Chapter 15—The Yami

By the time Jin had finished explaining the situation to Sajin, Sajin was quiet and Jin felt as if he was being chastised by the look on Sajin's face. He felt like a low-ranking Soul Reaper again, just as he had been in the Second Division. After a minute than seemed like eternity, the enormity of what Jin had said finally sank in.

"I see," Sajin stated. "I can understand why you would like to handle this on your own, I think."

Jin felt his body unclench as he heard Sajin's reply... then Sajin continued to speak.

"However, I don't understand why you were trying to hide from me," Sajin continued. At first, Jin was positive that he was being scolded again (a bit of him felt like demanding respect from an equal-ranking Soul Reaper), but he soon realized that Sajin was smiling. "Aren't we supposed to be friend who help one another? You and I are more than just comrades, Jin. You don't have to hide from me."

Jin smiled back, relaxing again. "Thank you, Sajin. Truly. And I'm sorry..."

"I've got an idea," Sajin said. "The Yami is a restricted subject, but Captain Kurotsuchi might know something."

"Captain Creeper?" Jin sighed. The nickname had come from another Soul Reaper in the Second Division and Jin made a mental note to visit his old friends in his recently rare free time. Sajin seemed amused by the joking nickname—he let out a small chortle. "I know that somebody like Mayuri Kurotsuchi tries to know everything, but I don't trust him. He's... off."

"I know, but he's more likely to know the information than anyone except, perhaps, Captain Yamamoto," Sajin explained.

Jin sighed. "You're right. We might as well check."

Kurotsuchi's painted face, twisted expression and golden teeth had always made Jin uneasy, but up close, Jin was repulsed by it. The man reeked of formaldehyde and other chemicals that seemed to linger in the air of the barracks. Kurotsuchi, taking a rare break from his experiments, had greeted them, however unhappily, in his office, Nemu standing off to the side in her quiet, reserved manner.

"Well, well," Kurotsuchi chimed, his raspy voice sending awkward chills down Jin's spine. "Two captains have to come to visit me. To what do I owe the honor?"

"We're looking for something and we think you might have the information we're looking for, Mayuri," Jin explained. Kurotsuchi's expression faltered at the lack of his title. "Have you ever heard of the Yami?"

Kurotsuchi's eyes opened wide briefly, but enough to confirm to Jin and Sajin that he did know something. Almost immediately, he shrugged. "The Yami? I've never heard of it."

"Captain Kurotsuchi, while I may not understand why you are lying, I know you well enough to know that you are keeping it a secret. Someone like you who indulges in the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge's sake will hold interest in almost anything," Sajin answered calmly. Kurotsuchi's scowl was slightly pleasing to see; it was nice to know that he had been rattled by the very logic he prized.

"And what if I do know something? Why should I tell you?" Kurotsuchi teased. He smiled his horrible smile and giggled, an odd sound that, while he did it frequently, still did not seem suitable for a Gotei 13 captain. "What could you possibly have that would be worth my while?"

"What would you like?" Jin inquired.

"Something worth studying. A specimen of unbelievable rarity," Kurotsuchi explained.

"Sir," Nemu began, "our Arrancar specimen have reached their limits. We require more should we continue our research on schedule."

"Ah, true," Kurotsuchi admitted, "but I've already everything I think Arrancar have to offer. They are, after all, very similar to Hollows."

They began to converse and Jin felt the conversation very easily drifting away from the main point.

"Mayuri, please, I really need to the information," Jin said, and he hated the begging sound in his voice. "This is about the fate of the Soul Society, maybe even the World of the Living."

"Why? Is there a problem?"

Jin paused. He didn't want to reveal everything, not unless he absolutely had to.

After a few very tense and uncomfortable seconds, Nemu spoke. "Sir, should I prepare a folder with the information."

"No," Kurotsuchi snapped. "I want to know why it's so important to you."

"A Soul Reaper in my division had recently disappeared and we last heard of him seeking the Yami," Sajin interjected. "I want to be sure that I do not need to worry."

"If he seeks the Yami, then we have a large problem on our hands," Mayuri admitted. "The Yami is the manifestation of all of the darkness that once resided within a corrupted soul."

"Meaning?" Jin prompted.

Kurotsuchi's eyes opened in surprise. "Must I spell it out in bright, bold letters for you?! Every soul is made of both good and evil. Typically, when a Hollow is created, the evil is forced to the surface and is the monster that Soul Reapers use their zanpakutos to purify. What the zanpakuto really does is separate the light from the darkness. The light passes to the Soul Society or Hell if they've been evil in life. The darkness, however, lingers and is absorbed by a mystical stone which is meant to hold it for all eternity. The stone is the essence of evil itself. As a consequence, anyone who holds the stone becomes evil as well. However, Soul Reapers are special. As they are the beings that created this stone, they have a certain immunity to its influence. It not only increases a Soul Reaper's power by about a million times, but it theoretically gives them power over all Hollows, even Vasto Lorde."

"Where is the stone?" Jin demanded, somewhat too eagerly.

Kurotsuchi scowled. "It resides in the most evil place of all, in Hell!" Then, he seemed wary. "Are you seeking it as well?"

"No," Jin answered. "I'm just concerned. Thank you, Captain Kurotsuchi."

"And who is this rogue Soul Reaper? Perhaps we can find him in the database."

Jin and Sajin who had turned to leave, stopped. They exchanged looks and Jin shook his head. "No. I think we'll be able to find him."

Kurotsuchi snorted indignantly. "Before you go, I hope you understand you owe me. I don't just give away information for free."

"We understand," Sajin insisted. "Thank you once more, Captain Kurotsuchi."

They walked out of the barracks hurriedly, slowing down only once the Twelfth's barracks disappeared behind them. Jin breathed a sigh of relief, looking up at Sajin with a smile.

"Thank you."

Sajin, deep in thought, did not hear. Jin gently nudged him. "Hm? Sorry? I was preoccupied."

"Do you think that it's possible for a Soul Reaper to go to Hell and return?"

"Anything is possible," Sajin admitted. "The problem is making the gates appear and open. Ordinarily, they only appear and open when a sinful soul is sent to the other side."

"Atsuya's patient. He'll wait."

"We cannot afford to wait."

"Which is why we have to make the first move," Jin stated. "I have a plan, but we'll need the Senkaimon opened."

"The Senkaimon?"

Jin smiled deviously. "How much do you trust me, Sajin?"

Okay, everybody. I hope you like this chapter. Enjoy.