26: Progress
Sakura plopped down on the wooden walkway surrounding the outside of the house, allowing her legs to dangle over the edge. She was preparing for an attempt at communication with her zanpakuto once again, when a playful voice reached her ears.
"You're really going to try and practice when the weather is this nice?" Yoruichi straightened up from her slouched position against the wall and walked toward the noble girl, stretching her arms overhead lazily.
"Yoruichi-san!" Sakura flinched, almost dropping her zanpakuto in the process. "I didn't see you there at all! Did you need something?"
She laughed, purple hair swaying. "Nah. I heard you've been training with Aizen-fukutaichou lately though. How's that been?"
Sakura cast her gaze down, remembering her charismatic chestnut-haired teacher. "It's going well. We worked on Jinzen yesterday, and he told me that I should practice today in preparation for next time." The noble girl fiddled around with the hilt of Kiriaiseika, tracing the carved blossom design.
"Sounds like fun," Yoruichi remarked, sarcasm lacing her words. The violet-haired woman began walking toward the gate, turning her head to address Sakura as she left. "I'm off to visit Kisuke. You want to come?"
Sakura glanced at Kiriaiseika, then at the retreating captain of the second division. Jinzen could wait, she decided before sprinting after Yoruichi.
xXx
"How's it going, Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked the blond-haired man standing before his office, overseeing what looked like a major renovation process occurring in the twelfth division.
"It's coming along nicely," the new twelfth division captain said, flashing a smile at his visitors. "Good to see you, Yoruichi. You too, Kuchiki-chan."
"Hello, Urahara-taichou," Sakura managed to say, while gaping at the Shinigami carrying a massive beam over to the division's headquarters. "What's going on?"
"The soutaichou approved my appeal for a Shinigami Research and Development Institute," Kisuke grinned, running a hand through his pale blond hair. "This is the beginning of it."
"It looks like a pile of wood," Yoruichi said dryly, raising an eyebrow at the heap of beams and pillars that littered the division grounds.
"Yes, well…it's a work-in-progress. Construction should start soon." Kisuke ran his hand through his hair again, then glanced back at the construction area. "Hopefully," he added, looking doubtful.
"So what is your new institute going to do, Urahara-taichou?" Sakura asked curiously.
"Mainly, we're going to develop new technologies and tools for Shinigami use. I've already got a rough outline of a new Hollow detector. But the SRDI will also monitor spiritual stability in the World of the Living and oversee transmissions between us and them. Make sure everything's running smoothly and such." Kisuke nodded, a proud grin on his face.
"Yeah, you're doing a really great job of making sure everything's 'running smoothly and such,'" Yoruichi mimicked as two of the Shinigami dropped the beam they were holding.
"Ah…I'd better go see what's wrong," Kisuke said, ignoring her jibe and rushing off toward his men.
Yoruichi looked down at Sakura, then at the pile of wood in the middle of the grounds, assuming an expression of woe. "The Soul Society is doomed."
A/N: Crappy chapter is crappy. And...I hate to do this. Really, I do. But...
I'm officially on hiatus as of now. I've been ridiculously busy as of late. All of these stories are getting neglected, and I feel awful, but I'd also like to not fail my senior year. And, you know, get into college. That'd be nice.
So, this is goodbye. For now. But I'm never going to leave a story unfinished, so you can expect me back by around December. My profile will have more details. *hugs*
Until then,
4everbrisingr