A Grim Tale of Reapers ch. 25

Taking a deep breath, Yamamoto stood up from his desk, and walked over to the window in his office. He had spent the vast majority of the day doing nothing but paperwork. Of course, normally his days always saw a lot of said work, but over the past few days, the amount of it had increased tremendously- war meant work.

All the shinigami of the thirteen divisions, of which only a few had been in an actual fight that went beyond just a one-on-one bout with a Hollow, needed to be prepared for the large-scale battles that would inevitably come, new recruits had to be rushed through their training to be ready for battle... and of course, there were the endless complaints that needed to be dealt with, most of which came from Soul Society's nobility. Saying that Yamamoto seizing complete control of the Gotei to deal with the threat, rather than electing new members for the Central Forty-Six was an unpopular decision among the clans would have been quite an understatement; the written complaints sent to him took up by the most space on his desk by far. And of course, again and again there were the inevitable obnoxious accusations that the betrayal of Aizen Sosuke and his fellow traitors was nothing but a trick on the part of Yamamoto and the other captains; an elaborate plan to take the power away from nobility, and name himself the ruler of Soul Society.

But no matter how many nobles wanted to deny everything that had happened, or shift the blame to him, and no matter shocked and unprepared the shinigami were, the fact remained: They were at war, fighting against a traitor that seemingly had, against all odds, managed to seize control of the savage Hollows, and form an army with them.

Letting his gaze wander across the Seireitei, Yamamoto could not help but think that the weather certainly seemed to have a sense of either humor or drama- while in the previous weeks it had been perfectly sunny summer weather, the sky was now heavily overcast, giving the impression that a storm could start any minute, while the Seireitei itself lay in a darkness that made it seem like it was already late night, when it was still evening.

Suddenly, a knocking on his door frame interrupted Yamamoto's thoughts.

“Come in.” He spoke, turning his head around to see who it was.

The door slit open, and through it entered Unohana Retsu. “Soutaichou.” She said, taking a bow in front of him.

Turning around towards his fellow captain, Yamamoto sat down again, sighing. “There is no reason to be formal, Retsu. I know that if this was anything official, you would have asked to see me sooner today. So what did you want to talk to me about, that shouldn't be official?”

“This concerns Shiba Isshin.” Unohana stated bluntly. “There is something about his role within the events that led up to Aizen Sosuke's betrayal that leaves me thinking that he knew more about what was going than he let on.”

“Are you implying that he too could be on the side of Aizen Sosuke, and stayed behind in a further attempt to deceive us?” Yamamoto asked, his tone low.

Unohana pondered the question for a moment. “No... I don't think that he's on Aizen's side. I am aware that I have nothing more than my intuition to go on, but I doubt that he could have any interest in joining him.”

“But even if you don't think that he is a traitor, those are quite the accusations.” Yamamoto said, giving her a stern look. “Why do you suspect any of this?”
“It is simply... a combination of several small things that he did during these.” She said, sounding thoughtful. “What is mostly making me think is that a few days before the execution, Kuchiki Byakuya reported that Shiba Isshin had taken the ryoka Kurosaki Ichigo into his custody, only for him to escape a few hours later. And more importantly: According to Kuchiki Byakuya, Isshin also turned against him when he was about to engage the ryoka in combat, leaving him to fight them on his own, while he took Kuchiki Rukia and left the hill.”

Yamamoto began stroking his beard. “Those incidents are suspicious, yes... but since him being allied with Aizen is unlikely, what could it mean?”

Unohana remained silent for a short moment, staring absent-mindedly into the distance. Then, after a while, she finally said “That Kurosaki boy... doesn't he also remind you of somebody?”

For a second, Yamamoto looked at her in confusion- then, realization hit him. “You are referring to Shiba Kaien. Do you think that he is related to that boy, and Isshin?”

“I have my suspicions.”

“Suspicion alone is not helpful, Retsu. Even if it an unwise decision, in the current situation I would rather ignore any baseless oddities about Shiba Isshin's behaviour than to lose yet another captain over them. Those are all your ideas and concerns, so if you have anything else to say, please say it all.” Yamamoto grunted disapprovingly.

“I apologize, Genryusai.” Unohana said, nodding. “My suspicion... it relates to back when we lifted his exile and retrieved Shiba Isshin from the world of the living- from what I recall, he initially objected to being brought to Soul Society and the Gotei, saying something about how he would leave a woman behind.”

“You mean Kurosaki Ichigo could be the son of him and that woman.” Yamamoto stated more than he asked.

“Given the recent events, I think that it is certainly a possibility...”

“After three captains defected from us, I would like to think that all among our ranks who have their own agendas and little secrets are gone... but in the light of facts like these, I will have to agree with you. This cannot be ignored.” Sighing, Yamamoto stood up. “I will need you to run some tests to find out whether what you suspect is actually true.”

Unohana nodded. “Understood. We should have the results by tomorrow morning.”

“Good.” Yamamoto said. “At the current time, we can't afford to lose another captain... but no matter the result, the fact remains that we cannot trust Shiba Isshin entirely anymore.”


*******************************


Renji finally put his sword down, taking a seat on the ground. He had been in the Division Six training grounds since after breakfast, training non-stop. His shirt had come off, and his torso was glistening with sweat, his body aching with that burn of muscles being worked to the fullest. He wanted nothing more at the moment than for that ache to be the only thing filling up his mind, to work and get stronger until he collapsed. Something about the last few days had left him wanting only that, to get stronger. Maybe it was having betrayed the Gotei, maybe it was his failing to protect Rukia, maybe it had been getting his Bankai prematurely- whatever it was, he wanted only to train.

“Are you getting weak, Renji?” It was the voice of Zabimaru. His zanpakutou had been gruff ever since the Bankai- he had not appreciated being forced out, and Renji could understand that. Still, nothing to be done about that.

“I'm just taking a break.” He communicated back.

“Rest is for the weak.” It said dismissively. “You will never deserve my full power at this rate.”

Ignoring his zanpakutou, Renji sat back, thinking. A general pardon had been issued the other day- and lucky that, because traitors were publically executed, and Renji was rather attached to his head. Of course, if he'd been executed, then several captains would have been to- including Ukitake-taichou and Kyoraku-taichou, and the word was that they were like sons to the old man.
Kuchiki-taichou was still recovering in his mansion, and according to Rukia he had changed his mind about her needing to die- which was a thing as shocking as any he had ever heard. But it probably meant he wouldn't have to fight him, which was good. Yes, to fight him… he would have wanted to be the one to fight him then and there on Sokyoku Hill- but he would have lost, no doubt about it. He had always wanted to surpass the captain, ever since he had adopted Rukia, but he was nowhere near close yet.

Renji's musings were interrupted, as he sensed an approaching reiatsu. Coming towards him was Kyoraku-taichou, wearing that typical pink woman's kimono. Immediately standing up, Renji hastily put his shirt on, and stood to attention.

“Good morning, taichou!” He exclaimed.

“Now, Renji-kun, no need to fuss like that- I'm not very formal, like Byakuya-kun.”

That was true, but Renji wasn't one to ignore respect towards your superiors.

“Sir.” He said, not sure what else to day.

“I guess you know that Fifth Division is leaderless now, Renji-kun?”

“Yes, sir. I imagine they'll want a replacement soon.”

“Yes. Preferably one with experience as a leader- a fukutaichou, even.”

“Sir?” He noticed Kyoraku-taichou was carrying a package- a soft-looking package wrapped in cloth. He felt uneasy. What was this? Where was this going?

“And one with Bankai, too. Those are the rules, after all.”

Oh, no. Renji felt that sinking feeling.

“Sir.” He said stiffly.

Kyoraku unwrapped the package. It was a brand new haori, the coat worn by a taichou. Kyoraku let it unfold, showing off the character for “five”.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” He said cheerfully. “Quality work- strong material, expert weaving. It was finished just yesterday.” He draped it over Renji's shoulders.

“No…” Renji said. He wanted to run- to just dart away, run, be somewhere else other than here.

“Abarai Renji, you are hereby informed of your promotion to taichou.” Kyoraku said, sounding serious. “Phew- that takes care of the formal part. That should satisfy the old man, at least.”

Renji shook his head. “Taichou, I can't- I'm not cut out for this-“

“You'll do fine, boy.” Kyoraku said reassuringly.

“I can't.” Reni said. “There's gotta be people better for this-“

“Who else is there? We need somebody with leadership experience and a Bankai. I don't know of anyone else who fits.”

Well, Ikkaku maybe- but he'd never let anyone know, let alone accept a promotion.

“You don't understand!” Renji said desperately. “I mean, I'm not that great of a leader- and sure, I have Bankai, but it's far from mastered- I'm really not-“ He stopped, trying to find the right words.

“Renji-kun, don't tell me you've suddenly decided to be humble.” Kyoraku said, sounding curious. “No, that's not it- I've seen you over the years, and you're not humble. A little ambitious, cocky and a little arrogant, a solid leader- but not too humble. So I'm wondering what's really got you wound up.”

“…this is going to sound stupid.” Renji mumbled.

“We're all stupid in some ways, and I'm not one to laugh at others for being silly.”

Renji took a deep breath. “I do want to be a taichou one day. When I'm equal to Kuchiki-taichou- better, even. That's what I want, and I'm not even close.”

Kyoraku nodded. “I see. You had a dream. That's good- it's good for a man to have a goal to work for. That's not stupid.”

“That's why-“

“Renji-kun, I need you to do me a favour.” He said seriously. “Can you do that?”

“Sir?”

“I want you to please think of the people in Division Five. They've been betrayed by both their taichou and their fukutaichou. They're leaderless, and at their lowest. They need somebody to pull them up by the collar, shout at them and bully them, and give them so much work they're too busy to do anything else. They need help.”

“But, sir! It's my- it's my-“

“Listen, Abarai,” Kyoraku said, his voice soft and serious, “if life taught me anything, it's that things don't usually work out the way you intended it. It also taught me that if you're a man, you step up when you're needed. I know it's bad- I've been there. We all have dreams, and sometimes reality steps on them.” He leaned in a little closer. “The question is: are you going to rise to the challenge, or turn your back to the people who need you?”

Renji's arm slumped at his sides. What could he say to get out? What could he do? Kyoraku-taichou wasn't wrong- but this… this hadn't been what he wanted.

“But wouldn't I just be a figurehead?” He said mustering a last, lame objection. “I'm not any different from how I was yesterday- a fukutaichou who's decent at his job, but still nowhere near what a captain is like.”

“You know, sometimes a figurehead is just what people need.” Kyoraku said thoughtfully. “We're heading into war, and people need symbols- something to believe in. They need leaders. Make Division Five believe in you, Renji-kun, and they'll accept you. This is bigger than you, and it's bigger than me too.”

Slowly, Renji slid his arms into the sleeves of his new haori. He balled his fists, and raised his arms, inspecting it. It felt heavy- much heavier than cloth should be.

“It suits you perfectly.” Kyoraku said reassuringly. “The ladies love white, I can tell you that much- and it's not like you have to stop trying to be better than Byakuya-kun.”

It felt unreal. Renji kept inspecting the coat, as if it would be gone if he just looked hard enough. But it kept persisting in its existence, and Renji realized that this was him. Abarai-taichou.

“Can I even do this?” He said weakly.

“You know, I find that lots of people can do more than they thought they could, if only they are forced to. That's what it was like for Byakuya-kun too, in his day.”

Renji nodded.

“Now, why don't you head over to Division Five? There's an office being set up, and new quarters. You should probably give the people there a speech, too- something short, but decisive should do the trick.”

“…sure.” Renji mumbled, still in the process of accepting this as real. Still, now that he wore the coat, now that his ambition was forfeit, he knew there was work to do. And he might as well do his best to do it right.


*******************************


Still not able to entirely believe that this was really happening, Rukia spiritedly walked towards the grounds of the Squad Thirteen barracks. For the first time in weeks, no, months, she would finally report back for duty in her Squad. Of course, both her captain, Ukitake Jushiro, as well as Byakuya kept reassuring her that after almost being wrongfully executed, she could take off as much time as she wanted. But Rukia had already made up her mind a while ago- in fact, had Byakuya not insisted that she took some more time off, she would have already gone back to the Squad several days ago.

But no matter how much Byakuya had insisted, after some time, it simply was not enough to hold Rukia back: While it was certainly good to be able to relax after the past few weeks, she needed to get back to business, and resume her work as a shinigami of the Gotei.

As she got into viewing range of the barracks, Rukia could once again not help but to think just how... normal this all felt already. Only a few days ago, she had been prepared to face death, to let her life be ended without any sort of objection. Of course, as a shinigami, death was something that they had to be prepared for at any moment – it was always possible that in a battle with a hollow, something went wrong, one made a wrong move, or the enemy simply turned out to be stronger than expected... but it was another thing entirely to simply accept being sentenced to death, and not mind the thought of being executed.

She had felt guilty, guilty enough to deserve death- the fitting punishment for everything wrong that she had ever done. Several weeks spent in prison, doing nothing but moping, waiting for her death to finally happen... and then, suddenly, all it took was a few idiots still supporting her, and her will to live was back. Rukia smiled at the thought.

But even so... the feeling of guilt was still there. It still was as strong as it was in these past weeks, but by now it just wasn't weighing her down anymore. She could look forward again- and she was determined to continue doing so.

Lost in her thoughts like that, it took Rukia a few seconds to realize that she was already at the barracks of Squad Thirteen, and yet another few seconds to realize that things were quite different from how they were normally: Hundreds and hundreds of shinigami were out on the grounds, sparring with each other, practicing kendo and other skills, and just generally training themselves. The Squad was preparing for war.

For a short while, Rukia just stood there, looking around and letting the image of the Squad at work sink in. It really had to be just about the entire Squad that was out here practicing: She could see familiar faces everywhere, be they seated or unseated officers. Eventually, she even spotted her captain, Ukitake Jushiro, observing the shinigami at work, and promptly headed off to the instant she saw him.

“Ukitake-taichou!” She spoke loudly as she got close enough.

“Ah, Rukia!” He said, turning around towards her. “So you are already reporting back for duty?”

“I would have already returned sooner, taichou, but nii-sama insisted that I take some more time off.”

Ukitake nodded. “Understandable. If I had any say in this, I wouldn't let you return for at least a month, but this is your decision to make.”

Rukia remained silent, uncertain on what she could say in response to that, or if she should even respond at all.

“Well, in any case... I suppose you will want to join the rest of the Squad in their exercises, so... you may consider yourself dismissed.”

“Taichou!” Rukia said, taking a bow. She then turned around and walked away, with the vague goal in her mind to find a relatively free place where she could practice.

She had not gotten far in her search when suddenly, a shout of “Rukia!” interrupted her wandering, and made her turn her head- and not just her, too; all around her, shinigami turned around towards the person who had shouted and began to murmur.

Said person meanwhile turned out to be Renji, who was running towards her... and wearing a captain's haori.

“Renji?” Rukia asked, her disbelief apparent in her voice.

“Finally found you... I've been searching for you.” Renji said, coming to a stop in front of her.

“I can imagine...” Rukia said, still not quite able to comprehend the sight of Renji wearing a captain's haori. “I guess I... should congratulate you, right?”

Renji grimaced. “You can just as well wait with until I've actually gotten used to the thought of me being a captain.”

“Well… that's great!” Rukia exclaimed, still sounding a little shocked. Renji, a captain… who'd have thought that? She still remembered him as the cocky little street rat he'd been when the two of them first met.

“Hold the congratulations.” Renji said, making a face. “They're only bumpin' me up 'cos they got no-one better left. It's gonna mean a bigger paycheck and a whole lotta headaches for me… honestly, I'd rather be back in division six, under taichou- I mean, Kuchiki-taichou.”

He sounded a bit weird, addressing her brother like that- not because he wouldn't usually, but because strictly speaking, the two of them would be equals now, on paper at least. And it was weird.

“So… are you gonna celebrate it?” She said, awkwardly trying to make conversation out of it.

Renji grimaced. “Ikkaku and Iba are probably gonna make me- and likely, I'll pay for it too. But it could be worse, I guess. But, you know…”

He sounded less irritable now.

“Yes?”

“Y'know, a taichou gets to select his fukutaichou. And usually you just keep the old one, but that spot's open now… you know?”

“You mean…” Oh dear. He wouldn't.

“…well, yeah. I mean we work well together, you'n me. Don't we?”

Rukia shook her head. “Renji, I only just got used to the idea of being alive again. I don't think I could handle being promoted.”

“But-“

Rukia shook her head. “I'm sorry. I'm not ready for that sort of thing- I'm not that strong, and I've no experience as a leader. And nii-sama would disapprove.”

And there was the fact that he was still in love with her, but now was not the time to deal with that.

Renji sighed. “Well, it was worth a shot, I guess. You're coming to the party, though- a no won't do for that!”

Rukia smiled. “All right- I'll come. But I won't drink myself dead drunk like your friends from Squad Eleven, though.”

“It's a deal!” Renji said, grinning happily for the first time in what felt like forever.


*******************************


Tatsuki was walking the streets of the Gotei, wearing her shihakusho, although not her zanpakutou, following Yoruichi- this time in her human form, clothed even.

“Um, are you sure this will be all right?” Tatsuki mumbled nervously. She was mostly healed, but she hadn't been discharged- but even so, Yoruichi had invited her to come along. And since it was better than moseying about all day in Fourth Division, she had accepted- she just hoped nobody would arrest her.

“Trust me, it will.” Yoruichi said casually. “They're not gonna keep you here forever- the Gotei Thirteen likes better to make use of potential resources than to throw them away- especially now, with a war on their hands. It should be all right to move about. I mean, I'm only a suspected traitor these days, and that's a huge improvement.”

Tatsuki laughed nervously, feeling very not convinced. “If you say so.”

“You'll like this.” Yoruichi said, confidently walking through the Gotei like she owned the place.

After a short while, they came upon what looked like second division grounds, looking so mainly because of a sign saying “Second Division”. Yoruichi walked in, with a confidence like this was home, and Tatsuki could see a courtyard bristling with activity- shinigami training relentlessly, tights-wearing, masked people practicing martial arts… it was pretty interesting to see these people, who had been chasing them just a couple days before, and what they were really like- hardworking, actual people, doing chores, training…

“This way.” Yoruichi said, moving deeper in. And a bit further in, at the middle of the training grounds, she saw a ring of people, standing in a wide square. In the middle, there stood a tiny girl, no taller than five feet, with long braids and wearing the same black as everyone else, and around her, four tall men, all wearing masks.

“Four on one?” Tatsuki wondered.

“Just watch.” Yoruichi said.

There was a loud cry from one of the men, presumably a signal for whatever this was to start, and as one, the four attacked. For a second, Tatsuki wondered if this was some sort of sadistic game to humiliate whoever that girl was-
And then that tiny girl slammed a kick into the first man to approach, did a somersault, and proceeded to methodically beat, punch, kick all four men without taking a single hit, moving fluidly and faster than Tatsuki thought possible- without using shunpo, that is.
As soon as the first four were beaten down, four more from the square around her came in- and after being swiftly knocked out, in a matter of seconds, four more came at her. And four more after that, until the ring of people standing in attendance were all beaten down, limping away from the girl.
Tatsuki, having once been a national karate contender, had always appreciated the skill and dedication it took to hone your body to the almost artistic perfection that martial arts required- but this was something else. The girl she was watching was moving so fluidly, with the skill of a master…

“Hey, Soifon!” Yoruichi cheered, grinning.

“Yoruichi-sama!” The girl said, hastily picking up a white coat, handed to her by an attendant. She put it on, and Tatsuki recognized it as that jacket all the captains wore- well, that would explain the ass-kicking she had just witnessed.

“Soifon, meet Tatsuki.” Yoruichi said.

“One of the criminals.” Soifon nodded. “Er, that is to say, one of your comrades, Yoruichi-sama.”

Yoruichi laughed. “This is Soifon. She's the chief of intelligence, and my former student.”

“Huh.” Remembering her manners, she bowed quickly, and said, “Good to meet you, Soifon-taichou.”

“Oh, not another one…” Yoruichi grumbled, half serious.

“Was there something you wanted to talk about, Yoruichi-sama?” Soifon said.

“Oh, nothing- I figured I might as well come visit when I'm here. I asked Tatsuki here to tag along, since she might like the fighting styles we have here. You've gotten really sharp, little bee.”

“Don't- don't call me little bee!” Soifon mumbled.

“You're adorable.” Yoruichi said teasingly.

“I am not!” Soifon said indignantly- although, Tatsuki noticed, not too indignantly. “Say, why don't we show the criminal- I meant, Tatsuki-san around here?” She said, sounding eager to change the subject. Tatsuki resisted the urge to giggle. This was the bad-ass chief of security?

“Excellent idea!” Yoruichi said, as if it had just occurred to her, and had in no way been her intention. “You can't be all work and no play, Soifon.”

Soifon murmured something inaudible, and Tatsuki and Yoruichi followed her inside the division's main house.



******************************



Hinamori Momo felt, in short, very uneasy. As much as she loved her captain, as much as she was devoted to him and believed in him, she had left behind everyone and everything. All of her friends, even little Shiro-chan, and they all surely hated her now. In their eyes she was a traitor, an enemy- and she might even have to fight them. Aizen-sama had said that history is written by the winners, that who was labelled as a traitor or a brave revolutionary only depended on who wrote the history books. And though she saw what he meant, it did little to comfort her. For here she was, alone- Aizen-sama had much to do, and could not be expected to spend his every moment with her- in this cold, sterile world of white, black and gray, in a white stone palace that would surely have glimmered with radiance of only this world had a sun.

But there was no sun. There was light, a dim, gray light that let you see things clearly, but this world was every bit as joyless as you would expect the home world of the hollows to be. It was, however, not lifeless- it teemed with hollows, hollows and more hollows, and although none dared enter this palace, this “Las Noches”, they could be seen out in the desert at all times, always fighting, hunting one another…
And in the palace, there were things worse than hollows. Aizen-sama had said their names were “arrancar”, hollows given human form and a zanpakutou, monstrously more powerful than any hollow.

She was scared. Scared that she had made the wrong choice, scared of this world, scared of the hollows, scared of Ichimaru Gin… and she had no choice but to keep strong. She could not go back; treason was a very final act to make. Feeling gloomy, she just sat in her room, staring out into the endless desert of Hueco Mundo.

Suddenly, her gloom was interrupted, as there was a knock on the door. She let out a small “come in”, and one of those “arrancar” walked in. It was a man with completely white skin, and two green lines on his face resembling tears. She recognized him- Aizen-sama had said his name was Ulquiorra Cifer, his right hand man in this palace. She felt, if not at ease, then at least a little less tense.

“Aizen-sama wishes to speak to you.” Ulquiorra said, his voice apathetic. “I will escort you there.”

“I understand.” Momo whispered, nodding. She got to her feet, following the arrancar through the halls of the palace. Through the winding corridors, they passed several other arrancar- a busty woman with green hair, a mean-looking, muscular man with blue hair, and a tall, tan woman with blond hair. Momo didn't know much about them yet- but as she understood it, Aizen-sama had gathered an elite to serve him.

Finally, they reached Aizen's personal room. Not his throne room, where he usually sat on official business- his chambers. She felt warm inside, a little happy at the thought of being where he was, not just being business. It was silly, but at the moment she'd take any happiness she could.
Ulquiorra bowed before Aizen, who was sitting in his chair. He waved dismissively, and the arrancar walked away without a word.

“Good day, Hinamori-kun.” Aizen said. His tone was just slightly sarcastic, like politeness was a joke to him- but she would take him seriously, no matter what.

“Good day, Aizen-taichou!” She said sharply.

“How have you been so far?”

“Just fine.” She said, determined not to burden him with her petty little problems. “The room I got was very nice.” She added.

“It occurred to me that perhaps you might not be very happy with the situation you find yourself in.”

“No, no- I'm fine!” Momo said urgently, waving her hands dismissively.

“Given that I took you with me, I suppose I should be responsible for putting you to work, too…” He said thoughtfully, ignoring her protests that no really, she was fine, thank you very much. “How about I give you some kind of work?”

Momo blinked. “What do you need, Aizen-sama?”

Aizen leaned back, seemingly deep in thought. “…you know, I've yet to document all my arrancar. I need somebody to make proper profiles- names, heights, full data on everyone.”

Momo nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, sir.”

“You'll not have nothing to fear from them. If they protest, remind them that this is a direct order coming directly from me. I have ordered that none of them may hurt you, and my will is absolute.”

Momo nodded. “I will not disappoint you, Aizen-sama.” Inwardly, she cheered- he needed her to do something!

“You might need some help, I suppose.” Aizen said, pressing a button. Almost immediately, two girls wearing rather less clothing than Momo thought appropriate walked in. One had short, blond hair, and the other had black hair in pig tails, and both of them had a bone fragment covering one of their eyes.
“Loly, Menoly, meet Hinamori Momo.” Aizen said. “From now on, you will obey all her orders to the letter.”

“Aizen-sama, we-“ The black-haired one exclaimed, sounding angry.

“Is that clear?” Aizen said firmly.

“Yes, Aizen-sama.” The blond one said. “To the letter.”

He nodded. “Good. Now, Hinamori-kun, I suggest you start with Szayel Aporro- he'll have the materials necessary for documentation.”

“Yes, sir!” Momo said cheerfully. “Come on, you two!”

Aizen watched as Momo led the two arrancar women out. Well, that was two birds in one stone- Hinamori got some pointless task to do and felt fulfilled for doing it, and those two fangirls would be kept busy, and not gawking at him every chance they got. It was amusing.

Yes, amusement. That was why Hinamori Momo was still alive, Aizen decided. Hopefully, she would remain amusing.



******************************


Not quite sure about the choices that he’d made, Ichigo followed the man through the streets of the seireitei. Considering the general situation that he and the others were in, when this guy had shown up at their room earlier, saying that he was there on orders of Kukaku to take Ichigo to her, he probably should have been more a bit more wary of him... especially since nobody had bothered to return his zanpakuto to him yet.

But then again, the past couple of days had been rather boring- none of them could really do anything, and even talking to each other was something that you could only do for so long. Add to that Tatsuki going out to do whatever with Yoruichi, and Uryu and Orihime just generally spending so much time with each other recently that Ichigo felt like he was interrupting something when he was around them, and you had enough boredom for Ichigo to just follow this man that he only vaguely remembered. Granted, it was probably not the most intelligent thing to do, but it was at least a way to kill some time.

The man- Ichigo barely recalled his name being either Ginkaku or Kinkaku, or something along those lines- had thus far taken him far through the seireitei and a good distance away from any of the Squad's barracks without saying much. In fact, just about the only thing that he had said to Ichigo was back at their hospital room (or whatever it could be called), and that was him explaining to Ichigo in very, very few words that Kukaku wanted to see him.

Since then, at least half an hour had passed in which they had done nothing more than to quietly march through the streets, without any sign of some sort of something that could take them out to the Shiba manor out in the Rukongai more conveniently than just walking there. Ichigo was in fact already starting to doubt whether this guy was really taking him anywhere... when suddenly, he led him onto the grounds of what seemed to be the house of a minor noble family.

“We're there. Kukaku-sama awaits you in there.” The man grunted in his deep voice.

Feeling a bit uncertain, Ichigo slowly walked towards the house. It barely looked any different from any of the other noble manors that he had seen so far. Maybe a bit less big, a bit less pompous, but definitely nothing that really reminded him off the Shiba manor out in the Rukongai- and to top it all off, it didn't really look like it was as frequently or extensively used as the other manor.

All of his doubts were however squashed immediately, as the front door slid open as soon as he walked up to it, revealing Kukaku standing behind it, as promised.

“Yo, Ichigo! Haven't seen ya in ages! C'mon in!” The head of the Shiba clan shouted cheerfully, and then proceeded to grab Ichigo with her one arm and drag him in while he was still dumbfounded.

As Kukaku was dragging him through the hallway, it occurred to Ichigo that perhaps he should be asking her why she had wanted to see him to begin with... but ultimately, he decided that that could just as well wait until she was no longer trying to tear his arm off in an effort to get him to follow her.

And just as suddenly as it had started, Ichigo's unexpected journey through the hallway ended, as Kukaku had seemed to reach their destination, and needed her arm to open another door. Still flabbergasted about essentially everything, Ichigo just stared as Kukaku entered the room behind the door- a comfortable living room of sorts- and sat down, giving him an expectant look.

“What are ya standing there for? Come in, and close the door behind you!” Kukaku said impatiently.

Only now realizing that he was still standing in the doorway, Ichigo hurried into the room and sat down in front of Kukaku. “Uh, sorry.”

Kukaku however only laughed. “Oh, come on, no need to apologize! Just relax and celebrate a little! That's part of the reason why I invited you here, after all!”

“Celebrate?” Ichigo asked, getting even more confused than before.

“'Course! What else? You made it, after all! Succeeded in that suicidal mission of yours, rescued the poor maiden, and even lived through all of it without taking any harm.” She said. As she spoke, a servant entered the room, and put a bottle of sake on a nearby table, from which Kukaku immediately took a sip. “Though lookin' at how quietly you're just sitting around, I'm kinda starting to believe that someone hit you on the head a few times to many.”

“But... why celebrate only with me?” Ichigo questioned, trying to ignore the last part of what Kukaku had said. “What about Tatsuki, Uryu, Orihime, or even Yoruichi? They went through this just as I did, and yet you didn't invite them.”

The Shiba clan head let out an annoyed sigh. “Geez, yer daft...and here I was hoping that you inherited some less Isshin-traits, and a few more Shiba-traits in general. Or did you perhaps not even meet yer old man at all? Shiba Isshin, captain of Squad Ten?”

“...Oh!” It was as if she had flipped a switch in Ichigo's mind. “So you're- we're- I just didn't actually think about it when I heard his name, with everything that was going on...!”

“Yeah, I suppose you got a point there.” Kukaku said, chuckling. “Ya were still on that mission of yours, and probably had other things to worry about than being suddenly related to somebody that ya just met a few days ago.”

Slowly, Ichigo started to grin. Looking back, he really should have noticed that his father's surname just so happened to match that of the noble clan that had helped them out on their way into the seireitei- but with everything that had been going on, he had just about forgotten about Kukaku entirely. In comparison to some of the things that had happened however... finding out that he was related to her wasn't exactly too bad. “So how exactly are we related?”

“Ah geez, lemme think...” Kukaku mumbled, scratching her head. “Your father, Isshin was the cousin of my father, Shiba Isao. That makes him my cousin, once removed... and that makes you my second cousin... or something like that.”

“So... does that make me some sort of nobility, or what?”

Kukaku laughed. “Yeah, it does- but besides celebrating, that's not the reason I called you here.” She said, her formally cheerful turn shifting into a more serious one. “Ichigo, I know you probably don't really consider Isshin to be your father-”

“Damn right I don't.” Ichigo growled. “I know he probably had his reasons, but that doesn't change the fact that he never did anything that a father would do for me. He's a stranger to me.”

“...And I can't really blame you for that, yeah.” Kukaku said, nodding. “You probably don't really consider me and the rest of the Shiba clan to be family, either, with us living in entirely different worlds and whatnot. But even so: Your father might also be a big stupid good-for-nothin', but to me, he's still family... and so are you. Hell, you're just about the spitting image of my late older brother, if we're ignoring hair color. Right now you got a human life to live- but a handful of decades ain't nothin' in shinigami terms, and when it's time to move on, I want you to know you got a home to come to, no matter what.”

“...Didn't know that you could be so serious...” Ichigo murmured, smiling weakly, uncertain on what else he could say. “But... thanks.”

“Oh, no need to get overly emotional- just relax and have some fun! After all, I also called ya here to celebrate some!” She cheered, taking another sip of sake. “How about you tell me something about your life, over in the world of the living? Got any siblings of yer own?”

Ichigo remained silent. As slowly as it had appeared, the smile vanished off his face, as his thoughts drifted to his sisters for the first time within weeks. Karin, and more importantly, Yuzu... Yuzu, who was still hanging on in the world of the living, whom he would have to take care of sooner or later once he got home...

“What's wrong, Ichigo? Did I say something wrong?” Kukaku said, clearly concerned.

“No, it's alright.” Ichigo replied, his voice slightly shaking. “It's just... I might be taking that offer of yours up a bit sooner than you probably expected.”

Kukaku frowned, but decided not to pry. The lad had been through a lot- going from thinking he was a human with a dead dad, to being a supernatural being with a dad and noble heritage to boot, that could be a lot to take in.

”Whenever you need us, we'll be there.” She said, nodding.

There wasn't much else to say- or at least not much else Ichigo seemed to want to talk about- so after an obligatory cup of sake, she sent him on his merry- or not so merry- way. He'd be all right, she was sure, but sometimes a body needed time to think.

Kukaku's reflections were interrupted, as Kinkaku poked his head in, bowing deeply.

”What is it?”

”You have visitors, Kukaku-sama. Shiba Isshin-sama and Kuchiki Rukia-dono are here to see you!”

”All right, show 'em in.” Kukaku said dismissively, stuffing her pipe.

Sure enough, it was Isshin, that big idiot, and little Rukia- poor thing looked awful. She knew why, of course, and it wasn't 'cause of having been sentenced to death- although that certainly couldn't be helpful.

”So, what brings ya both here?” She asked brusquely. Isshin had a way of bringing that out in her.

”How about the fact that this is my house, for one thing?” Isshin said, glaring at her. “Anyway, Rukia here happened to have an errand to run to the Shiba house here, so I accompanied her.” He sounded marginally more serious than usual, which was unusual in itself.

”And what business does the Kuchiki have with the Shiba?”

”Nothing of the sort that calls for 'Kuchiki' and 'Shiba', Kukaku-dono.” Rukia said solemnly. ”I... there is something I needed to say, and...” She trailed off.

”Need me to leave? I'll give you privacy if you need it.” Isshin said. Well, idiot he might be, but he took family matters seriously, at least.

”No.” Rukia shook her head. ”It concerns you too, I suppose...” She took a deep breath, and she looked worn- tired, exhausted. She looked Kukaku in the eye. ”A long time ago, I... I killed your brother. And I just...”

”Aye, that you did.” Kukaku said. Isshin looked like he would object, but she continued before he had the chance. ”I know what happened that night. You had to put down an animal, one what was a sick joke, a parody of the real thing.” She took a puff from her pipe. ”Still, you are the one what ran a blade through my brother's heart. That sort of thing leaves an impression.”

It was cruel- but the girl had obviously been beating herself up for a long time, and when you live with guilt like that for so long, it wasn't something that'd go away just 'cause you said 'it's okay'.

”Kukaku.” Isshin said seriously. ”I know he was your brother, but you can't-”

Kukaku ignored him, looked at Rukia, and said,
”I knew what happened, and I know who to blame. And I decided, a long time ago, that the poor, scared little girl who had to kill off Kaien of all people- all she has to do is say she's sorry, and that's settled.”

”I am sorry!” Rukia blurted out. ”I'm so sorry- I didn't want to-”

”'Course you didn't.” Kukaku said reassuringly. ”Nobody wants to. Life dealt you a shitty hand, and I reckon you're the one what's been hardest on yourself over it. I'm stubborn and I'm tactless, but I don't hold grudges senselessly. You are forgiven, Kuchiki Rukia.”

Isshin nodded. ”Kaien was a great man. He wouldn't want you to keep feeling like this- you can't blame yourself.”

Kukaku nodded. ”And take good care of my second cousin.”

Rukia looked a bit flustered. ”We're not-”

Kukaku waived dismissively. ”Whether you're shagging or not, the two of you have a bond now. And he's every bit as dumb as Isshin here- he needs somebody to keep him straight.”

Rukia nodded. ”I'll... keep him straight, then.”

Kukaku grinned. ”Good girl. Now, if there was nothing else...?”

“No... no, that's all.” Rukia shook her head, while smiling weakly. “Thank you.”



******************************



Letting out a couple of barely definable noises, Isshin planted his head face-first on the table. It had been a day since he had accompanied Rukia to talk to Kukaku, and ever since then, the daily routine that had dominated his life since the day of the execution was quite determined to not let him relax for even a minute. There were orders to give, orders to make, orders to receive, a Squad to prepare for war- which all resulted in his office being filled with pile after pile of papers.

Just as frustrating as the amount of work however the simple fact that it was barely possible to shift larger amounts of it on to his vice-captain and third-seat: Even though neither Rangiku nor Hitsugaya ever showed anything, Isshin still realized that the defection of Ichimaru Gin and Hinamori Momo respectively had gotten to them... which in turn made Isshin feel bad for giving them any more work than what would be normal, which again meant more work for Isshin.

But no matter how he looked at it, the fact remained that there was work to do, and going into silent rants about it was not going to help anything... so back to work it was.

However, just as Isshin was about to work up the determination to raise his head and resume his duties, a sudden knock at the door interrupted him.

“Come in!” He quickly shouted, eager for any sort of excuse to put off work just a little longer.

The door slid open, revealing Ichigo standing behind it, bearing the same frown that always seemed to be on his face.

Isshin started to grin. “Ichigo! Decided to visit your old man at work? Cmon in, c'mon in!”

While Ichigo's frown quickly grew wider, he did as Isshin suggested, and entered the room, sitting down on the other side of the desk. “I'm actually here for another reason...”

“As long as it's an excuse for me to put off this stuff...” He gestured towards the mountains of papers dominating the room “...it's fine me. So why are you here, son?”

Ichigo sighed. “Me and the others were told that we're free to go now. We will be returning home tomorrow. But before I leave... I want to know: Why did you leave us all these years ago? Why are you here, doing work as a captain, while mother is still in the world of the living, taking care of me and my sisters all by herself?”

Isshin took a deep breath. He really should have seen this coming... “...Did you actually tell your friends anything? About me being your father, I mean?”

“No, but I don't see how that has to do with anyth-!”

“Bring them here.” Isshin said bluntly, cutting Ichigo off. “This is not the sort of thing that you should keep secret from your friends. I will either tell it to you and your friends, or not at all.”