Poisoned
byakuxhisa4eva
Chapter VI: Stories To Be Told
"Endo Sanosuke."
"Pardon?" Byakuya said, eyebrows raised.
"Endo Sanosuke, nii-sama." Rukia repeated, offering him a slip of paper, "He was that doctor's apprentice. He might have enough information to be your second witness. Find him."
Byakuya inclined his head, looking downward at the slip of paper in her hand, where a name and address were hazardously scrawled. "Rukia, how did you find this?"
Rukia hesitated, before breaking from her brother's gaze, "I went over all the letters and the newspaper article you told me about, and realized that though the doctor was murdered, the apprentice survived. I went into Rukongai and tracked him down."
"You went even though I told you not too?" Byakuya stated, looking at Rukia with a flat look in his eye, "Despite all I said?"
Rukia looked down at her feet, feeling her cheeks flare in embrassment. "Yes, nii-sama. I'm sorry...but, I really want to help you..."
A large hand on her head made her look up in surprise. Byakuya was looking down her, his lips tilting ever so slightly in a ghost of a smile. "Nii-sama?!" she gasped in shock.
"Thank you, Rukia."
"Good afternoon, Kuchiki-sama."
Byakuya nodded towards the shinigami seated behind the desk without so-much as looking in her direction, instead sweeping right past her into the dark doorway behind that lead into a large, cavernous chamber.
The Soul Society's library. Documents, manuscripts, and...records.
When he entered, a wave of dust immediately seemed to overwhelm his senses – the place hadn't been touched in so long due to lack of interest that even the air seemed stale. Nonetheless, Byakuya strolled forwards towards the glowing blue screen in the corner of the room; a computerized catalouge – one of the few useful inventions of Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
He entered 'Endo Sanosuke' with skilled ease, and waited. A screen popped up a second later, baring a quick overview of the very few facts know to Seireitei about him.
Endo Sanosuke
Died circa. 1923 and sent to West Rukon, 23rd district.
Later apprenticed to Takeda Kazuo until latter's death in 1951.
Currently living in West Rukon, 15th district.
That was it. All the infromation the largest library in exisitence had to offer; but then again, Byakuya wasn't surprised – Endo Sanosuke was but one souls among billions, unimportant in the eyes of the world. It was only people of rank and importance that ever had entire biographies written about them – people like Byakuya himself and Captains of the Gotei Thirteen and others of noble descent.
For now, it was enough to go on.
He quickly copied down the information on the shhet Rukia had given him, and disappeared in a blur.
He didn't notice the silent figure that had been crouched in the corner; it too blurred and disappeared.
Chiyo hummed to herself quietly, raising the vial to eye level and carefully scruntinizing its appearance for moments before making note of such on the sheets beside her. She set the vial back onto the rack, and picked up the next one; the last in the row. After careful observation, she scrawled down a couple more notes, before putting her pen down and retreiving a larger beaker from the side.
Carefully, she slowly tipped the contents of the vial into the beaker that was full of a clear white liquid, watching in fascination as it smoke seemed to form where the two liquids met, like a gaseous substance suspending in the liquid.
Then, shattering the silence, the mixture exploded outwards, sending ripples of clear and purple liquid all over the room.
"I trust this is not a regular occurence?" an emotionless voice cut through the thick clouds that had begun to rise from the now steaming remains of the beaker.
Chiyo squeaked, surprised, whirling around to come face to face with a noble looking man, dressed in a shinigami uniform (was that a Captain's haori?) and a elegant scarf.
"I am Kuchiki Byakuya." The man stated, and Chiyo followed her line of sight up to the tubes clamped in his hair – a sure sign of nobility. "Is Endo Sanosuke here?"
She blinked in confusion, why would this shinigami-noble be searching for her father? Surely he had not done anything wrong?
"Well?" Kuchiki Byakuya repeated, irratating becoming clear on his features. "Is he here?"
"Y-yes," Chiyo stuttered, bowing before him, "I'll go get him right away." With that, she fled behind a tattered curtain into the backrooms.
Moments later, a tall, middle-aged man emerged from behind the curtain, with Chiyo peering out nervously behind him.
"Kuchiki-sama," he bowed, "I am Endo Sanosuke. To what do I owe this honour?"
"I understand that you were apprenticed to the late Takeda Kazuo."
"Yes, that is true, Kuchiki-sama." Sanosuke confirmed.
"You were his apprentice at the time of his murder." Byakuya stated, inclining his head.
A flicker of hesitation passed through his eyes. "Chiyo," he addressed the young girl, "Go upstairs."
"But-" She began protesting, only to be cut off by the older man.
"Now."
"Alright."
When she had disappeared up the ragged flight of stairs, Sanosuke turned to the elegant noble. "To answer your question – yes, I was his apprentice at the time of Kazuo's murder."
The Kuchiki lord paused in his speech, regarding the man with flat look. "Fifty-five years ago, my wife was murdered."
"I am sorry for your loss, Kuchiki-sama." Sanosuke started, "But I do not know why you would seek out one such as myself for such a matter."
Byakuya's expression did not change, but a flash of emotion seemed to flicker through his cold eyes, that disappeared a second later. "Perhaps I should start at the beginning."
"That would be most helpful, milord."
"My wife, Hisana, had never been the strongest physically, but her immune system had lasted her through years in the Rukon. She had never had any health problems in the time I was aquainted with her, and I had made sure she had regular checkups at the Fourth Division. Four years into our marriage, she began to fall ill." His voice cracked at the end, as Byakuya remembered his heart clench and drop to his stomach when he had first heard the news all those years ago.
"The head of Seireitei's medical division, Captain Unohana, concluded it was most likely a disease Hisana had contracted during her frequent visits to Rukongai. Every other doctor I hired said the same. At the time, I too, believed this. The illness progressed, and Hisana's health dwindled with each passing day. A year after the discovery of her condition, she passed away." The noble's voice grew softer now, reminiscent; Sanosuke was sure he was revelling in the memories of his wife.
"I can understand your pain, milord." Byakuya stared at him with an expression shadowing disbelief, and Sanosuke quickly explained himself. "My wife, too, passed away of illness several years ago. Chiyo, my daughter, is the only reminder I had of her."
Byakuya tipped his head slightly in acknowledgement. "I also have a reminder of my wife; her younger sister, Rukia, whom I adopted into my family a year after her death. She is the mirror image of my late wife. However, this is where our stories differ; and is why I have come to find you."
Sanosuke nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"Just recently, I have come across evidence that suggests Hisana's death may not have been as it seemed."
"She was murdered." Sanosuke said, shock evident on his face.
"Yes." Byakuya nodded, "Poisoned, to be more precise."
"Who would do such a thing? I have always heard her to be an exceptionally kind woman."
"I am rather ashamed to say that it was members of my own family that commited such a crime." Anger flashed through his eyes. "However, they will soon face the consequences of their actions. I have set a trial date for the twenty-seventh of March."
"I still fail to see my involvement in this case, milord."
The noble slipped a sheet of paper across the wooden table towards the other man. "The law requires that I have two witnesses present during the trial to testify in my favour. You, as the late doctor's apprentice, may have valuable information that may be helpful in deciding the verdict."
"How are you sure I have such information?" Sanosuke asked, staring the noble in the eye.
"I am not, but I believe you to be an observant man," Byakuya stated simply, "You seem to understand much beyond what you reveal."
"I am hounored you have such high opinion of me, Kuchiki-sama." He bowed his head slightly, "However, I am the only trained doctor in this area – if I leave even for a few hours..."
"I will ensure that there will be a trained professional here to take your place during the time." Byakuya interrupted, "And any loss of profit I can make up to you. I will provide you with anything you need in order to obtain your willingness in this matter."
"Very well." Sanosuke agreed, nodding his consent. "I will prepare what I can."
"You have my thanks." Byakuya said, rising from the stiff wooden chair. "I will send a guard out to escort you on the day of the trial for your own safety."
"Of course, Kuchiki-sama," Sanosuke too, rose, and bowed, "But I have a favour to ask of you."
Byakuya paused on his way to the door. "What is it?"
"This poison you mention, is if possible for you to reveal which poison it is? I would like to examine it for myself."
"I can do better." Byakuya said, "I have a leftover sample I can leave with you, if you desire." He reached into the folds of his robes and extract a small blue bottle – the 'emergency dose'. "Learn what you can from it."
"Yes, thank you, milord."
"I will see you in a month."
"WHAT?! This cannot be? How did he find out?!" A raspy voice cried out.
"I do not know – but does it really matter? He knows now, and he is not happy!" Another voice answered him.
"I though we had taken every precaution to prevent this from happening! How did he know?!"
"Someone must have tipped him off – or perhaps he overheard our meeting. But that change nothing now – we are to be brought to trial in a month."
"Stop! This is insanity!" The oldest of the group commanded, and the rest fell into a hush. "Summon Byakuya-sama immediately – perhaps we can convince him otherwise."
"Are you insane? Byakuya-sama tolerates us at best – there is no way he will listen to us!"
"It does not matter." The older snapped. "Summon him immediately."
"But-"
"Now."
A/N: It been a while since I've updated...and I have no excuse, except the overly used 'too-much-homework'. However, it's Spring Break now, so I have an entire week to plan and write (and read more fanfiction, of course). Anyway, not much to say, except...uh oh! The Elders are pissed! Who knows what they might do to get their own way...
Anyway, I'm off now. BoA's US debut album is out today, and I must convince my parents to let me order it online! Since I live in Canada, the material version isn't on shelves un April 7th. Either way, I'll get it one way or another. I can't wait to hear the english version of Girls on Top. :)