"So what's this important task?" Seinousuke prodded, fixing his gaze on Aizen.

Aizen looked from one visitor to the other before answering. "You...are being reassigned, Yamada."

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow and folded his arms in front of him. "How's that going to help?"

The Soul King raised an eyebrow. "You have, no doubt, heard the common saying in the human world: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

"And? Get to the point." The 'demon' narrowed his black eyes. "How does this involve me and Yume?"

"Yamada-kun!" Hikifune interjected.

Aizen sighed but returned Seinousuke's intense gaze. "Yamada...you are the head of your family, are you not?"

"Twelfth head of the Yamada family, eighth head of the Uematsu family."

Hikifune's eyes widened at this admission. "You come from two families of healers, then?"

"Where's this discussion going?" Seinousuke demanded. He looked Aizen in the eye one last time. "Tell me what's going on, Sousuke, or I'm leaving."

Taken back by his stepfather's sudden candor, Aizen cleared his throat. "It is my understanding that, as head of the Yamada family, you oversee several clinics throughout Soul Society. One of those clinics is in Rukongai #1, convenient to the nobles. It has, unfortunately, been closed for many years now."

"Now we're getting somewhere, I hope."

"How difficult would it be, Yamada, for you to reopen that clinic?" He paused to breathe.

Seinousuke closed his eyes and began to think. "It wouldn't be too hard. But why?"

"That location would allow you to observe the comings and goings of the nobility, including Tsunayashiro Tokinada. Furthermore, Tsunayashiro may be drawn to that clinic because of your...reputed lack of scruples."

"I don't like this, Sousuke. How much time would I have to spend away from home...and Yume?"

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. Aizen opened the door to see Kirinji and Senjumaru with fresh clothes.

"Took you long enough," Seinousuke muttered under his breath.

"Senjumaru! Where is my mother?" Aizen wanted to know.

"I took her and her cat straight to the temple. They went in the front door, and I left."

"Very well," he nodded. "Now, if you would please summon Hyosube and Nimaiya...?"

Now safely inside the living quarters at the Minamoto Temple, Yume set Ringo down next to the litter box. Once finished, the cat looked up at Yume and began to meow plaintively.

"What wrong...Ringo? You...hungry?" She tilted her head as the cat lay down next to her water bowl. Rummaging through the refrigerator, she found some milk. "You...want some?" At this, Ringo's ears perked up. Eagerly, she lapped up the nutritious liquid, occasionally looking up at Yume with gratitude. Now satisfied, Ringo made her way to the living room and climbed onto the couch to peer out the window. Once again, the curious meowing began, and the cat seemed to be looking for something.

"Ringo?" Yume asked worriedly. "What...you look for?"

Not finding what she was looking for, Ringo jumped down from the couch and plodded to her cat bed, where she immediately fell asleep. Soon, there was a knock at the door. Drowsily, the cat accompanied Yume to the door, where Yuiko stood holding a large plastic bag.

"Yuiko!" Yume welcomed her guest. "Not...your day...come here. But glad...see you." She motioned to Yuiko to come in for tea, with Ringo following close behind. Much to both women's amusement, the cat kept sniffing at the bag until everyone got to the kitchen. "Ringo? Why...do that?" Yume wondered.

Yuiko laughed knowingly. "It's OK, Yume-san. I think this is something she likes." She opened the bag to reveal two fillets of fresh tuna. "Aunt Sachiko had some extra today, and she knows how much you like rice balls with tuna, so..."

Ringo was now circling the bag, ready to pounce. She looked up questioningly at Yuiko and then Yume. "Ringo...want tuna?" The cat meowed with anticipation, her blue-gray eyes glistening with excitement.

"I guess Ringo's having tuna then," Yuiko remarked, shaking her head and grinning at the now energetic cat. "She's gotten so big. How many years has it been now?"

Carefully rinsing and chopping the tuna, Yume thought for a moment. "Sei-kun...find her...at community garden...about twelve years ago. Bring her here...treat her...feed her. Sei-kun...bond with Ringo...right away. Not want...make her leave. Sei-kun...love cats...always want...cat. So Ringo...part of family."

"How'd you and Yamada-san come up with the name Ringo, though? That's not a common name for a cat."

Now done chopping the tuna, Yume scraped it onto a plate and placed it next to Ringo's water bowl. The two women watched the cat sniff the fresh fish before savoring it. "Sei-kun...name her Ringo...because...find her...asleep...under apple tree. My ancestor...Minamoto Sousuke...love woman...but she die...before Sousuke...propose. Sousuke...plant apple tree...honor her. Her name...Ringo...too."

"Lord Tokinada!" young Hikone exclaimed incredulously. "You would let me help you with such a grand plan?"

"Hikone..." Tsunayashiro murmured, never opening his eyes or turning around. "Let me sleep. Now...is not the time to go into detail."

"Oh. If you say so," the youngster sighed apologetically. "Then please, Lord Tokinada, sleep well. No one will disturb you while I'm here." With that, the child bounded off with new enthusiasm.

"Ah, Hikone," Tsunayashiro rasped once the child was out of earshot. "You...are central to my 'grand plan.' Just wait and see, child. Aizen Sousuke...will only think Yhwach was a threat to his existence." Contentedly, he went back to sleep.

"Kirinji! Senjumaru! What's this about?" an irate Seinousuke demanded, emerging from the bedroom with the clothes the two Royal Guard members had brought for him.

"You don't like it, Yamada?" Kirinji responded with fake sympathy.

"No!" his favorite target snapped irritably. "I'm not wearing something this ridiculous!"

"Be a sport, Yamada-kun," Hikifune soothed. "You can change into something else when you get home."

"How about I change into something else now?" He motioned to the snug-fitting pink tee and matching shorts. "Who thought this was a good idea?"

"Ah, Sei-chan," Niimaiya cut in, trying not to laugh. "You don't look that bad, yo. At least you have nice legs, yo."

"Cut the crap," the 'demon' fumed, glaring at everyone else. "Sousuke! Can't you step in here?"

Stifling his amusement, the Soul King finally intervened. "Kirinji..." he coughed. "I do not consider this...appropriate attire...for a meeting."

"It's not appropriate for anything!" Now exasperated, Seinousuke stormed back into the bedroom and put his robe back on over the pink outfit. Soon, he was back at the table, arms folded in front of him. "If playtime's over for you people, then how about you tell me what this task involves?"

After everyone's tea was refreshed, the group went over the details of Aizen's plan. "We will implement this when classes resume in spring," Aizen announced.

"Yume's going to catch on pretty quickly," Seinousuke objected. "I don't like the idea of keeping secrets from her."

"My mother's safety is foremost in my mind," Aizen insisted. "You need only to tell her what her role will be."

With that, the meeting adjourned, and the participants went their separate ways. "Guest lecturer, huh?" Kirinji muttered.

It wasn't long before a weary Seinousuke let himself into the living quarters of the Minamoto Temple. He was glad that the back door led to the kitchen, because he was hungry after the meeting he had had with Aizen and the Royal Guard. Pensively locking the door, he rummaged through the refrigerator for something to eat.

Soon, he heard an insistent meow as Ringo rubbed up against him. "Hey there. You miss me?" her pet father chuckled, bending down to pet her. "You're going to be part of this too," he murmured as the cat leaned back to let him scratch him under her chin. Ringo purred contentedly before abruptly starting to sniff around in the refrigerator.

"Where'd we get tuna?" Seinousuke wondered, picking up the bag. Ringo's eyes were opened wide, and she was studying him with anticipation.

"Sei-kun!" Yume called delightedly. "You...just get here?"

"Yeah," he replied, pecking her on the cheek. "Sousuke has a proposition for you."

"Proposition...for me?" She tilted her head curiously. "What...proposition?"

"If you're up to fixing tea for us, we can talk about it over tea." He sidled toward the bedroom to change out of the embarrassing pink outfit. Unfortunately for him, Yume caught a glimpse of it under his robe.

"Sei-kun? Not know...you like pink."

"I don't," he winced. "This was Kirinji's idea of a joke." Glumly, he continued, "It was embarrassing. Everyone was laughing. You...won't laugh, will you?"

"Not like...this outfit," Yume admitted, wrapping her arms around him and looking him in the eye. "But...love Sei-kun. Sei-kun...not worry. Put on...clothes you like. Throw away...this."

Relieved, Seinousuke retreated to the bedroom. As he took off his robe and changed into his favorite sweater, he debated with himself about how to explain Aizen's plan to Yume. He hoped she wouldn't ask too many questions, but he knew how seriously she took her role as queen mother and priestess of Shinatobe. She'd want to know everything, and she'd be furious when she found out that everyone was keeping things from her. With a sigh, he returned to the kitchen.

There, Ringo was once again meowing plaintively as she "helped" Yume look for snacks in the refrigerator. "Ringo...not need...more tuna...today," Yume told her, picking her up and setting her next to the water dish. "Need water."

"Where'd you get tuna, Ringo?" Seinousuke wanted to know. "We usually just get you that 'Kitty Kibble' from the human world."

"Yuiko...bring tuna...for me," Yume explained. "Ringo...smell tuna...start meowing. Now...think...tuna for her."

Once tea was ready, the couple sat at the dining room and talked about the day's events. "Senjumaru told me you were a big hit at the medical academy today."

"Not know...what to say." She laughed. "President Iemura...keep calling me...'Your Excellency.'"

"Good. Did you like the academy?"

"Liked...big garden...open spaces...friendly students...nice offices. Not see...classrooms yet."

"Would you like to spend more time at the academy?"

"What...I do there?"

"You'll find out. It's part of Sousuke's proposition." He nodded to Ringo, who was still sulking about the tuna. "She can be part of this, too."

"Good. Not leave...Ringo...alone all day...at temple."

"We'll talk more about this before spring semester starts. I've got some other arrangements to make."