Bleach (c) Tite Kubo
Once More To See You Again
Unto the Breach
Conceptually speaking, the fighting style is cool. It's technically challenging and positively stylish when Kaien pulls it off. Whatever else could be said about them, Nejibana's previous master had a certain theatrical showmanship right up Kaien's alley. Especially with the water accenting every other flourish. Leagues and miles fancier than Ichigo's straightforward boring hack and slash.
Problem is it felt aggravatingly clumsy at times as though Kaien subconsciously expects his arms to reach a smidge further or his legs to be a little longer. A bigger downside is Nejibana herself. Her trident form chomps through his reiatsu supplies like nobody's business, even when Kaien consciously chooses to hold back on the water manipulation. She's devouring his energy like a monster at rest too. Only halting when he seals her back into that katana form.
The former issue improves immensely after a day or two's practice. The latter does not.
Thankfully, much like Ichigo, Kaien has mountains of the stuff to spare. Urahara offhandedly mentioned he has a knack for control and efficiency his elder twin singularly lacks (and boy did Ichigo seethe at that cheeky comment) but this is wrong.
Nejibana feels... off. Granted there's a lot about her that's bizarre. Even with his limited knowledge, Kaien knows in his bones this isn't a normal state of affairs. Made most obvious by the other day, from the Shopkeeper's expression when he emerged from the Shattered Shaft, and the subsequent discreet and not-so-discreet attempts to pry details. Zanpakutou spirits aren't supposed to wear hollow masks(and yes, Nejibana still wears the Hollow mask). However this is something else entirely.
Every time Kaien has that trident in hand, it feels hollow - pun not intended. Something is fundamentally broken about the weapon. Exactly what, he can't quite put into words. Its disorientating, like its lopsided yet not. Subtle enough that he notices something ever so slightly ajar, not enough to interfere with his combat training.
Kaien doesn't know if there's such a thing as Phantom Limb Syndrome for Zanpakutou, but after racking his brain for days that's the best way he could manage to describe it. Nejibana's missing a crucial part of herself and gorges on his reiatsu stores in attempts to compensate for its absence.
Kaien wonders if its a relic from the bond with her previous master. Maybe his theory of a less-than-amicable split is true; Nejibana could've left part of herself behind when she fled - or when she was cast out, and requires time to heal and reconstitute herself. If that's the case, Kaien would gladly feed her as much of his reiatsu as possible until she sees an improvement, but he suspects healing her wouldn't be as simple as that. Perhaps his best option is to search for her missing piece.
Not that Kaien thinks he'll get anywhere there. He wouldn't even know where to start.
Nejibana's old master is probably dead. Even if he weren't and the guy turns out to be a massive asshole, he might just rip Kaien to pieces to take his missing sword spirit back before Kaien knew what was what.
Unfortunately, without a solution to this current situation, Kaien has a problem. Nejibana devouring his energy like a blood sucking leech means he doubts he'd survive a protracted battle. Even without Urahara's advice, Kaien already decided to keep Nejibana's release as a desperate last resort. Which means for now he'll have to rely on her sealed form. Which is fair enough. Just like with the trident, he's swinging the sword with the skill of an expert despite never touching one his entire life. Part of the whole 'inherited muscle memory' thing.
Although... He could do without the dreams.
Having an esoteric cheat sheet helped boost him up to Ichigo's level pretty quickly, but Kaien's becoming increasingly troubled that this expediency might've incurred a dangerous cost. He hasn't mentioned anything to Urahara, or even Ichigo yet, but he's been having strange recurring dreams the last couple nights. More nightmares, really. Of a dark cold night in a woodland he didn't recognize.
That woman was there. The same woman that appeared on Grand Fisher's lure while they visited Masaki Kurosaki's grave. But not so rife with cruelty and devoid of humanity. Demure and gentle, wearing a kind warm smile that hid steel in the sunset. He'd go so far as to say she's one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. A blink later, her expression is cold ruthlessness in the dark of night. Spattered with blood and chillingly merciless as she's slaughtering men around her with zombie-like detachment before lunging at someone with a sword. Lunging at him.
Then... nothing.
There's other things too. A dark room stacked floor to ceiling with notes or lab equipment, or other gruesome monstrosities locked inside jars straight out of a Lovecraftian horror. Its a terrifying jumble frankly.
But it's the woman that sticks with him.
Kaien can't get her face out of his head. He's sketched her likeness in one of his notebooks, multiple times in fact. During breaks in their training he's tried to look her up online with his phone. He's no fan of horror but maybe the spooky lab stuff might've been a half-remembered scene from a late-night movie he caught between dozing and she played the protagonist?
That search was fruitless. As far as he could tell, the woman isn't an actress. Especially not in any recent horror movies he could find. Nor is she someone he'd glimpsed in a recent newspaper article or a TV news anchor. Not a politician or a famous CEO. Definitely too old to be a high school senior and he doesn't remember any substitute teachers matching her description, either at Karakura High or competing schools during his swimming carnivals.
Then Kaien thinks that maybe... maybe she was important to Nejibana's old master?
As soon as he finished that thought, he wishes he hadn't. But he doesn't have time to regret. The flood gates burst wide open unleashing a sudden torrent of very real existential dread. A new terrifying prospect sinks to the pit of his stomach like a stone. He'd be fixated on awakening his powers, on the looming threat of Rukia's execution and how he and Ichigo could somehow prevent it, that he failed to consider the implications in their totality.
If this... regard is a symptom of Nejibana's presence, would there be more bleed over? Would he start inheriting even more than simple martial techniques? Has he been influenced already without realizing it?
"Hey Kai, you okay?" Ichigo's voice cuts through the haze, yanking Kaien from his mental spiral and he snaps back to the present startled.
They headed back home today. Training over. Urahara told them he'd need few days before the gate to Soul Society is open, so right now they're focused on resting as much as possible for the battles to come. There's a fireworks festival on this evening, as Yuzu and Karin excitedly reminded them when they called earlier. The younger Kurosaki twins are over the moon that their big brothers would be home in time to attend as a family.
Kaien shakes his head clear and hitches his bag higher on his shoulder. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Sorry, just lost in my thoughts."
"That's obvious." Ichigo snarks, "Must've been pretty deep thoughts. You're scowling. You never scowl. Anything you feel like sharing with the class?"
Kaien abruptly realizes Ichigo is right. He makes a conscious effort to fix his bright mischievous smile in place, "I'm fine." he lies.
Its a bluff and Ichigo knows it. He calls it. "C'mon, Kai. You know you can talk to me about it. It's not healthy to bottle things up."
"Oh no, of course not. Because you're the exemplar of healthy communication and sharing personal troubles, Ichi." Kaien drawls, then mockingly coughs into his fist, "Hypocrite. Sorry about that, something caught in my throat."
Ichigo elbows him in the ribs for that one. Kaien elbows him back with mischief sparkling in those blue eyes and a snigger, but it dies quickly.
"Truth is... I'm thinking about what's gotta happen. We don't know what to expect on the other side." Kaien points out then gives a nonchalant shrug, "You know me, I need to investigate all the practical angles. And practically speaking, I have no idea how we're gonna actually pull it off."
"We'll do the same thing we always do; I'll watch your back, you watch mine. We'll get in, get Rukia out and beat the crap out of anyone who stands in our way."
Kaien huffs, "Yeah, that's a nice sentiment and all but unfortunately its constrained by this lesser known thing called reality? Ever heard of it?"
Ichigo scowls at him.
"I'm perfectly happy to kick ass and take names but we kind of need to put a bit of thought into this. Because let's be honest with ourselves, this is beyond reckless even by our standards."
"Don't sweat the small stuff." Ichigo dismisses. "Seriously, Kai. Sometimes I think you ask way too many questions."
"I think you don't ask anywhere near enough. You can't dismiss this as small stuff. We're both stubborn assholes when we wanna be but do we have a more coherent plan than bludgeon our way in, swipe Rukia and bludgeon our way back out again? And exactly how do we intend to leap back between worlds with her in tow? Screaming and hollering until the fabric of reality tears open to let us back out? Or until the Shinigami get so sick hearing our voices they beg us to go?"
There's a beat of silence.
"You didn't think that far ahead, did you?"
"I... did not." Ichigo confesses awkwardly.
Kaien scoffs, shaking his head with exasperation, "Typical."
"Bite me, asshole."
"Don't 'asshole' me, I'm right! Don't get cranky with me either because you jumped the gun like you always do. Its all well and good to say we're gonna go save someone's life, but we need to figure out the how first." Kaien defends with both hands raised.
Ichigo growls, frustrated, "I'm sure if we ask Urahara might have a way to get us back."
"Mmm. Might. Yes, very reassuring."
"Alright, why don't you come up with something if you're that skeptical?" Ichigo demands.
Kaien stares off into the distance, admittedly caught in a bind. "... I got nothin'."
"Then why'd you kick up a stink about it if you weren't going to offer a solution?" Ichigo barks irritably.
"Because its a legitimate issue! I'm putting it on the table now so we can figure out what to do with it. Ideally before we end up in a whole ass afterlife with no way of getting home!"
"We'll figure something out," Ichigo growls, "We have to physically get there first."
"Technically speaking, it'd be spiritually getting there first." Kaien remarks deliberately and suppresses a snigger at the vein pulsing in Ichigo's temple. "Just saying. Unless you plan on lugging around an extra 60 odd kilos of dead weight?"
Ichigo stares at him, unimpressed. "Why are you like this?"
"Because pissing you off gives me life." Kaien answers without skipping a beat then returns to a more firm tone, "Seriously, can we figure this out?"
"We'll talk to Urahara about it." Ichigo repeats, "No one else we really can ask. If he can get us there, he can provide us instructions about how to get back. I seriously doubt he'd go to these lengths and invest so much time in training us if he didn't want us to succeed. Part of that success involves bringing Rukia back here. He wouldn't send us galivanting off on the multidimensional grand tour if it were a one-way trip."
"Begs the further question; why he's so hellbent in the first place? Rukia's a repeat client of his, yes, but what's she done to engender that kind of loyalty from him? Why go through this bother to train proxies when he could probably go himself? Its obvious the guy's got the means and the skills." Kaien questions. "Couldn't be more suspect if he tried."
"Unless he needs something from her and he physically can't get it himself. Although what Rukia might have while stuck inside a prison cell is anyone's guess." Ichigo mumbles to himself.
Kaien shrugs his shoulders, listing off suggestions, "Status? Power? Wealth? The meaning of life, universe and everything?"
"Forty two."
The younger twin snorts and the elder doesn't bother hiding his brief smirk.
"One mystery at a time." Ichigo tells him seriously, "Believe me, I don't like it either. But its not like we can twist the guy's arm for answers. We'll just have to figure his game after we save Rukia, alright?"
"Alright." Kaien agrees reluctantly, rubbing his cheek thoughtfully, "But let the record show; this entire situation stinks. Too many things don't add up and I don't like it."
When they turn the street corner, Kurosaki clinic comes into view. "Duly noted. Now pipe down, will ya? Don't need to worry Yuzu or Karin about any of this. And we don't need the old man on our cases either."
Kaien nods along quietly, unwilling to voice the certainty that their father knows everything already.
Kisuke's brow knit into a frown. A particularly grim weight in the air while he stares idly at the cup of tea in front of him.
He ran over the data in his mind once more to tease out anything he might've missed. Maybe a miniscule detail, scrap or clue that would disprove his conclusion. He knows its a waste of time but persisted regardless.
The Senkaimon is completed. After painstaking experimentation and testing, the reishi henkan-ki converter he'd installed into the gate to allow the mortal members of the extraction party to transfer themselves to Soul Society functions perfectly. All that remained is the wait until the appointed hour.
That allowed Kisuke's mind to wonder to the party members. According to Yoruichi's report, Orihime Inoue and Sado Yasatora managed to activate and hone their powers to an acceptable standard. They won't be taken off guard by any unseated officers any time soon. As for Uryuu Ishida, undoubtedly he's honing his own Quincy craft. The boy has talent and potential. Uryuu learned first hand the kind of gulf that exists between himself and their foes. He would've used that encounter to fuel his determination to achieve the levels of power he requires to face down the challenges in Soul Society.
That leaves the twins. Ichigo is progressing far faster than Kisuke predicted. He'd taken sibling rivalry and the twins' competitive natures into account with his estimates but their powers and growth are exceeding his calculations. Only time will tell if that presents a problem.
Over their days staying with him, Kisuke carefully observed their progress. He'd collected a vast quantity of data from recordings taken by hidden cameras scattered throughout the training grounds, capture devices integrated into the layers of training ground's construction and samples taken from when the boys slept. What he discovered was as fascinating as it was disturbing.
"I know that look." Yoruichi Shihoin remarks, padding into the room and deftly leaping onto the chabudai. Those golden slit eyes pinned Kisuke in place.
"The final pieces are on the board. All that remains is to open the gate tomorrow morning. I've also taken the liberty of preparing communication devices for Ichigo and his friends to bring with them in the highly probable event they become separated." Kisuke gestures to a small wooden box in the far corner with a lint of personal pride.
Inside are a half dozen modified denreishinki that appear and function like modern day smart phones. There's a few extra features of his own personal design. Kisuke is especially proud of his latest compact battery. By his calculations, the devices would function for 120 hours before requiring a recharge cycle of 8 hours. As an added perk, instead of charging off electricity when their batteries drain they would replenish their power supply by absorbing ambient reishi.
Regrettably he couldn't do much about the recharge time. In the midst of enemy territory, that's a lot of time to stay out of contact. Despite that unfortunate drawback, they were leaps and bounds superior to the standard issue models used by the common line officers.
Those poor people are still using last century flip-phones, for mercy's sake!
"Do you anticipate them getting separated almost immediately?" Yoruichi questions.
"I'd hope they'd practice good judgement and remain together. But fortune favours the prepared as they say. And you have to admit, the Kurosaki twins do take too much after that side of the family sometimes." Kisuke declares playing up his enthusiastic shopkeeper façade.
Yoruichi makes a derisive sound that conveys every ounce of relish she has at the prospect of wrangling two Shiba brats with too much power and (historically) too little common sense.
"Then why do I detect a peel of anxiety?" Yoruichi remarks dryly.
"Simply a matter of finalizing our preparations." Kisuke deflects. "The plans remain the same. I trust you've procured all the necessary equipment you required for your training?"
"Its stored and ready for use in the underground training hall. Everything's been prepared according to the specifications you gave me. I shouldn't have a problem handling Ichigo's Bankai training." Yoruichi supplies. "With luck on our side, he won't even need it to escape with Rukia."
"Perhaps. I would pray otherwise but luck been in perilously short supply these days. That said, even in the best case scenario I doubt Ichigo would allow himself to go unavenged against Captain Kuchiki. He will want to make a statement. To draw his line in the sand. So its best to have that contingency in place. While he does so, the distraction will provide the opportunity to spirit Rukia away. And enough time for you to secure the device from the Bureau of Research and Development before our mutual friend does."
"I'll take care of it." Yoruichi agrees, idly grooming herself.
Kisuke muses distantly. "In truth, its not Ichigo I'm concerned about."
"The others?" Yoruichi muses lazily, "Kaien?"
"Mm."
"Are you about to suggest I should use the tenshintai to train him as well? Will we even have the time?"
Kisuke hums quietly, considering this for a moment. "That would be another practical contingency. In theory. Two Bankai wielders are logically better than one against those odds. Every effort counts. Unfortunately, based on my observations I'm afraid that won't be possible."
"Why not? Didn't you already say there was no trace of instability." Yoruichi asks.
"No. Not yet. The true test will be your arrival into the Soul Society and how well he functions from here. I know I don't need to but I'd still caution you to monitor him. If the situation takes a turn for the worse, you may have to intervene. The last thing we need is something with that much raw power causing a catastrophe." Kisuke's gaze lowers and narrows.
"The boy is might be up for the challenge. The sword is another matter. In her present condition I don't believe she'd survive that training." Kisuke reveals gravely.
Yoruichi gave an expression that was the feline equivalent to a frown. "Am I going to have to ask what you mean by that? Or do you intend to continue speaking in cryptic riddles?"
Kisuke glances at his feline companion, reclining languidly on the table, "She's a fragment. A remnant of the original."
"A fragment?" Yoruichi echoes, confused.
"Generously we will call it half. A dangerously unstable half at that. Likely cleft in twain during the same incident that cost Lieutenant Shiba his life. I don't know what'll happen to either of them if you summon the Zanpakutou spirit with the tenshintai. Frankly I don't wish to take any unnecessary risks to find out either." Kisuke admits darkly.
"If that's true, what happened to the other half? and where is it?" Yoruichi questions.
"A mystery I would dearly like to solve myself. Regardless of where it is, I strongly believe its alive. Sundered, clearly, but alive." Kisuke replies. "If my guess is correct; the original has been sealed away or coopted by someone else. Even fractured, a Zanpakutou of that calibre is a powerful asset to whomever manages to unbind it. If that's the situation, then in all probability a resonance remains between the two parts. I suspect that's why Nejibana retains her original form and neatly explains why this case is abnormal compared against previously recorded instances."
Kisuke aims a thoughtful look Yoruichi's way. "You and I both know that outside hereditary artefacts, its rare but not unheard of for a Zanpakutou to manifest again. It could happen anywhere between decades to hundreds years after its master's passing. While they are of the same type, those documented cases have always shown a notable variation between wielders. Such is only logical. No one master is the same and each would bring their own unique interpretation to the table. This situation is a break in the pattern. Not just Zanpakutou, but Shinigami as well. Initially I'd believed the latter was Nejibana's influence alone but I've begun to suspect there's more at play under the surface."
Yoruichi tilts her feline head to one side, "You were adamant fifteen years ago that he was Kaien Shiba reborn. He possesses the same soul. Wouldn't it stand to reason that the Zanpakutou activates the same way as well?"
"Not necessarily. Two experiments with identical baselines can deviate drastically depending on environmental factors. Which prompted me to entertain another idea," Kisuke pauses for a moment to collect his thoughts. "What if Nejibana wasn't the only entity severed in two that night?"
The feline stares at him, stunned. "His soul was split?"
"That's my working hypothesis, yes." Kisuke says bluntly, brows furrowing. "If I'm correct, then like the Nejibana we've observed, the boy we know as Kaien Kurosaki is a fragment cut adrift from the whole."
"That's a huge if." Yoruichi states gravely. "Say it were true, wouldn't having half a soul make him more prone to insanity, not less?"
"Potentially. Potentially not. Based on that premise, my current theory is Kaien Kurosaki's soul retains its shape and personality because it cloned the original through the lingering connection between Nejibana's parts. Or as close to it as genetics permits. Presuming he's had that subtle connection his whole life, it explains why he hasn't demonstrated the typical cognitive dissonance observed in other incarnations. Even during our conversations, his behavior was akin to a patient recovering from amnesia rather than descending into schizophrenia." Kisuke explains patiently, he pauses briefly to ponder it further to himself. "The balance between mind and soul is a complex thing; for now, perhaps its enough that the memories are sensed in some form, even if they can't be readily accessed."
Kisuke shakes his head of the thoughts.
"On the other hand, Nejibana's current state means many of her capabilities are split between the two parts. Even if the piece in Kaien Kurosaki's possession was stable, even if he wanted to, she simply wouldn't have the capacity to perform Bankai."
Yoruichi stares at him blankly. "Of course you realise that insane idea hinges on the fact a part of Kaien Shiba is somehow still alive. His death was as infamous as it was gruesome. I can't imagine anything living past that."
"Perhaps not living in any true sense of the word but it persists in some capacity." Kisuke says then allows himself a half-hearted smile. "I realise how preposterous it sounds, but by process of elimination its the only practical scenario I have left that fits the data. And if it is the correct one, then I hypothesize if Kaien Kurosaki manages to locate and merge with that other half, he could stabilize his Zanpakutou and restore his memories of Lieutenant Shiba."
Kisuke allows the words to settle. "However, I'm sure you've already identified the glaring issue with this scenario."
"If a connection exists between the two parts, how do we know the other party isn't aware of it and can we be sure it doesn't function both ways." Yoruichi summarizes. "That's why you want me to keep a close eye on him if things take a turn for the worse. In case he becomes a liability."
Kisuke nods once in acknowledgement, "Indeed."
"In the mean time, dare I ask how you propose to locate that missing piece? Should we even bother trying to recovering it? We don't have time before Rukia's execution to search for it now. Even if we could, Soul Society is already a vast area to cover, presuming whomever has the other half is even there. For all we know, it could be as far flung as Hueco Mundo or the other side of the planet, or anywhere in between." Yoruichi says.
Kisuke hums. "An nigh impossible task to be sure."
Yoruichi is locked in her own thoughts for a moment. "That aside, if its a potential liability of that magnitude, wouldn't the pragmatic thing be to convince him to remain in the World of the Living while Ichigo and the others handle Rukia's retrieval?"
Kisuke looks at her, pointedly raising an eyebrow as if saying 'did you seriously ask me such a stupid question?'
Yoruichi lets out a defeated sigh. "Yes, yes. Realised the moment I said it. Bloody Shiba stubbornness. Its genetic, I swear." She stretches her spine out. "Fine. I'll be on guard. And if the situation turn treacherous, I'll bind him myself."
"For the time being, that's all we can do." Kisuke laments before levering to his feet. "Well then, its nearly time. Shall we get started?"
"That's what he meant by giving him ideas?! A bloody murder victim message?! That had better come off...!" Isshin heard his eldest son's hushed 'yelling' through the walls, following a dull splash. Probably another prank by Urahara.
At this time of night, the sound may as well be a klaxon.
Its been a week since the elder twins returned home from their training and now its time for them to put that hard work to use. The girls were sound asleep at this hour and Isshin had spent until maybe twenty minutes ago finishing up clinic paperwork. It kept his hands busy because he couldn't really sleep either. So he spent the time laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Maybe he was convinced he could doze off before the fireworks got started but that didn't happen either.
"Shut up! You'll wake the whole neighborhood, damn it!" The younger hisses back.
"Yeah, yeah."
He hears them bickering quietly among themselves, creeping down the stairs while exchanging hushed whispers. Isshin follows them, silent as a ghost. He's no ex-assassin but years of training coupled with sixteen years of parenthood have taught him the knack.
By the time Isshin reaches the bottom step, the boys are by the door, slipping on their sneakers with travel bags slung on either their back or over their shoulder.
Isshin crosses his arms and clears his throat loudly, allowing himself a satisfied smile when the twins jump on the spot, turning identical mortified expressions his way. They stare wide-eyed like deers in headlights.
"And what exactly do you two think you're doing, sneaking out at this hour?" Isshin wields his best disciplinarian tone.
Isshin has to admit he's enjoys watching them squirm far too much. Ever since the day Fishbone D destroyed the clinic and that Kuchiki girl gave Ichigo her powers. The half-assed explanations, yarns and larks they've spun to excuse the damage in their room, the random injuries and their spontaneous absences from school or the house has been downright hysterical (With some bittersweet melancholy, Isshin appreciates this is probably the last time he can indulge in this mean little hobby).
Thank god for his poker face, otherwise Isshin would be laughing his head off when they simultaneously, instantly, pointed fingers at each other.
"It was his idea."
Then, naturally, they glare at each other.
"If you two had a late night bus to catch, all you had to do was say so." Isshin tells them when he approaches and he sees the weight lift from their shoulders. "Don't give me that petrified look. Strong healthy young boys like you two, you gotta go out. Spread your wings. Go see the sites. Get each other into all the trouble you want."
"Shh. Don't tip off my scapegoat." Kaien pretends to just notice Ichigo's severely unimpressed scowl, then made an exaggerated show of looking around. "Who said that?"
"I don't know where you two plan on going. I don't need to know." Both lies. "But whatever it is, you two promise me you'll take care of each other, alright? Keep each other safe."
"Me? I'll be fine. Not sure about this idiot. I might need a water bottle and leash." Ichigo points a thumb at his brother. Kaien pinches him for that one.
"Most importantly, have fun." Then Isshin ruffles their hair. Ichigo grumbles and complains irritably, ducking out from under his hand while Kaien tolerates it with a half-smirk.
"Fine. We're off." Ichigo announces, Kaien trailing after him.
"See you later, Dad."
"Bye~!" Isshin waves at their backs, watching them break into a sprint.
Isshin suppresses a prang of jealous and the myriad other conflicting emotions. Watching his sons depart for the Soul Society, knowing precisely the reckless antics they had planned, his mind wanders back to his younger days. To when he was growing up with his elder brother Inei. A sickly man many centuries dead and Kaien's - the first Kaien's - father.
Had fate been kinder, Isshin wonders if Inei would've joined him in activities like this in their younger days.
Perhaps its selfish of him but in his own way he supposes he might be trying to live vicariously through his sons and their misadventures.
When they disappear into the night, Isshin retreats to his office in the clinic, takes out a tall bottle of spirits that's seen more love these last few days than it has in years, pours himself a generous portion and downs it one go. It sears down his throat but he's long since grown used to the sensation. He's never hated his helplessness more. He can feel old familiar power starting to flow in his veins again, the tether that bound them frayed and snapped days ago and they're returning bit by bit. Enough to dummy up very elementary kido, not enough to leave this gigai and render aid.
Pouring himself another generous glass, Isshin mutters a silent prayer. He's not a faith-bound man, but if the Soul King has even a shred of mercy left, Isshin hopes against hope that in three weeks time he'll be seeing both his boys come home.
Author's note:
So a certain someone might not go insane... people might use him as a mole instead.
As for the whole 'Inei' thing. I have a standing Shiba headcanon across this and Black and Blue: Isshin is the younger brother of a twin set. Inei was his elder brother and his polar opposite, super sickly, who sired the Shiba siblings then died shortly after Ganju was born. Which is why Isshin's close(ish) to the trio. He basically half-raise them.
Additionaly, I got bored and I decided that to figure out who'd play Kaien Kurosaki if he had a dub voice: I'm torn between Kaiji Tang (Satoru Gojo of Jujutsu Kaisen) and Austin Tindle (Million Knives from Trigun Stampede). Learning towards Kaiji because of Kaien and Gojo's similar trolling habits.
Regards,
Aurora313