to be the type of brother he wanted to be.
Byakuya glanced at the paperwork in front of him and looked towards the two members of the tenth bantai.
"Rukia is to not be informed."
Matsumoto only bit her lip.
To be continued….