I was grinning evilly while I was writing this, which really says everything about the chapter. Enjoy!
Green eyes took in the sight of the city at dusk. Though he wished to, he couldn't even enjoy being away from the endless bustle and responsibilities in Seireitei. Not with the reason for their visit weighing so heavily on his mind.
On days like these Juushirou truly felt the weight of his years.
"You didn't need to come," he told his companion. "I am perfectly capable of handling this."
"She is my sister, and rumour has that you are not feeling well. It would be remiss not to offer my assistance," was the monotone reply.
Juushirou hummed noncommittally. Though he was feeling a little feverish, he doubted that it was Byakuya's motivation for coming. Byakuya was good at feigning polite courteousness, but after so many years of having young Rukia in his Division, Juushirou knew that Byakuya's main reason for coming along was to supervise his adopted sister. Juushirou was never certain whether it was honest concern or the pressure of the Kuchiki Clan elders that made the Kuchiki Clan Head keep such a careful eye on his sibling and usually, he did not care. But given the cause of their visit… well, there was a reason why Juushirou had not protested when another Captain interfered with a mission regarding one of the Thirteenth Division.
Be it through stealth or trickery, fact was that it was highly likely that a Hollow was stalking one of his subordinates. Either way, an extra pair of eyes would be welcome. If Byakuya hadn't volunteered Juushirou would have asked Shunsui if he could borrow Nanao. With a Hollow that sly it wouldn't do to go alone.
But those were thoughts for a later time. First things first. Before they would try to hunt that Hollow down they would need information, and they needed to obtain it without warning Rukia or, by extension, the Hollow. Given that his young subordinate should be on patrol right now, it should be relatively easy to avoid her and her unwanted stalker.
Which led to the situation he found himself in now. He had a scheming exile to barter with and at the same time had to keep his younger colleague from reporting the man to Central 46. Somehow. Juushirou was already feeling the headache. It was a well-kept secret among a handful of the upper echelon of the Gotei Thirteen that a certain former Captain wasn't quite as gone as Central 46 thought. Juushirou was one of the very few who was aware exactly who happened to be hiding in this part of the Living World that was under his jurisdiction. Shunsui was another, and neither of them would ever tell because the circumstances of Kisuke's exile had been so suspicious.
They didn't have proof, but something was just not right about the way things had gone back then. Half of Seireitei's highest officers gone within a day, just like that. It had all happened so unbelievably fast. Since when did Central 46 not need days of deliberation before sentencing someone?
But all they had were their suspicions and speculation, and without proof their hands were tied. It was all Juushirou could do just to give his former colleagues a relatively safe place to stay. To make it a tiny bit safer Juushirou only send unseated Shinigami to this area. It was but a small mercy, but at least unseated Shinigami should not be able to identify any of the fugitives even if they ever happened to run into them.
Looking at things in that light, it was possible that taking Byakuya along had been a bad idea. But on the other hand, out of everyone he could have asked to accompany him, only Shunsui would have been safe to take. Unfortunately, Shunsui didn't have Byakuya's convenient excuse for why he should come with another Captain on a simple mission like this. Juushirou's illness had not been a sufficient excuse in the eye of their sensei for a very long time.
Though that had mostly to do with that one occasion where Shunsui had turned their mission together into a vacation just so he could put off his paperwork longer, and then had claimed the mission had been unfortunately delayed while in reality, the only reason why they hadn't finished yet was because Shunsui had been so lazy. He should have realized back then that sooner or later, they would come to regret that stunt.
Surprisingly, Byakuya did not appear to be bothered by whom they were visiting, even after Juushirou had told him. It could be that Byakuya just didn't care, but given how much the younger man valued the laws of Seireitei, Juushirou thought that unlikely. Juushirou supposed it was possible that Byakuya did not recognize Kisuke's name, since Byakuya had rarely been allowed – nor had desired – to interact with people who weren't of noble descent back when Kisuke had still been a member of the Gotei Thirteen. Due to Ginrei's protectiveness it was even possible that Byakuya did not link the name Urahara to the Captain he had only heard about and seen from a distance.
And, well… Kisuke hadn't been a Captain for a very long time. That might play a role too. It was even possible that Byakuya did not know about the events a century ago, though Juushirou wouldn't bet a single kan on it.
The only thing Juushirou could say with certainty was that Byakuya was aware that they would be meeting one of the shadier characters among the Shinigami. Even if Juushirou had not told him that straight away, Byakuya still would have figured it out after just a few moments of interacting with Kisuke. The Kuchiki Clan Head might be young, but he wasn't a fool. Kisuke's outlandishness and the fact that he had a shop in the Living World would immediately identify Kisuke as one of the few Shinigami who, for some reason or other, did not live quite on the right side of the law.
Juushirou wasn't sure about Byakuya's motives behind his uncharacteristic laxity, but Juushirou suspected that it had to do with their fellow Captain Kurotsuchi. It probably said a lot about Kurotsuchi that Byakuya might be willing to set his strict adherence to Seireitei's laws aside to let a known outlaw walk unopposed. Even if it was only to ensure that his sister and his subordinates would have someone else to turn to than that mad scientist.
Though after today Byakuya might not feel that tolerant. Juushirou himself felt disquieted as well. He couldn't imagine that Kisuke hadn't noticed anything amiss if there truly had been a Hollow involved.
Yet the Twelfth's monitoring systems didn't lie. And Kurotsuchi Mayuri was, for all his faults, a true scientist. Allowing errors to remain within his data? That was what committing heinous murder was to ordinary people. Unthinkable.
Was it possible that there was a Hollow capable of tampering with a Shinigami's perception so it's presence could only be detected by machines? Juushirou hoped not. But even if that was the case, Kisuke had been the founder of the Shinigami Research Institute. If the former Captain didn't have his place rigged with all kinds of sensors Juushirou would be very surprised. So how had that Hollow escaped this long?
Juushirou sighed soundlessly, banishing his rambling musings from his mind. Unfounded speculation was almost always upsetting and very rarely useful. He would have his answers soon enough.
Casting out his senses like a fisher might his net, Juushirou felt the masses of reiatsu signatures that filled the city. No Hollow reiatsu stood out, but that hardly said anything. It was only thanks to the sensitivity of Kurotsuchi's instruments that they had been able to detect the Hollow's reiatsu at all. To actually trace the creature's location with it… well, actually, that should have worked once the scientist had tweaked his systems a little, but for some reason it didn't. Juushirou suspected that the other sensors in the area were too old for that kind of accuracy. Kurotsuchi was incredibly vexed about that.
Not that Kurotsuchi showed it that much. He knew better than to think Yamamoto-soutaichou would put up with that kind of attitude for long. But the way all the Twelfth Division Shinigami seemed to be walking on eggshells was telling enough.
He hummed to himself as he scanned his surroundings. Just as he'd as he'd thought. Rukia wasn't anywhere nearby. They would have time then.
Pausing before their destination, Juushirou couldn't help but smile a little at the shop's front.
"Here?" Byakuya asked dubiously.
Juushirou supressed a grin. The small shop didn't look like much, true. But, like many things to do with Urahara Kisuke, it wasn't nearly as humble and innocuous as it seemed.
"Let's see if anyone is home," Juushirou suggested in lieu of an answer.
The door wasn't locked, but no one was inside the shop itself. Juushirou had to hide a chuckle upon seeing Byakuya's face. After this long he was well versed in reading the nobles' stoicism, even a Kuchiki's. Byakuya's expression was definitely set on 'incredulous' at the sight of shelves full of candy and other miscellaneous wares.
A door opened at the back. It was followed by a short silence. Then, a drawling, cheerful voice said, "My, my. This is a surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure of visitors of such exalted rank?"
Juushirou turned towards the door and smiled at the blond standing there. He hadn't seen Kisuke in person since his exile, and it was good to see for himself that the younger Shinigami was well. "Good evening, Urahara-san. Our apologies for dropping by so rudely, but we would like to speak with you, if you have time."
Kisuke looked between him and Byakuya for a moment before giving an exaggerated shrug, his hat shadowing his eyes in a way that gave the nonchalant gesture an almost sinister tint. "Well, if the honourable Captains wish so, who am I to deny them?"
Juushirou hid a wince. Kisuke sounded perfectly genial, but it did not take effort to catch the bite in those words. He didn't think it was aimed at him specifically, but…well, he knew fully well that Kisuke had all reason to be displeased with him. Byakuya was a risk to Kisuke's safety, and while Juushirou thought the risk wasn't that big, it wasn't as if he was the one in danger of execution or imprisonment either.
He sighed to himself. Nothing he could do about it now. Instead he was as polite as he could as he removed his waraji and followed their host into the back of the building to a small sitting room. Juushirou spotted a large cat plushy in the corner of the room and had to suppress a laugh at the unexpected sight despite the seriousness of the situation. Somehow, he had the feeling that the young Shihouin princess had something to do with its presence.
He noticed Byakuya giving the fluffy toy a rather dark look, and allowed himself a small grin. So he wasn't the only one who was reminded.
"Please take a seat," Kisuke said with a negligent wave towards the low table as he disappeared to what Juushirou assumed to be the kitchen.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed almost unnoticeably at Kisuke's rudeness. Quietly, he asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea, Ukitake-taichou?"
Juushirou shrugged as he took two zabuton from a stack in the corner and sat down. "It may not be the best, but it is the most expedient. Urahara-san knows this neighbourhood well and your sister was staying here. It is possible he may have noticed something."
Byakuya didn't comment further but it was clear he didn't approve of Kisuke. Juushirou wasn't too concerned. He would have been more surprised if Byakuya had. Kisuke had always been a bit too odd for most nobles, and his years in the Human World had only worsened that.
Shortly after they had been seated, Kisuke came back in with a tray of small treats. To Juushirou's surprise he was followed by a young, black-haired girl who didn't look older than ten. she was carrying a tray with teapot and cups on it.
"Hello there. I don't believe we've met before," Juushirou greeted the girl with a kind smile. "I am Ukitake Juushirou, and this here is Kuchiki Byakuya."
The girl blushed. "Tsumugiya Ururu. Pleased to meet you," she mumbled shyly. She bowed politely, before setting the tray down and serving the tea.
Byakuya thawed a little. Not that anyone who did not know him well would notice a change, but Juushirou knew Byakuya always tried to be kind to young children. Especially if they weren't too loud and showed some manners. Juushirou suspected that Kisuke had brought Tsumugiya along with a purpose.
"Pleasure," the younger Captain said with a regal nod of his head. "I must say I am surprised to see one so young here."
The 'here' had a definite edge to it. Clearly Byakuya had already formed an opinion about Kisuke, and it wasn't flattering. Juushirou resisted the urge to sigh.
Tsumugiya didn't seem to have noticed. She fidgeted. "I work here," she said softly. "Tenchou and Tessai-san take care of Jinta and me."
"Ururu-chan and Jinta-kun are my wards," Kisuke said cheerfully, as if he was sharing an unimportant everyday fact. So Juushirou had been right. He was emotionally blackmailing them. Byakuya didn't seem to have noticed the ploy behind Tsumugiya's presence and just looked mildly concerned, though whether that was at the thought of someone like Kisuke raising a child, or just concern for the child in general Juushirou couldn't tell. Goal accomplished, Kisuke turned to Tsumugiya. "Ururu-chan, why don't you go and help Tessai, hm?"
"Okay tenchou," Tsumugiya agreed with a small smile. With a final curtsy she left the room.
Deciding to be accommodating, Juushirou helped Kisuke's scheme along a little and watched her go with a frown on his face. "She doesn't have parents?" he asked.
"Nope," Kisuke said with a casual shrug. He took a sip of his tea, flashing a small grin at Juushirou from behind the rim of his cup. "Now what did you wish to talk about?"
"It's about Kuchiki Rukia," Juushirou explained before Byakuya could say something. He had the feeling that if he let Kisuke and Byakuya talk too much things were unlikely to go smoothly. Plus, as Rukia's commanding officer it was only proper that he was the one who made the inquiries. "She should have been staying here since the start of her assignment."
"She does indeed," Kisuke confirmed. "Why, did something happen?"
"We think so. It is probably easiest if we just show you." Fishing out the data file the Twelfth had given him with their report, he handed the papers over to Kisuke. He ignored Byakuya's narrowed eyes at his actions. He would explain why he expected that Kisuke could read them easily later.
Kisuke scanned the pages and raised a brow. "Huh. Now this is interesting."
"I would go for a slightly different adjective, but yes," Juushirou agreed wryly. "Interesting is one way to describe the situation. You didn't notice anything?"
"No. Though that has mostly to do with the calibration of my equipment. These are very faint signals. In another place it would definitely say a lot, but this is a spiritually charged area and Hollows are common enough here that there's always some background noise, so signals like these are automatically filtered out. I would never get any rest otherwise. How did you get this data?"
"Kuchiki-san's denreishinki. Hers is the Twelfth's latest design. Its reiatsu detecting functions are a lot more precise than in the old models." Juushirou didn't add that she only had it because of Byakuya's insistence that one of his Clan should have the best equipment possible. It wasn't Kisuke's business to know how demanding the Kuchiki Clan Head could be.
"I see. They've really improved," Kisuke muttered absently as he continued to study the readouts. For some reason he did seem a bit put out about that, though Juushirou supposed he shouldn't find that surprising. The Twelfth used to be Kisuke's after all.
"Well!" the shopkeeper declared and snapped the file closed. "I can see why you're worried. What do you need from me?"
"Mostly we wanted to know whether you knew something about this," Juushirou admitted. "But clearly you don't."
Kisuke hummed and shot him a thoughtful look. "To be fair, I did not watch her very closely. She and I keep different schedules, and she seemed fine the few times I've seen her. I had no reason to suspect foul play."
"Even so, we would like to inspected her room." Byakuya stated. Juushirou raised both brows at this, wordlessly asking, really? Since when? Byakuya continued talking as if he hadn't seen a thing. "If she noticed something herself she might have made notes."
Juushirou wanted to roll his eyes. As far as he knew, Rukia was not in the habit to write things down. Byakuya should know this, so what he asked for was unnecessarily.
At times, Juushirou really felt that he should say something about Byakuya's behaviour towards Rukia. He understood that the younger man had difficulty connecting to her because she looked so much like his deceased beloved, but going behind her back was not the way to handle that. It was a pity that it just wasn't his place to do so. Byakuya was the Kuchiki Clan Head so only the Kuchiki Elders could criticize him on his treatment of his family, and obviously they didn't feel the need to do it.
Kisuke raised a brow at Byakuya as if he had similar thoughts. Took a fan from somewhere and snapped it open in front of his face. "Intrude on a young lady's privacy? Regulations must have changed lately, if Captains are allowed to do that nowadays," he exclaimed as if scandalized, eying Byakuya suspiciously. His expression was amplified by the shadows cast by his hat.
Juushirou very nearly grinned. Kisuke might not have said a word of censure, but the scolding was implicit. It was very faint, but from the subtle shifts in Byakuya's expressions, Kisuke's unvoiced critique did hit home. And was that a bit more colour on his cheeks?
"She is my sister," Byakuya replied blandly. Juushirou almost sighed. Pity Byakuya was good at ignoring things he didn't wish to acknowledge.
"Hm. Well, I suppose if her brother says it's okay, I suppose a lowly cretin like me can't protest, can I?" Kisuke said with an exaggerated dubious look. "Why, I'd only be allowing two men access to a young noble lady's bedroom. Nothing inappropriate about that at all."
Juushirou dearly wanted to laugh. It wouldn't help the situation at all, but he truly wanted to. He had to cough a little from the strain of keeping it in. Oh, Byakuya's face. It was hardly noticeable, but he was sure Byakuya had pinked a little there. He had even abandoned his usual blank mask to glare at Kisuke.
"Urahara-san, please stop antagonizing Kuchiki-taichou," Juushirou requested once his coughing subsided, waving away Byakuya's concerned look and Kisuke's worried frown. "You know he wouldn't ask this if there isn't a chance that Kuchiki-san is compromised."
Kisuke grinned, unrepentant. "I know. I just wanted to pull his leg a little," he reassured, as if that was any kind of excuse. "Now, if you will follow me?"
He stood with a flourish and walked out of the door without waiting for them to rise as well. Byakuya tried to remain expressionless, but Juushirou could tell that he felt insulted from the tiny crease between his brows. "And you trust this man?" his fellow Captain asked under his breath as they hurried to catch up.
Juushirou chuckled at the ill-veiled disbelief. "I admit he's odd, but he is more reliable than he appears," he responded just as quietly.
Byakuya looked unconvinced but continued to follow Juushirou's lead. Juushirou supposed that was the best he was going to get. It was good enough for now. Byakuya didn't need to like Kisuke. All he had to do was not report him to the Captain Commander or Central 46.
They followed Kisuke to a small room at the back, right next to the backdoor of the shop. It was simple and sparsely furnished, but clean and well-tended to. A futon was laid out on the ground and was neatly made. Rukia probably didn't spend a lot of time here and hadn't felt the need to put it away. A small writing desk sat in a corner, along with a basic writing set and some papers. A closet stood to the side, one door slightly open, allowing a glimpse of a few plain yukata and the place to put the futon when it wasn't in use. Another corner was occupied by a tiny kitchenette, where the dishes of what he suspected was breakfast rested on a draining board.
Juushirou nodded approvingly at the simple accommodation. They were the perfect lodgings for a Shinigami on patrol duty.
Byakuya seemed a bit less pleased about the room his sister stayed in, but he kept quiet and moved to inspect the desk. Juushirou heaved a mental sigh. If anyone should do check the closet it was Byakuya since he was the close family member, but Juushirou knew an evasive manoeuvre when he saw one. The flexibility of Byakuya's sense of propriety apparently didn't stretch far enough for him to check the shelves that held his sister's clothes.
Well. Good thing he had all those formative years with Shunsui to learn how to deal with embarrassing situations like these.
Step one: acting embarrassed about it only made it worse.
He went quick and business-like over the shelves, only touching or moving clothes to check if there was nothing hidden behind or underneath. He carefully didn't come near the small pile of underwear. If she had hidden any kind of diary or documents there then obviously they were way too important and personal for him to go through them. There was a limit to how many lines he was willing to cross.
Nothing. Byakuya had finished with the desk and was going through the cupboards in the kitchenette. What he expected to find there Juushirou didn't know, but who knew? Maybe Rukia was just odd. Surely Byakuya knew his sister's habits better than he, and Juushirou had more than enough experience with young Shinigami to know Byakuya could be on to something there.
In the meantime, he checked the more logical hiding places. Nothing near the bed or beneath the pillow. Nothing beneath the futon either. Litter basket… ah. Obviously Rukia didn't make much waste. Which was good, because otherwise Juushirou would have been quite a bit more reluctant to stick his hand in there to take out a crumpled envelope.
He carefully avoided a red stain left by some kind of sticky sauce as he checked it for any kind of contents. He gave a pleased hum as he found a neatly folded piece of paper inside.
It wasn't really his business to read personal correspondence of one of his Shinigami, but since they were being invasive anyway they might as well be thorough in checking for clues for what was going on with Rukia and the Hollow.
Huh. It was a letter. Addressed to Kisuke, with the immediate request to pass it on to either Byakuya or him. And from the date at the top… "She wrote this not long after the start of her assignment here," he realized.
Byakuya hastily joined him and Kisuke wandered over with a frown. "Really?"
Unlike Byakuya, Kisuke didn't have qualms about leaning into someone's personal space to get a look at the letter in his hands. Kisuke's eyes flew over first few lines of Rukia's neat calligraphy. He scratched his head beneath his hat. "Not to draw hasty conclusions, but since it's that old and there's no follow up, she has probably dealt with that Hollow already." He eyed Juushirou. "There wasn't a follow up, was there?"
"She didn't call me," Juushirou acknowledged. But with the abilities Rukia speculated the Hollow had, that wasn't reassuring. Especially because she hadn't reported anything about defeating this creature either. And given what it might be capable of, that was definitely cause for concern.
It being able to successfully conceal itself from Shinigami would have been bad enough. But now it looked like either the creature was manipulative, capable of mind control, or had lures that looked like young Human girls designed to draw in Shinigami who desired to protect the innocent from being preyed on. Frankly, with this list in front of him, Juushirou hoped it had just been manipulative and Rukia had successfully dealt with it. It would explain why the letter was in the litter basket.
But if it was capable of mind control… Suddenly, the Hollow reiatsu that had been detected around her made an awful, chilling amount of sense.
Either the reiatsu the Twelfth detected is from its presence… or from whatever ability it uses to warp minds.
Kami, what a mess.
"Well," Juushirou said quietly. "No matter what the situation is, we'll have to check on Kuchiki-san and see if we need to bring her home."
"Tonight, preferably," Byakuya agreed once he'd skimmed through the letter.
Kisuke hummed thoughtfully. "If you want, I can give you a good reiatsu sensor so you can find her faster," he offered.
Byakuya looked insulted at the suggestion, and Juushirou quickly responded with a smile. "Thank you for the offer, Urahara-san, but that won't be necessary. I'm sure Kuchiki-taichou and I will be able to find her without problems."
Kisuke shrugged. "If that's how you want it. Please do let me know how this turns out? It would be terrible remiss of me not to recalibrate my systems if that creature is still alive and somehow snuck past my notice." An exited glint entered his eyes. "If you could take the Hollow alive it would be even better. I haven't had the chance to do a thorough research on such an ability before."
Juushirou shook his head, amused despite himself. He should have expected this, really. "If it is possible without too much risks, I promise we will take the creature alive and bring it to you. But you know we won't risk lives for it."
Kisuke waved his fan with an placating smile. "Best I can hope for, I know. I take what I can get, Ukitake-taichou."
As they prepared to leave, Juushirou hung back a little while Byakuya put his waraji back on. Gently grabbed Kisuke's arm to pull him aside. "I really am very sorry about this," he told the shopkeeper quietly. "I didn't mean to bring anyone, but with the report…."
Kisuke's gaze softened a little. "I know Ukitake-senpai. I may not be happy about it, but I understand." He grinned, wide and unrepentant. "Not to mention, it was quite entertaining to rile him up a little. Now I know why Yoruichi liked doing it so much."
XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX
"Can you believe that man!? He was infuriating!"
"Hat'n Clogs tends to be that, yes," Ichigo agreed dryly. "It's what makes him Hat'n Clogs."
"All I wanted was some straight answers! But it was like pulling teeth! I just know he was mocking me the entire time!" Rukia seethed. "That insensitive bastard of a scheming weasel."
Ichigo snickered. He put up his hands when Rukia glared at him. "Sorry, sorry. But really. You sound just like Tatsuki after the first time she tried to have a serious discussion with Urahara-san."
Rukia deflated. "He failed you, Ichigo," she said miserably. "Because he was being stupid. And he wasn't even sorry."
"Actually, he really is," Ichigo told her. "Once we got past the whole Shinigami-vs-Hollows stage and he realized that gee, I really am sane and not about to eat my sisters, anyway. Took off his hat and got on his knees and everything. Is how we discovered he used to be friends with my dad." He rolled his eyes as if he thought the whole apologizing thing had been over the top, but in Rukia's opinion, getting on his knees was the least Urahara could have done.
"You have to understand, Hat'n Clogs is a control freak. You're right about the scheming. Seriously. He doesn't act like it most of the time, but he is. So when this happened–" Ichigo gestured at himself, "– he took that as a personal failure. And never mind that is was just rotten luck, the idiot," Ichigo said exasperatedly.
"Well, he could have done more," Rukia replied mulishly.
"Yeah, and if I had watched the street better, I probably could have avoided that car. And if mom and dad hadn't had that weird accident I bet they could have kicked that Hollow's ass. Sometimes shitty things just happen and all you can do is deal with it the best you can."
Rukia fidgeted with her sleeve. Okay, Ichigo had a point there, but still….
And Ichigo was definitely laughing at her. "You really don't like Urahara-san, do you?"
"You're not convincing me you liked him after you learned he could have prevented you from becoming a Hollow."
Ichigo shrugged. "I didn't, but I got over it once I realized exactly how much he was helping us out. I wouldn't have made it this far without him."
Rukia softened. "I suppose…."
They looked up as they heard the harsh sounds of sandals slapping against the pavement at a dead run. Jinta was racing towards them at top speed, a little wild-eyed and entirely out of breath. Rukia and Ichigo rushed to meet him, worried something had happened at the shop.
"Ichigo," he panted the moment they were in hearing distance. "Ichigo, you gotta run!" He took a deep gulp of air, waving away their helping hands. "You gotta go to Hueco Mundo and lie low. There're Shinigami at the shop."
Ichigo and Rukia froze. "Shinigami?" she muttered, shocked, at the same time that Ichigo asked incredulously, "Why would Shinigami be here?"
Rukia raked her brain for any kind of reason. "I don´t know," she told him worriedly. "They shouldn't be here. My assignment hasn't ended yet and I've not reported anything out of the ordinary either."
"I don't know either," Jinta added. "Just passing the message. They'd just arrived when the old man told me to go warn you. Said he probably couldn't keep them long."
"Do you know who?" Rukia demanded. "If they are just unseated Shinigami they shouldn't be too much of a problem."
Jinta shook his head. "I think they're Captains. They're both wearing a white haori with a number on the back." He grimaced. "Tenchou thinks they're here for you."
Rukia went deadly pale.
Ichigo stared blankly at the redhead. "You've got to be kidding," he said faintly. "Two Captains? Have they never heard of overkill?"
"Ichigo, you've got to run," Rukia told him earnestly.
"Yeah," he agreed, snapping out of his stunned stupor. He paused, torn. "I've got to tell my sisters I won't be around for a while…."
"I'll do that," Jinta told him. "You just go and hide!"
The boy took off before they could stop him. Rukia shook her head and crossed her arms. "Right. You've heard him. Get going. We'll take care of things here."
Ichigo shot her a grateful look. "I know. Thanks." He brushed the edge of his mask over the crown of her head in gratitude. Rukia blushed a little and waved him off.
It was only by accident that she was looking in the right direction to see them coming. She knew Ichigo had sensed them because the look of horror in his eyes matched her feelings.
She couldn't be more thankful for Ichigo's excellent instincts. He dodged without even turning around, narrowly avoiding the sword that almost ran him through.
Rukia's own reaction was far less astute. She was too caught up in the feeling of dread sight the appearance of the Captains evoked within her. White and black. Stark monochrome compared to the more colourful Humans she had gotten used to.
"N-Nii-sama," she stuttered. "Ukitake-taichou…."
"Are you alright, Kuchiki-san?" her Captain demanded. He didn't approach as fast as her brother, and with rising unease, Rukia realized it wasn't just because her Nii-sama was fast even by Captain standards. She had been part of the Thirteenth long enough to know Ukitake's skin looked a bit too pale and clammy to be normal.
He came looking for me, even though his illness is flaring up again, Rukia thought guiltily.
"It didn't do anything to you?" Ukitake continued to question, worry knotting his brow as he put a hand on her head and send a pulse of reiatsu though her that she recognized as a diagnostic kidou. "I'm so sorry, we've only just found your letter."
"I'm fine, sir," she hastily reassured him. She yelped as she saw Ichigo barely avoid another attack from her brother. "Nii-sama, please stop! Don't kill him, he's not evil!"
She got disbelieving looks from both Captains for that, which, okay, she knew that was only to be expected. Byakuya's eyes narrowed a fraction, and she knew him well enough to know he was displeased. He returned his attention to Ichigo, who had to scramble back to avoid her brother's increasingly vicious strikes.
"Nii-sama, stop it!" she begged. Cursing, she reached for Sode no Shirayuki. If they'd only allow her a moment to explain-!
A strong hand clamped around her wrist, stopping her from drawing her Zanpakutou and forcing her blade back into her sheath. Immediately after that a white-clad arm wrapped around her torso, trapping her arms against her sides and pressing her back against the larger body behind her.
"I'm terribly sorry, Kuchiki-san," her Captain said soothingly as he restrained her wriggling form. "But it seems that you're not thinking clearly at the moment. I cannot allow you to interfere."
She fought to escape his uncomfortably warm hold. Oh yes. That was a sign of fever setting in. Definitely. Her Division was going to kill her. "Taichou, please, listen to me!" she begged as she tried to free herself. "Ichigo isn't like other Hollows! He doesn't eat Human souls and he's been helping me. He really acts like a Shinigami, sir! I swear he isn't dangerous!"
Her Captain looked disturbed. "I'm sure that's what it likes you to believe," he said, not unkindly. "Please stop fighting, Kuchiki-san. I understand that he's using his ability to confuse you, but calm yourself. This will be over soon enough, and then we will take you home. I'm sure Unohana-taichou will be able to help you."
Rukia nearly saw red. "With all due respect, sir," she spat, "kindly refrain from implying I'm insane, thank you. I don't need help, I need Nii-sama to stop trying to kill my friend!" The last part came out near hysterical because her brother chose that moment to carve deeply into Ichigo's shoulder, narrowly missing his mask. Ichigo's snarl of pain was like a knife to her heart.
Her Captain sighed and tightened his hold on her. "I'm sorry, but you know I can't do that," he said with true regret.
Rukia was nearly sobbing now, struggling against her Captain's greater strength. Ichigo was fighting hard, but Byakuya had an overwhelming upper hand against her friend, never offering a second of reprieve. And Ichigo would need more than just a second to create a garganta to disappear through. Blood already stained the pavement, and it wasn't her brother's. Thanks to his incredible healing ability the injuries didn't slow Ichigo down, but Byakuya was quickly figuring that out.
Rukia had the feeling that the only reason why her brother hadn't succeeded in killing him yet was because Ichigo kept surprising him. With as weak as he felt to their senses he really shouldn't have been able to dodge a Captain's blade, even if the Captain was wearing a limiter. But the speed of her brother's attacks was steadily increasing, and it was only a matter of time before Ichigo could no longer keep up.
Come on, Ichigo. Quit holding back and fight seriously already! she prayed. If Ichigo released his full power he might have a chance to create the opening he needed to make his escape, but she had the feeling he wouldn't do it. Without thinking about the consequences she had identified Byakuya as her brother, and she knew Ichigo valued family more than anything. He was probably trying not to hurt him.
Idiot! Worry about yourself first!
Well, if the idiot was too stupid to figure that out for himself she just had to help him.
Dropping her head so Ukitake couldn't see her face, she started to mutter as fast and quietly as she could. "Carrion crows circle and the dogs howl. The demon vulture cackles! A smith crafts a leash of jewels to subdue the monstrous beasts! Bakudou number sixty-three, Sajou Sabaku!"
Halfway through her spell she felt her Captain pull back as he realized what she was up to. She reached back and grabbed the loose fabric of his uniform, buying herself a precious second to finish her incantation.
His uncharacteristic yelp of surprise when her kidou bound him almost made her let out an unhinged laugh. Sorry Captain. I'm afraid you're going to have to write me up.
Kami, she was going to be in so much trouble after this.
No time to think about that now. She needed all her concentration for the next chant. She would only get one shot at this, and she needed to be fast. Nijuu Eishou it was then.
"One hundred eyes has the Hyakume," she muttered, fingers glowing with power as she rushed towards the fight. "The bloodied spears of the soldiers lust to penetrate the flesh. The pranking creatures laugh as men trip and fall. The glare of the sun blinds them all and makes them weep! Hear the howls! Fear the pale white rains as they punish the land!"
Jumping between her brother and her friend, her hand slapped harder against the pavement than she'd intended. "Bakudou number twenty-one, Sekienton!" she yelled, ignoring the pain in her hand. Crimson smoke burst from the red circle before her feet, obscuring the entire street.
She stepped back and bumped into a stunned Ichigo. "Rukia? What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.
Rukia didn't reply. Just grabbed his arm as she finished her second spell. "Bakudou number sixty-two, Hyapporankan!"
A glowing rod of energy appeared in her hand. She flung it with all her strength at the spot where her senses told her Byakuya was located. Without waiting to find out whether she'd hit her mark, she dragged Ichigo a few yards back and said in a deadly serious voice, "If you don't make a garganta, right goddamn now, I swear I'm going to kick your ass to Hueco Mundo myself."
Right after that she launched into another incantation, just in case her brother had managed to avoid her attack.
"Will you be fine?" he asked as he hurriedly ripped the air open. He immediately stepped inside, which was good. Now all he needed to do was close the damn thing. But knowing him, he probably wouldn't because he thought he might have to yank her in after him.
Which. Well. Might not be a completely terrible idea. But kidnapping a member of the Kuchiki Clan would only worsen the manhunt she knew they were going to start for him, so she just couldn't let him do that. No matter how much she wanted to let him when her thoughts strayed towards the trouble she had landed herself in.
Honestly, the less she tried to think about what the repercussions might be for what she'd just done, the better for her mental wellbeing.
Finishing the incantation, Rukia was relieved when her cubic barrier closed around them without any Captain stopping her. "I'll be fine," she told him with far more confidence than she really felt as she tried to shoo him further into the garganta. "They think you're controlling me, so their target is you. The worst they'll give me is a mental check-up." Which, knowing Captain Unohana, could be bad enough. She truly prayed she wasn't lying right now. "Now get the hell out of here, you stone-skulled idiot!"
For a long moment, Ichigo stared at her as if he could see her future just by looking long enough. Then he nodded slowly. "Alright. But… keep safe, okay? And try to let us know what happened later?"
"Sure, sure. Now go! I swear, you don't have any sense of self-preservation!"
With a last lingering glance, Ichigo let the tear in the fabric of the world close. She was left staring at an empty patch of air with a lump in her throat and her heart somewhere in the vicinity of her toes.
Slowly she let her barrier go. Swallowed thickly, and turned.
Her stomach made a valiant attempt to thoroughly tie itself in unsolvable knots while she waited for the smoke of her spell to dissipate. Then the clouds of red parted enough to reveal her brother's severe countenance. Behind him she could see her Captain struggling against her binding spell. She didn't know how he did it, but as he muttered a handful of words the glowing chains slid off him as if they were suddenly too loose to hold their grip. His expression was as grim as her brother's.
She mentally whimpered.
Oh Kami. What had she brought onto herself?
Kan: the currency of Soul Society.
Waraji: the straw rope sandals Shinigami wear.
Nijuu Eishou: the art of mixing the incantations of several spells to cast them nearly simultaneously. Usually done with two spells, though I suspect more are possible. Don't be surprised if you didn't recognize any of the incantations for the kidou. I made them up myself.
The two separate incantations are:
"One hundred eyes has the Hyakume. The glare of the sun blinds them all and makes them weep! Bakudou number twenty-one, Sekienton!"
"The bloodied spears of the soldiers lust to penetrate the flesh. The pranking creatures laugh as men trip and fall. Fear the pale white rains as they punish the land! Bakudou number sixty-two, Hyapporankan!"
A Hyakume (meaning "one hundred eyes") is a creature that looks like a lump of flesh covered with countless blinking, yellow eyes. It guards old temples during the night. They can't stand sunlight because it hurts their eyes. If you want to know more, I suggest you look the creature up on Yokai dot com. It's an ugly bugger, but quite interesting. Because someone asked, I'm warning you all that people with Trypophobia might not like this creature.
Please let me know what you thought!