EDIT (8-8-18): Edited formatting

Previously...

The Convention Center arc ended with the Uchiha Police Force swarming the building after Itachi Uchiha was rumored to be loose in the vicinity. Unbeknownst to Sasuke, this was his brother's plan in order to remove police from tracking Naruto and to ensure he could escape with the yell of his name. While the high class families of the area were allowed to leave, others were stuck inside, allegedly with a killer. Paranoia, fear, and anger culminated into a riot against police, in which Ichigo, Rin, Naruto, and finally Yukio attempted to break out of the convention center. After all the pandemonium, Itachi came away with the lead that True Cross Academy might be following Naruto...

Chapter 6: The Demons of the High Class

Bam bam.

Yukio's head snapped up from his homework, his grip instinctively on the pistol at his waist.

He waited, staring at the window breathlessly.

Bam bam.

Yukio breathed a sigh of relief and released his grip around the weapon, seeing a gloved fist disappear above his window frame.

Pushing out his chair, Yukio stood up and crossed the beige-carpeted room in five paces. Looking up and down the street, he saw no one. He pulled open the window, breathing in the crisp October air and automatically shivered.

"Yo, took you long enough."

Yukio choked on his breath as Shura Kirigakure's head popped into his vision, her long red ponytail dangling below the windowsill.

"What are you doing?" Yukio hissed. "Get in here!"

Upside-down, Shura smirked before falling into the room.

"Getting pretty bold, aren't you, Four Eyes?"

Yukio slammed the window shut and leaned against it. Shura wandered about his room, stopping by his desk in the corner.

"Homework, huh?"

"What do you want?"

Shura turned around and met Yukio's narrowed eyes.

"Whaddaya mean? Can't stop by for a chat?"

Yukio glared.

"If this were just a chat, I advise you to use the front door next time. You know that's the best way to get free food."

Shura scoffed.

"Trying to say something, Four Eyes?"

Yukio continued glaring. Shura sighed and flipped Yukio's desk chair around, sitting in it backwards.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. I've got some info from Mephisto."

"Sir Pheles? What does he want? Is this about the situation that broke out at the convention center last week?"

It had already been a week since the "Reappearance of Itachi Uchiha: Konoha's Greatest Enemy," as the police paid the newspapers to print the fiasco as. Of course, as Yukio had predicted, there were no signs of Itachi anywhere.

The press conference Police Chief Uchiha called for had the teen heir grinding his teeth, glaring at all in attendance.

He was not crazy.

So he claimed.

"Wha? No, nothing as boring as that. Though I did hear that you grew the balls to shoot the doors open?"

Shura slyly grinned, causing Yukio to groan.

"Rin and the others weakened it first," He muttered.

Yukio's brow furrowed in thought.

Still, if it wasn't about that then that could only imply that something happened in the Order…

"Well? I haven't a clue what you're here for." He admitted.

Shura sighed.

"Must I explain everything?"

"Please do," Replied Yukio.

Shura didn't respond but sat silently in the chair, an unreadable expression on her face.

"So…For the past month I've been secretly observing the Konoha Shinobi Academy."

"You mean Konoha High?" Asked Yukio in surprise.

"Right, that's what it goes by." Shura vaguely added. "Anyway, it's been pretty tough considering their security. I haven't been able to gather anything too revolutionary but-"

"But what? Why were you observing them? If it was to search for suspicious activity, everyone knows that they're a strictly disciplined school with a strong military program. If you're fearing a coup, I doubt that would happen in light of the past Uchiha-"

"Hold it, Four Eyes. You know as well as I do that Sir Pheles couldn't care less about some average human dispute."

Yukio leveled his gaze, mouth twitching in concentration.

"Something demonic?"

"Bingo."

Yukio stared at Shura, attempting to gauge if this was one of her practical jokes or not.

"You're serious. If this is about the Sage of the Six Paths-"

"Not just him."

Yukio's eyes shot open.

"W-what?"

For once, Shura looked oddly serious.

"The Sage of the Six Paths and the Tailed Beasts."

"The-the Tailed Beasts?" Yukio exclaimed.

"Keep it down! Yeah. Konoha High, or more specifically the regions around here, have a lot to do with them."

"But… The Order knows the whereabouts of all the-"

"Not exactly."

"Wh-what?"

"Y'see, the Illuminati got their hands on some of them, right?"

"The Nine-Tails."

"Part of the Nine-Tails."

"Part?"

Head swimming, Yukio unconsciously headed for his bed and sat down. His gaze fell aimlessly to his hands as he attempted to grasp the situation.

"What was contained in Kamiki Izumo's mother was only part of the Fox- a greatly weakened and ancient part."

"You're kidding me… So Konoha knows where all the Tailed Beasts are."

Shura issued a short, grave nod.

"About. The Konoha region has one Tailed Beast in their possession. That's the good news."

"Explain."

"There's one Tailed Beast residing in the Konoha region, another in the Kumo region."

"All the way in Kumo? Shit, wait-"

"That's right, Kumo and Konoha don't get along very well, do they?"

"You think a war might start." Yukio surmised, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.

Shura shrugged.

"I don't think anything; this is all Mephisto's problem. The fact is that while those two are known, the other seven…" Shura trailed off, her gaze shifting to Yukio's desk.

"What…? The Illuminati?"

Shura shook her head, ponytail swaying behind her.

"Nope, I wish."

A pang shot through Yukio's heart.

"Someone worse…"

Shura nodded.

"Allegedly, they call themselves the 'Akatsuki.' They're a group of infamous criminals gathered from all the main regions excluding Kumo."

"They're collecting the Tailed Beasts? But why?"

Shura shrugged.

"No idea. That's all the info I got from Konoha High. Well, that and they've got some pretty damn skilled trackers…" She mumbled.

Silently, Yukio processed this information.

"So we need to find the remaining Tailed Beasts before the Akatsuki do."

"Yup. Either that or kill all the Akatsuki. Or a combo. Whatever Mephisto decides."

Yukio's eyes narrowed.

"Shouldn't you be taking this more seriously? There are Tailed Beasts loose and a war could break out any minute!"

Shura grinned.

"Calm down, we'll be fine. You and Rin can handle it, right?"

With that, Shura got up, strolled over to the window, pulled it up, and stuck her leg out. Still grinning, she faced Yukio as she climbed out and swung a leg up onto the roof.

"Oh, and try to keep this info from Rin. Don't want him mistakenly chasing down the Illuminati."

Shura waved and disappeared onto the roof.

Yukio sighed and walked over to the window. He stuck his head out and looked up. No one. Sighing once more, he retreated back into his room and slammed the window shut.

"The Illuminati?"

"Yes, my lord. They're a rather auspicious organization that's going around kidnapping demons. Pathetic, really."

One of Sebastian's fangs glinted in the lighting as he grinned. Ciel looked back at his report, a cup of tea suspended in his grasp.

"I'm not freeing them all if that's what you're after. It's not like they're contracted or anything either, so I doubt they're a threat to me."

Sebastian smirked.

"Of course, my lord. As I was saying, the Illuminati is no threat to us. The shinigami, however…"

Ciel's head shot up from his paperwork, a wide-eyed gaze falling on Sebastian.

"Shinigami?"

Sebastian nodded.

"Yes. In addition to demons on this street, I've noticed some shinigami I'm curious about…"

"Curious? Sebastian, shinigami only serve to get in our way. And did I hear you say 'demons?' On our street?"

Sebastian issued a curt nod.

"Would I lie, my lord?"

Ciel glared.

"Very well. The shinigami are an interesting case. I was unaware of their power until I saw them conversing with a visitor of the same nature."

"Stop being so vague."

"Of course. Some shinigami have advanced to utilizing humanoid shells or appearances so that they can freely navigate the human world."

"Why not just disappear, like they already can?" Interrupted Ciel.

"Hm, it is a mystery to me." Sebastian relented with a smile, shrugging. "Anyway, it seems that this helps them blend in better, but they can still sense others of their kind through spiritual power, or reiatsu. All of these techniques originated in this area, so Grell Sutcliff, Ronald Knox, and all the others we are familiar with… Well, they might be outdated, so to speak."

"From this area, hm?"

"I suppose it depends on their organization as well."

"Organization?"

"As you may have heard, the Reapers from our country work for the Shinigami Dispatch Association, which punishes those who have committed suicide into watching other deaths. There is, however, a larger organization in charge of maintaining the balance between the living and the dead."

"You're kidding…"

Sebastian shook his head.

"I'm not. This organization is known as the Gotei 13- it exists in an area known as Soul Society, or the World of the Dead."

Ciel narrowed his eye.

"I don't believe in an afterlife."

Sebastian chuckled.

"Whatever you want to believe, young master. As I was saying, the Gotei 13 is Soul Society's military and has specific spirits- shinigami- in charge of collecting souls from the World of the Living as well as defeating souls that were never saved who threaten the balance between both worlds."

"This sounds foolish and impossible," Bluntly deemed Ciel.

Sebastian smirked.

"Of course, my lord. However, you and I cannot pretend these beings known as shinigami do not exist. We have seen them many times. The fact remains that I have seen shinigami of the Gotei 13 in this area, both donning human forms and in their natural spiritual forms."

"So there are shinigami around from a militaristic organization. Interesting, but after that lengthy explanation, I see no reason to be concerned about the demons on this street. The shinigami will take care of them, right? Are you just worried about your kind being defeated?"

Sebastian snorted, cuing Ciel to raise an eyebrow.

"Not in the least, my lord. The demons on this street are nothing like myself. One is a hybrid- half human, half demon- and the other…"

"Well? What about the other?"

Sebastian smiled coyly.

"I cannot defeat the other."

Ciel's jaw dropped and his eye narrowed.

"Excuse me?"

"I doubt I can defeat him, in all honesty. Though if he stays in this state…"

"What state? Stop stalling and answer me."

Sebastian smiled.

"Well, in this state, as rude as it would be of me, I could easily eliminate him."

Ciel breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair.

"Hmph. Don't be so melodramatic then."

Sebastian stepped forward and collected the young master's teacup.

"It's gone cold, I'm afraid." He said concerning the tea, placing it on a silver platter.

"Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord?"

"We now know that there are demons and shinigami in this area, who should take care of each other. While that information is valuable, it has nothing to do with the Gedo Mazo."

Sebastian chuckled as he headed to the door, platter in hand.

"Well, True Cross Academy is where you should look concerning that one, my lord."

"Wha-"

The door shut, leaving Ciel's question unanswered.

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the house.

It had been another long day of work- first a script reading of her new assignment, then Kimagure Rock, and finally a shift at Darumaya.

It was only evening, but Kyoko felt like plopping into bed and going straight to sleep.

Only now she had homework and lines to learn.

Trudging up the stairs, she headed right to her room only to trip up the last carpeted step, falling flat on her face in the hall.

She groaned, not moving.

"Uh, you okay?"

Kyoko glanced up to see Ichigo Kurosaki standing to her right, staring down at her while opening a soda.

Slowly, Kyoko fumbled to her feet, glaring all the while.

"Whoever built these stairs will have his family be cursed for the next ten generations."

"Wh-whoa, calm down!"

Ichigo clutched his soda and backed a few inches away from Kyoko. He knew like everyone else she had encountered that Kyoko Mogami's curses often came true.

Kyoko sighed.

"You're right. I suppose the next five generations will be enough." She mumbled, trudging past Ichigo.

"That's not the point…" Muttered Ichigo, looking over his shoulder to see her fall into her doorway. "Are...are you sure you don't need help?"

A few minutes later saw Kyoko sitting on her bed and Ichigo on her floor, each poring over a book.

Kyoko's head jerked up, startling Ichigo, and she tossed her book to him who albeit stunned, expertly caught it.

Kyoko sat up straight and cleared her throat.

"Ranger Black, I think they're onto us… If we don't find the cube soon, we'll be outed as humans!"

Ichigo stared at her, scratching his head.

"The cube?"

Kyoko vigorously nodded.

"Yes! It's a cube that possesses infinite power and can grant anyone's deepest desires."

Ichigo checked the script once more.

"And 'Ranger Black' refers to… Oh no, don't tell me…"

"Ranger Black! He's a Karakuraizer!"

Ichigo groaned and fell back on the floor.

"You're kidding me. Your next project is the Karakura Rangers?"

Kyoko looked up in thought.

"Sort of. They've been talking about multiple routes for adaptation."

Ichigo sat up.

"Huh?"

"Well," Kyoko continued, "the plot isn't finalized yet, apparently."

Ichigo winced.

"Whaddaya mean the plot isn't finalized? Who's running this operation if they already have actors for a vague project!"

Kyoko nervously laughed.

"Yeah, it's pretty strange. It sounds like a good change of pace though. Regardless of all the revisions, it seems that the show will definitely be about spiritual investigators."

Ichigo's face deadpanned.

"Spiritual investigators… Ha. If you need any help just let me know." He added, rising from the floor with his book and heading out the door.

Kyoko stared after him and then at her empty, open doorway.

"Does Ichigo know a lot about spirits?" Kyoko wondered aloud.

Knock knock.

Byakuya Kuchiki looked up from his desk, pausing in writing a report. His home office was dimly lit with a large, lacquered agarwood desk filling its center. A few candles and lamps provided him with enough light to work by. On a small cabinet behind him sat an incense tray, few sticks lit and filling the room with gently sweet scent.

"Sir, your four 'o clock is here." Renji's voice announced from the other side of the thick door.

Byakuya set his pen down and gazed at the door.

"Let him in," Ordered Byakuya.

On the other side of the door, Renji nodded and inserted his key to unlock Byakuya's office (the man preferred to lock himself in, ready if any emergency should arise).

The locks tumbled about and finally the door creaked open, white light spilling into Byakuya's darkened chambers.

The bright, smiling form of Jushiro Ukitake emerged from this light and stood before Byakuya.

Renji closed the door from the hallway.

"Good afternoon, Captain Kuchiki."

Byakuya nodded.

"Any word?"

Ukitake's smile left his face.

"No, I'm afraid not."

The man coughed.

"Excuse me. As I said, there is no news regarding the strangely low hollow count for this area."

"Kisuke Urahara?"

"Investigating it as we speak. He said it's been happening for some time… It's only a theory but…"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"But?"

"I believe, as does Urahara, that True Cross Academy may have something to do with it. That, or the rumor about abnormal reapers."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed.

"Abnormal reapers?"

"Ah, yes, you might be a bit young for this. Abnormal reapers are the shinigami who are not under the Gotei 13's rule. They use different techniques and generally vary from region to region. They often review records to see whether or not a human should live or die, unlike those of us who just collect souls. I've heard a few rumors that there might be one or two in this area, but I have no evidence to support my claim."

Byakuya raised a hand to his chin.

"Hm… It's a good idea to keep in mind. Thank you."

Ukitake nodded.

"Oh, and are you still considering requesting forces at Ouran Academy?"

Byakuya remained stoic-faced.

"Perhaps. There have been suspicious movements of other organizations concerning Ouran, but as of now it's of no threat to Soul Society."

Ukitake smiled.

"I'll leave things in your hands then."

He turned toward the door, reaching for the doorknob as Byakuya addressed him.

"Are you going back today?" The clan leader asked.

"Yes, I have a meeting with the commander." Ukitake admitted over his shoulder. "I'll be going now so you can resume your duties here. Good luck."

With that, the white haired man opened the door and left, leaving Byakuya to ponder the state of things spiritual and ideological around the Konoha region.

x

The Tailed Beasts, the Gedo Mazo, a low hollow count...

There's more than meets the eye when it comes to the protagonists' rich neighbors...

Next time...

Investigation attempts on our heroes' ends are overshadowed by a new development with the Uchiha Police.