Lex Talionis
Chapter 7
Ichigo lay in his bed, his mind dwelling on the situation he now found himself in, or rather jumped into, that had caused several restless nights. The path he vowed to take now had an increasing number of obstacles; a web of deception and distrust he had to traverse that certainly made his goal all the more difficult.
His minor confrontation with Aizen didn't draw too much attention from the other Captains, but it was enough for the seed of distrust to be planted, awareness and attention were sure to grow, and the swords of fate had increased yet again.
Ichigo inwardly sighed, he wasn't very adept at maneuvering through the growing politics while formulating a plan of deceit. Infiltrating, assassinating, and escape, those were his tools of trade. He knew where the Central 46 was, he knew some of their defenses, but he didn't know all of them, and therein lied his dilemma. If he wanted to succeed and escape, he needed all the facts, but gathering all the facts without causing suspicion was the trick, especially now that a growing number of people took note of his actions. Then again, what would be the point of escape? He never really considered life after he had his revenge. Would he be content with imprisonment or execution?
This train of thought brought on more questions than answers, and much to his annoyance he fell short of answers. He couldn't dwell on it any further however as the door to his quarters was slid open, revealing Captain Yoruichi with that ever-present grin on her face, "Wake up Ichigo!"
He didn't visibly react at her abrupt entrance, he merely glanced at her before returning his gaze back to the roof of his quarters, "I've been awake for quite some time."
She walked in and sat herself down next to his bed on the floor, "All the more reason to get up then."
Since his first morning at the 2nd Division, Yoruichi would barge into his room to wake him up, ignoring his privacy and lack of garb. His protests were ignored after the first morning, and so he begrudgingly ignored the invasion of personal space the second morning and mornings following.
He momentarily closed his eyes while inhaling a deep breath, and with a slow exhale let his concerns and worries abate so he could focus on his tasks for the day. After calming his mind and relaxing his body, he got out of bed and walked over to his closet, grabbing his Shinigami uniform.
Yoruichi eyes followed Ichigo's form as he walked towards his closet, the scars that littered his body bringing both curiosity and concern to the forefront of her mind. His chest and back looked like a scratching post and cutting board, some of the scars being both long and deep, "When are you gonna tell me about those scars?" she asked.
Ichigo merely continued putting on his uniform, as if he didn't hear her question at all, but they both knew that he did. She asked him the same question every morning. He turned around, uniform now firmly wrapped around his body, and walked towards the door. As his hand reached to slide the door open, he paused before looking over his shoulder at Yoruichi, "They are irrelevant, much like my past."
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes, more out of frustration than concern, but still feeling both as she walked up to him, "We're comrades. I need to know that I can trust you." Yoruichi then opened the door and walked out, with Ichigo soon to follow.
They walked in silence as they exited the 2nd Division, and Yoruichi then broke into flash-step, Ichigo managing to keep up with her pace. Where they were going he knew not, and asking her would do nothing but remind him that she was upset. They eventually approached the side of a cliff, which was directly beneath the execution grounds, and Yoruichi leapt into a concealed passageway.
Ichigo cautiously followed, unsure of the nature of their detour, and as light invaded his vision once more he was a bit awestruck at what he saw; a massive cavern dug underneath Sōkyoku Hill.
"Where is the light coming from I wonder," Ichigo thought curiously.
"Urahara built this when we were kids so we'd have a place to play and train," Yoruichi stated, interrupting Ichigo's musings, "now let's spar."
It was not a request, and even if he refused she would attack him anyway, her mood notwithstanding. There was no warning, no warm up, and no holding back, at least on her part. He could tell she was in a sour mood, most likely due to his reluctance to share details of his past, more specifically how he acquired the scars that adorned his body.
After an hour of merely defending, Ichigo began to retaliate, and after another hour of them both fighting at a level that was far beyond what could be called a spar, sweat and deep breaths could be heard from them both.
They both separated and tried to catch their breath as they stood in front of one another, maintaining eye contact and having very different thoughts.
"Stubborn bastard," she thought angrily.
Ichigo, on the other hand, had some conflicting thoughts, "She brought me here not to simply spar. This place was secret, as was its origins, and she revealed both. Perhaps it was a gesture of good faith so I would answer her question, but what is her motive? Does she truly wish to know me for the sake of trust?"
Ichigo paused in his thoughts, realization gracing his troubled mind, "If I didn't think I could trust her, I wouldn't be struggling with an answer to my questions."
Ichigo took a breath before resuming the battle between himself and Yoruichi.
"My scars," he began, which caught Yoruichi by surprise, evident by the fact that Ichigo landed a kick to her midsection, "are from training with my sensei."
Yoruichi drove her foot upwards into a spinning back kick, which Ichigo caught and held her in place with, "Don't," he said softly staring at the ground.
He looked up at her face, "Don't look at me with pity."
Ichigo threw her foot down, the momentum causing her to lean forward, which he took advantage of by landing an upper-cut to her chin, vaulting her backwards into the rocks.
Yoruichi lay in the rocks, by choice, contemplating his words. Ichigo flash-stepped in front of her, reaching out and offering his hand in help. She looked into his eyes before nodding her head in agreement before taking hold of his hand. Ichigo pulled her up, while Yoruichi smirked halfway and exerted enough force to lift herself up and bring Ichigo down into the rubble.
She laughed before stretching her body and walking away towards the exit, "Let's go Ichigo, quit lying around," she said teasingly.
Ichigo inwardly smiled, thankful that he didn't have to regret opening up to her, albeit briefly, "Ah," he acknowledged.
The atmosphere heading back towards the 2nd Division was much more cheerful than it was this morning, or rather, Yoruichi was in a better mood.
"Tell me Ichigo," Yoruichi said, breaking their comfortable silence, "What do you know about the Onmitsukidō."
Ichigo considered the question briefly before replying, "Only what they taught at the Shinigami Academy..."
* Flashback *
It was Ichigo and Gin's second day in Section One of Soul Society History & Law, and once again Hashimoto-sensei was at the front of the classroom lecturing to the students.
"As promised we will be discussing both the Onmitsukidō and Kidō Corps today," he began as he started writing on the board.
"The Onmitsukidō is the second largest organization that prospective students such as yourselves may join, and as we discussed yesterday it is one of the three main branches of military in Soul Society. Although separate from the Gotei 13, because the Commander-in-Chief also took the post of division captain within the Gotei 13, the Onmitsukidō has direct influence over said division. Does anyone know which division is tied directly with the Onmitsukidō?" he questioned, looking expectantly at his students.
Ichigo raised his hand, and after being called out clearly stated, "The 2nd Division."
"Correct!" he beamed with excitement, "Now, the Onmitsukidō answers directly to the Central 46, as do the Gotei 13 and Kidō Corps, with neither of the organizations having authority over the other. The Onmitsukidō and Gotei 13 do share an interesting dynamic however; if the Gotei 13 operate openly, the Onmitsukidō patrols and conducts surveillance in enemy territory and carries out top-secret operations, such as assassination and the execution of Shinigami who have broken the law. If the Gotei 13 are considered an exterior guard, then then Onmitsukidō is an interior, covert guard."
Hashimoto-sensei stepped over to an empty space on the board and continued writing bullet points as he lectured, "The Commander-in-Chief has statuary authority to conduct all the affairs of the Onmitsukidō, while deferring to the authority of the Central 46 in matters involving the Soul Society and the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 in all military matters. Corps Commander is the rank given to each one of the five divisions of the Onmitsukidō. The five divisions are each tasked with one or more of the responsibilities of the Onmitsukidō; it should be noted that the first division has the most authority, with the fifth and last division carries the least. Let us now discuss the Kidō Corps..."
* End Flashback *
They made their way into her office, where she removed her Captain's Haori and plopped herself down, obviously spent from their spar this morning, "Let me fill you in on the rest," she said with a smile.
"The fifth branch, or Inner Court Troop, serves as the information transmission unit within the Seireitei. A special ops unit that is mobilized whenever a mission is urgent and requires secrecy. The fourth branch, or Noble Security Unit, provide personal security for important nobles or royal artifacts. The third branch, or Detention Unit, is responsible for the imprisonment and supervision of all criminals within the Seireitei. They are also responsible for Special Detention, which concerns those who joined the Gotei 13 but were judged to be a danger to their fellow Shinigami."
That last bit of information acquired Ichigo's undivided attention as he paid extra attention to the details Yoruichi was relaying to him.
"The second branch, or Patrol Corps, are part of the intelligence gathering within the Seireitei. They gather data on uprisings, and in the event of those under house arrest escape, they are tasked with finding and apprehending them. The first branch, or Executive Militia, carry out missions that involve combat. They're responsible for the punishment and assassination of ex-comrades who break the law and act as scouts during battles against Hollows," she said, emphasizing on the term comrades, obviously trying to get a point across.
Yoruichi stood from her seat and walked out to the railing which overlooked the division before continuing, "Generally the seat an officer holds in the 2nd Division correlates to the division they oversee. Since Marenoshin Ōmaeda is retiring and no longer Lieutenant of the 2nd Division, that means the Corps Commander of the Patrol Corps need to be filled."
Ichigo realized the direction the conversation, and just when he was about to speak up he was cut off by Yoruichi, "Yes, normally that would be you, however..." she paused before turning around and looking at him, "I will be fulfilling that role."
Perhaps she didn't trust him enough for that position, or she had doubts about his intentions, either way Ichigo could only speculate on the matter, although what she said next completely caught him off guard, "You will be the Corps Commander of the Executive Militia."
"She's more insightful than I give her credit for," Ichigo thought as he noticed that the Executive Militia played to his strengths, while the Patrol Corps was territory he had less experience in, relatively speaking compared to the responsibilities of the Executive Militia.
"C'mon," she chirped, "Let's go make the announcement to the rest of the division," and she began walking to the training grounds, while Ichigo once again followed.
It didn't take them very long to arrive at the training grounds, where much of the division's members spent their time, Soifon included. Upon Yoruichi clearing her throat, she acquired the attention of every one present as they took a knee out of respect.
"Lieutenant Fushou will be taking over as Corps Commander for the Executive Militia, while I will be overseeing the Patrol Corps. I expect those of you in the first division to treat him with the same respect you treated me, that is all," she finished.
There was a collective shout in acknowledgment before they returned to their training, all with the exception of one person, Soifon.
Yoruichi turned towards Ichigo, "I'm going to pay a visit to the Kuchiki manor, feel free to familiarize yourself with the division, maybe give them a few pointers on their training," she said before flash-stepping out of sight.
Ichigo decided that observing his follow division members might be an educational experience, whether it be some unique style or simply gauge an individual's attitude or personality.
As he walked along the lines of individuals performing katas or pairs fighting each other, he would point out slight changes they could make to improve their technique or performance, which was met with respectful appreciation, up until he came to the 4th Seat, Soifon.
"If you tuck your elbow in slightly it will help with your balance," he critiqued, much to the chagrin of Soifon, who made her displeasure known verbally.
"I did not ask for your advice, Lieutenant!" she nearly shouted.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, "Do you have issue with me, 4th Seat?" he asked calmly.
Soifon ceased her kata and turned to face Ichigo directly, "Yoruichi-sama may acknowledge you as her Lieutenant, but I will not!"
Her displeasure was soon gaining the attention of the members training, curious at the argument developing between their Lieutenant and 4th Seat.
"Tell me 4th Seat, do you always question the Captain's decisions of appointment?" he asked still unperturbed by her growing anger.
His question left Soifon tongue-tied, which only infuriated her more, "I suggest you examine your worth before questioning the worth of another," he stated before walking down the line of people once more.
Soifon clenched her teeth before returning back to her katas, envisioning the Lieutenant in front of her, unleashing her frustrations on the imaginary opponent.
Ichigo glanced around the training grounds, noticing the attention their minor argument garnered, "If you have time to stare then you're not training hard enough!" he said loud enough for all of them to hear, causing the members to quickly return back to their training routines.
* Elsewhere in Soul Society *
"By the way Byakuya, could you finish up today's training? You've got a guest," Ginrei Kuchiki said to his grandson.
"A guest?" the young boy said with a perplexed look on his face, until a pair of large breasts tapped him on the side of the head, causing him to narrow his eyes and furrow his brows in agitation.
"It's you, you were-cat!" he yelled as he tried hitting his 'guest' with his kendo stick resulting in a failed attempt, much to his annoyance.
She laughed while dodging the attack with a back handspring before crossing her arms, "Calling me a were-cat's not a very nice greeting, kid! And here I came to play with you!"
Byakuya took a step forward aggressively, "Silence! When did I ask you to come and 'play'?! Besides, I'm the next head of the Kuchiki family, I don't need to play!"
"Really?" she said, before flash-stepping next to him and stealing his hair band, effectively undoing his ponytail, much to his displeasure and her amusement.
"Bitch!" he yelled while trying to strike her again with his kendo stick, and again failing in the attempt.
She stood atop one of the walls of the Kuchiki manor, laughing and twirling his hair band, "I fear for the future of the Kuchiki family if a little girl can steal your hair band while just playing!"
Byakuya narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, "Don't you dare move, Shihōin Yoruichi!" he said, eye twitching at her remarks, "I'll use my flash-step to-" he began saying before Yoruichi cut him off.
"Kuchiki Byakuya, you lost!" she proclaimed before flash-stepping out of sight.
Byakuya shook with anger, "I see! So you really want to tick me off! Very well. Then I will have to show you...that my flash-step surpassed yours a long time ago!" he finished saying before giving chase to the were-cat.
* Back at the 2nd Division *
Ichigo was continuing to give advice to his fellow members of the 2nd Divison when he sensed someone approaching their training grounds, it was Yoruichi.
She abruptly appeared in front of him, not phasing him in the slightest as he raised a curious eyebrow. A wide grin spread across her face, one that spoke more of mischievousness than anything else. He was...relieved that her unusually fast flash-stepping wasn't the result of bad news, an emotion that was new and something that thoroughly confused him. However, he was brought out of his thoughts when she handed him a hair band, "Hold on to this at all costs, that's an order!" she said before flash-stepping away.
She was obviously pulling some sort of prank on some poor soul, but he was given an order, and despite however mundane it sounded, he had appearances to maintain.
Not a moment longer and a boy soon arrived to the scene, his eyes searching for someone, or something rather as his eyes locked onto the hair band that was held in Ichigo's hand.
"You, give me that at once!" the boy ordered.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, boy," Ichigo said.