Chapter 8: Path of Betrayal
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Everything you do is done with purpose. Not a motion or a feeling or a thought is undertaken without your machinations. I thought that when you captured me it was because of my carelessness or mistake. I couldn't have been more wrong. For while I walked with my loved ones, your eyes always followed…and even in my contentedness, I felt that sliver of warning that preceded your coming. You calmly set the circumstances of my capture in place, played them out and held me as I fell. Even now, I feel your touch on my skin…and I wonder if I will ever again breathe freely…
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Yoruichi flash stepped to the door of Urahara Kisuke's shop and slipped inside, looking around curiously.
"Kisuke?" she called softly.
"Back here," came the soft reply, "Careful of the defense shields."
"Why all of the added security?" she asked, studying the heavy look in his eyes.
"We'll get to that in a minute. How was your trip to the Seireitei?"
"Odd…That's why I came back. Kisuke, there's something very wrong about Byakuya. I was just with him…and he had fallen into a catatonic state. Part of what is so odd is that there was no known trigger for that. The other odd thing is what I felt when I was with him. Kisuke…his reiatsu…his hand, when I touched it…I mean, there was nothing wrong that I could specifically point to, but I had this…feeling…like, he wasn't real. I thought that maybe it was the shock of seeing him like that…but…"
"But I can tell you for a fact that it wasn't," said Kisuke, a frighteningly haunted look coming into his eyes, "Come with me."
He led her forward, then touched the wall with an extended palm before continuing. Yoruichi was chilled at the sight. It was extremely rare that he used such protective measures. He had barely even kept basic shielding around the shop after Aizen's fall. As they moved along the hallway, Yoruichi caught sight of a young, red haired girl sleeping in one of the guestrooms, with Ururu and Jinta resting nearby. They came to another bedroom door that had been sealed. Suddenly, Yoruichi had a feeling about who rested on the other side of that door…and why it would make Kisuke so cautious.
"We're under heavy guard now and I've sent a warning to Soutaichou, because of this…"
He opened the door and Yoruichi stepped into the room. Tessai sat at the side of a dark haired man who couldn't be anyone but the childhood friend Yoruichi remembered. Her eyes widened and she caught her breath sharply.
"Kisuke!" she hissed softly.
"They showed up out of nowhere…the girl and him. Yoruichi…he said he was being pursued by Aizen Sousuke. I wondered if he might be mistaken, because I'd heard no hint that Aizen could still be alive…His death was very public…very obvious. But the hell butterfly that came back claimed that Kuchiki Byakuya was catatonic in the Seireitei. And now you say that you felt a feeling like it wasn't him. Put all of that together, and you have a really frightening situation. But that's not all…Byakuya said that Aizen planned his own 'death' and the rescue. He said that the fortress destroyed was a decoy. Aizen wouldn't tell Byakuya what he planned next, but whatever it is, it involved Byakuya making a child with Aizen…He needed Byakuya alive for whatever plan he made to work. And when Tessai examined Byakuya, there were signs of a spirit chamber beginning to form inside him…and Aizen's reiatsu and semen were present in his body. I'd guess he was making an attempt at creating that child. It hadn't happened yet, so I had Tessai perform a cleansing."
"What about the spirit chamber?" Yoruichi asked, gazing down at the sleeping noble.
"His systems were still too disrupted from the removal of the last. We can't risk destroying the chamber."
"So…what will happen?"
Kisuke shook his head.
"I don't know. It is possible that Byakuya might be able to cause it to break down on his own, but if not…he'll end up with another kid."
"But…you removed Aizen's…ah…I forgot for a moment that there doesn't have to be a second reiatsu."
"Well, as important as that is, the fact of Aizen being alive is more pressing. He's been careful not to reveal himself. But we got a lucky break when Byakuya was able to grab the girl and escape."
"Kisuke," said Yoruichi, frowning, "Who is the girl in the other room? She not…"
"Yup, she's Byakuya's."
"Byakuya's?"
Now Kisuke smiled.
"And Abarai Renji's. It seems that when Byakuya was captured, somehow his reproductive system was triggered and a spirit chamber formed. He was with Renji the night before…"
Yoruichi smiled sadly.
"Poor Byakuya…"
"Look, I need you to do something," Kisuke said, breaking into her thoughts, "We need to get Renji here. I think that he should be with Byakuya. He's in a bad way and he needs someone. Renji always did seem to have a way with him…and since the girl is his…"
"He should be told," Yoruichi finished.
"But be careful. Byakuya said that he never told Aizen the girl was also Renji's…but he might have figured it out. I mean…look at her!"
"Oh, Kisuke…there are a few red haired Kuchikis. He probably explained it away that way. Only the Kuchiki Elders would know without testing that the girl was not just his."
"But we don't dare take any chances," Kisuke said firmly, "Because if he has any reason to think there's anything between Byakuya and Renji, he'll kill Renji without batting an eye! I need you to go back to the Seireitei…Warn the Kuchiki clan, and bring back Rukia and Renji. If Aizen retaliates for Byakuya escaping with the girl, those are the two most likely targets."
"What if Aizen figures out they're here and comes after them? Kisuke…"
"I'm sure he already knows they're here. He would rather not take us on directly. He'll wait for an opening…for us to make it easy for him. Remember, he has a plan and seems to be trying to limit the number of people who are aware he is alive."
"But Byakuya has given him away…"
"You know damn well that he'll find a way to cover his tracks…and anyway, Byakuya's not exactly functioning at full capacity…He was in the psych ward. Chances are, his claim of Aizen being alive won't get him far. Aizen will make sure of that…Byakuya said that Aizen has been posing as his therapist, Hiromi. The real Hiromi is dead."
"You mean, Aizen planned that out too?"
Kisuke smiled sadly.
"Aizen has been manipulating this from the days before Byakuya was taken. He was the one behind the faulty information that got Byakuya's group decimated that day…Byakuya's capture and imprisonment were no mistake. During the five years he was imprisoned, Aizen repeatedly tried to impregnate him. It failed all but this last time. As soon as it was clear he'd been successful, Aizen set us up to 'kill' him and rescue Byakuya. He was pissed that the healers ended the pregnancy…and he was trying again when Byakuya escaped."
"But what if even Byakuya's escape with his daughter was planned?" Yoruichi asked.
"Well…I guess it's possible. We don't know what his plans might be…just that it involves Byakuya and an heir."
"Sounds like he wants control of the Kuchiki noble house. But what then?"
"I don't know," Kisuke admitted, "but we need to move quickly. Aizen will be distracted with covering his tracks. We need to use the time to get to Rukia and Renji before he gets around to it."
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"So what did Hiromi say he wanted?" Renji asked Rukia as they made their way back to the Byakuya's room.
"He didn't say," Rukia answered, "He just sent a hell butterfly asking the two of us to come to the healing center to talk about some treatments he can try."
Renji shook his head in frustration.
"Damn, Rukia, I just can't trust that guy. There's just something…I don't know…creepy about him."
"I know how you feel," Rukia agreed, "unfortunately, he is the one that the Kuchiki elders chose for Byakuya's counseling. They wouldn't have done that without checking him out thoroughly to make sure he was trustworthy."
"I don't care. There's something not right about him…and I'm going to find out what it is."
"Just be careful, Renji," Rukia warned the angry redhead, "That man pretty much controls my brother's life right now. If you cross him one more time, he may not let you near Byakuya during the rest of his treatment."
"I'm not going to let that happen," Renji said, speeding up his steps, "If the guy wants a fight, I'll give him one…"
"Renji…hey, wait up, baka!"
They reached the offices and were led into Hiromi's and told to wait. Rukia dropped down into a chair, while Renji stood near the window, gazing out at the Squad Six Headquarters and training grounds. A moment later, Byakuya's therapist came into the room. He smiled at the two apologetically.
"Rukia, Renji, my apologies for not returning sooner," he said, bowing, "I had several meetings to arrange for Byakuya's treatment. The good news is that there is a treatment facility in the living world that uses a very promising approach. I am going to have Byakuya transferred there immediately."
"Wait a second…don't you think that as his next of kin, Rukia should…"
"I have council approval to offer him whatever course of treatment I deem necessary, Renji," The counselor reminded him.
"Well…we will see about that," said Rukia firmly, "I will go to the council and demand that this transfer be blocked, at least until we get a second opinion."
"I assure you that the approach is well documented…"
"I don't give a damn!" Renji said, stepping forward, "You…"
"Hiromi, come quickly!" called a nurse from the hallway.
The counselor ran out the door. Rukia and Renji heard the sudden sound of Byakuya's raised voice, then Hiromi's. They flash stepped down the hallway and into Byakuya's room. Their eyes flew open wide as they caught sight of Byakuya, standing in the middle of the room, clutching Hiromi by the throat. As the two entered, he raised a finger to the counselor's chest.
"Hado #4, Byakuyrai!"
Lightning lanced out of his fingertip and shot through the counselor's body, leaving him limp and lifeless, and still being held by the throat. Rukia and Renji stared as Byakuya threw the man's body to the floor and flash stepped to the window, blasting through the glass and bars. He turned back for one moment and glared at them, wild-eyed and chillingly dangerous. Neither dared to move or to speak as Byakuya turned away and disappeared out the window.
"What the fuck…" Renji breathed.
"Hey! You two! Hold it, right there!" a voice called from the hallway.
Renji looked at Rukia.
"We can't let him get away…" Rukia said.
"Come on!" Renji yelled, catching her by the arm and dragging her across the room in a wickedly fast flash step.
Blasts of kido hit the wall as they followed Byakuya's path out the window.
"Which way did he go?" Renji yelled.
"I don't know, Renji!" Rukia called back, "But we need to run for it!"
The two flash stepped away as a detail of Squad Two guards burst out the window and called for them to stop. They ran for the senkaimon, feeling the reiatsu of the following guards close on their heels. They burst into the senkaimon and nearly ran into Yoruichi.
"Hey, I was just coming to look for you!"
"Squad Two is after us!" hissed Rukia.
"Oh…is that all," laughed Yoruichi, pulling them aside and raising her power around them. She stood, leaned against the wall beside their hidden forms as the security detail flash stepped into view.
"What's your hurry?" she said, blinking slowly.
"We were following Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Rukia! They are wanted for questioning in the murder of Counselor Hiromi."
"Hiromi is dead?" she asked quickly.
"Yes…we know they witnessed the killing and we think they may have been involved somehow."
"Oh…well they must have turned off somewhere, because I haven't seen them. Sorry! Try that way, over there. Maybe they just slipped by."
She watched, smiling slyly as they flash stepped away.
"Come on, you two," she said, turning back toward the living world, "We need to talk. And my first question is…Was it Byakuya who killed the counselor?"
Rukia and Renji stared at her in surprise.
"How did you…"
"It figures," Yoruichi went on as they flash stepped toward Urahara's shop, "When I came to visit Byakuya, I sensed that something was off. I returned to Kisuke to tell him and when I got here…well…to make a long story short, the guy in the healing center wasn't Byakuya. He was an illusion."
"Huh?" panted Renji, frowning, "Well, that 'illusion' just killed Hiromi right in front of us!"
"That wasn't Hiromi," Yoruichi added, "It was the wielder of the only zanpakutou that could pull off something like that…Aizen Sousuke!"
"What?" Rukia and Renji gasped.
"Then…then…kami! Where is Byakuya!" gasped Renji, "He's not…dead?"
"He's with Kisuke. Apparently, he was in the healing center, but Aizen took him to the living world to see a daughter he had while he was a prisoner in Las Noches."
"Akane?" Renji breathed.
"You know her?" Rukia said, wide-eyed.
"Yeah…she's my daughter…and Byakuya's. He told me…but so much was going on and I thought that he should tell you when he was ready."
"Well," said Yoruichi, "it's a good thing Hiromi…or rather, Aizen, didn't overhear. When she was born, Byakuya claimed to be her only parent. Aizen kept her alive and used her to manipulate Byakuya into trying to bear a child for him. Byakuya suffered seven failed attempts and the healers in the Seireitei took the eighth. While they were in the living world, Aizen tried to impregnate Byakuya again…but somehow Byakuya grabbed Akane and escaped. I believe that Aizen went back to the Seireitei to set up the murder…to make it look like Byakuya is dangerously insane…and he had Byakuya kill Hiromi, so he would be free to come after Byakuya here. My guess is that he planned to take the two of you to try to lure Byakuya out into the open. Apparently, he still plans to move ahead with whatever he intended to do. I have to warn you…this isn't something he just came up with. Byakuya told Kisuke that Aizen revealed to him that everything from the information we got before Byakuya's capture to the capture itself…and all of these events up to now have been a huge illusion. Aizen was behind everything!"
"Poor Nii-sama!" said Rukia, tears coming to her eyes.
"So what do we do now?" Renji asked.
"We're going to Kisuke's shop. Byakuya and Akane are resting there. But when we get there, Renji, you will go with Kisuke, Byakuya, Ichigo and the children to a safe house. Tessai and I will be guarding Rukia at another location. We figure we should separate to make ourselves harder to trace. And that way, if some of us are caught, there will still be some free to…"
"To what?" mused Renji, "If he gets Byakuya back, we're pretty much fucked."
"Well…we aren't going to let that happen!" Yoruichi said firmly.
She led them into the darkened shop and down into the underground training room. Seven cloaked figures waited for them. Taking the cloaks that Kisuke offered them, they separated into their groups. Renji slipped a hand into Byakuya's and followed Kisuke and Ichigo to the far side of the room.
"Because you never build a place like this without a way to escape, I have several gates that lead to different places. These shift constantly and you have to have one of these sensors…like mine, to know when to step through…or you could end up anywhere. In addition, we all have reiatsu distorters. He won't be able to track us."
"What do we do once we get where we're going?" asked Renji.
"We wait for word from Soutaichou. I sent a coded message to him and he said that they will attempt to find Aizen Sousuke. We need to keep Byakuya out of his hands until then. Okay…any last…"
He was interrupted by a heavy blast that shook the training room from end to end.
"Folks," Kisuke said quietly, "I think Aizen Sousuke has made his intentions known. Let's go!"
The two groups stepped into different gates and disappeared as Aizen, Gin, Tousen and scores of hollows appeared in the room.