26 Kuchiki Pride, Shihoin Reasoning
"Gone?! What do you mean gone?" Ginrei shot back, aghast at what Urahara said. "Byakuya cannot 'just' disappear, he just can't. What will we tell- "
"We tell her nothing… nothing at all" Yoruichi calmly replied. "Though you must admit, his reiatsu fluctuated then disappeared during the huge blast that Arrancar made. He is stronger than I thought… and more deadly"
"But Michiko…" Ginrei replied and looked at the Shihoin noble. For the firs time in his entire life, he never felt as helpless as he felt now. Not knowing what to tell his dear granddaughter-in-law who is bearing his grandson's heir. Heirs to be exact… the next generation Kuchikis. "She would of course ask for him."
Urahara looked at both Ginrei and Yoruichi and smiled a little "We all know that Michiko-san is the 4th seat of the 11th Division and a very dedicated officer at that. Ne, its very easy… we just tell her that Byakuya-san has been ordered to report back to the Goteijūsantai after the battle. Everything is in chaos in Seireitei, I'm sure she will buy it."
"And what if she won't?" Ginrei shot back.
"Oh I'm sure she will" replied Urahara calmly.
"You mean we tell a lie" sighed Ginrei as he looked at the former 12th Division Captain.
"Iie Ginrei-sama, we fabricate a convincing story, that's all" replied Urahara.
"It's still telling lies no matter how you expound the word Urahara-san, we still tell a lie, and that is one of the things I hate most" Ginrei shot back, not liking one bit of what he has to do to his grand daughter-in-law.
"Hai, hai" Ginrei-sama, we lie" Urahara replied with a grin.
"I am too old for this" Ginrei looked helplessly at Yoruichi and sighed again. "I don't know for sure what happened to my grandson, but vanishing that way… just like that. I don't think Michiko-sama would buy it."
"It's the only way… or the highway" Urahara replied.
"Oh you and your human adage… too much exposure to the human world is not good for you, you know" Ginrei looked at Urahara and smiled. "I just hope this plan of yours would work."
"Well blame Old Man Yama for making me go on exile" Urahara chuckled.
"I did NOT hear that… I absolutely did not" Ginrei said upon hearing Urahara refer Yamamoto Soutaichou 'old man Yama'
Yoruichi chuckled then turned serious and looked at the two men. "Ne, for now I think telling Michiko that Byakuya was called back by the Gotei would suffice… for now anyway. We need to buy time until we find out what really happened to him."
"Hai hai! A very wise decision, Yoruichi-san" Urahara said, and beams at her. "Ne, we shall go back to my place. Kuchiki-sama, we will be in touch if we hear anything from Byakuya-san, hai?"
"Hai. And I am hoping that I would hear from both of you soon. I'm too old for telling lies and deception you know. I should be enjoying my retirement." Ginrei answered and looked at the main mansion where Michiko and Shiro are staying.
Yoruichi pats Ginrei's shoulder and smiles at him. "As you shall. Keep the faith… your grandson is a good student of mine, remember? I taught him everything I know."
"You taught him too much" chuckled Ginrei and smiled at the two.
Ginrei nodded and looked at Urahara and Yoruichi as the two shunpoed back to Urahara's place. A gust of wind the only reminder of their presence. Sighing, the elder Kuchiki walked slowly back to the main mansion, reflecting on the conversation he just had.
Meanwhile inside the manor…
"Hahaue… are you alright? You look distraught" Shiro asked his mother.
"Hai… I'm alright aka-chan" Michiko replied and looked out of the window, seeing Ginrei walking from the gardens. She stood up and left the room, moments later, she saw him walking towards her.
"Any news from Byakuya, Oji-sama?" she asked, worried.
"Hai. After the battle, he received a Hell Butterfly with the instruction requesting all available Taichous to go back to the barracks to assist the other squadrons, since the other Taichous are busy as well. I don't know when he would be coming back since things are pretty chaotic." Ginrei replied, hating every lie he had to fabricate.
Michiko nodded, "Hai… I understand. I think I should go back to the 11th Division, Oji-sama…"
Ginrei became frantic but remained a cool front, "Iie, you need your rest first my child. Besides, you just got from a battle. It is not a normal thing for an expectant mother to be do be traipsing from one battle to another you know. And besides, Byakuya would not like that."
Michiko thought for a moment and smiled. "Alright then, I will rest for a day… but afterwards Oji-sama, will you permit me to go back to the barracks? I'm sure I'll be needed there, especially now that Ikkaku-san and Yumichika-san are busy."
"Hai, you have my word" Ginrei promised. 'I'm so sorry I have to lie to you my child. But it is for the best. For you, Byakuya and your children. Forgive me my child' Ginrei thought.
"Ne Oji-sama, are you alright?" Mchiko asked, worried.
"H-hai, I'm alright. It's just that this battle is the worst that I have experienced. Never expected that Aizen would go through great lengths for his thirst for power" he replied.
"He should be punished accordingly… if it needs that he and the others be executed, then so be it." Michiko stated.
"Hai. Ne, I will just attend to something Michiko-chan, you need to rest as you promised" smiled Ginrei.
"I will Oji-sama, I will" Michiko then walked towards Byakuya and her chamber.
Somewhere deep in the forest…
"Tessai-san… are you sure this is the place you said where his reiatsu is last traced?" Urahara asked the large-built former Kidou Captain.
"Hai, Urahara-san… this is the exact spot where Kuchiki-sama last stood before his reiatsu vanished." Tessai replied.
Yoruichi silently looked around and grinned 'I don't know what your plans are, Bya-bo but you surely learned a lot.'
"Oi, Yoruichi-saaaan! Look at this!" Urahara called, waving a cloth in the air.
Yoruichi shunpoed and noticed Byakuya's hand guard. "That's his."
"Hai hai… it certainly is… I wonder what your former apprentice is up to though, why is he masking his reiatsu?" Urahara asked.
"You know that the kid loves to confuse his enemy… heh, had I known Byakuya to be this good, I should have gotten him to join the 2nd Division after all" she replied and chuckled at Urahara's shocked expression.
"Ehh? Do you think he would accept?" Urahara looked at Yoruichi in wonderment.
She shakes her head as she laughs; "Iie, that boy is too proud and too pompous to leave the 6th Division. He is after all, devoted to his grandfather and his family's legacy." Taking the hand guard from Urahara, she inspected it and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a small fragment of the Sōkyoku.
"Kisuke, look" Yoruichi exclaimed, handing the small Sōkyoku fragment to him.
"Hai, just as I thought, he was able to retrieve a piece during the battle… but seeing how strong that arrancar, it looks like he consumed 3/4 of the Sōkyoku." Urahara replied.
"But he will never be able to do what he wants, unless… wait…" Yoruichi froze and looked at Urahara in awe as a thought hit her. "Well I'll be damned… Byakuya is one heck of a Taichou after all." She looked at the Sōkyoku piece and looked at Urahara, grinning.
"Ne, ne, what is it Yoruichi-san?" Urahara asked.
Yoruichi looked at him and smiled "Knowing how Byakuya is with his loved ones… he made the arrancar go after him… he still has the remaining parts of the Sōkyoku"
"What?! How can that be? We were all there when the transfer was made… we saw…it was even divided in two fragments" Urahara said, surprised.
"I think that is what he wanted us to see… and to convince his wife that she is now the sole bearer of the last part of the Sōkyoku." Yoruichi replied.
"But it was broken into 2 halves, remember?" Urahara said, puzzled at the discovery.
"Iie… now I realize it, its not. It's divided into 6 equal parts." Yoruichi replied. Byakuya only gave Michiko two sixth of it since he knew that if she would be the sole bearer of the remaining Sōkyoku, she would be like Ichigo - leaking reiatsu all over the place."
Urahara flipped open his fan and playfully fanned himself, looked at Yoruichi "So he really made that Arrancar come after him. Then why would he just simply vanish? Why not come back with us or go back to his manor and fight with us?"
Yoruichi looked at Urahara and stated simply. "It's his pride, his family that he is fighting for. Don't forget, that Arrancar took Michiko and Shiro as hostage; he's not going to let that pass. Of course he is fighting for Seireitei and the Human World too, but he being the head of his clan, it is his duty to protect his clan at all cost. It's something others would not actually understand".
"I still don't get it" Urahra said, shaking his head "I still don't"
Yoruichi grinned at her friend knowingly.
oOo oOo oOo
Author's Note:
Happy New Year to all! here's another chapter and i hope you enjoy it as much as i did writing it. so sorry for the delay though.
again, thank you so much for taking time to read and review. :)
sakura fuyu