Hitting Snags

Yuri took his time returning. He had to make sure that his machinations bore fruit, otherwise Zenshin would figure out the identity of the not-so-mysterious robber. He had alibis to make and lies to plant. It was just the sort of precaution one needed to take when dealing with a man of Zenshin’s intelligence; or any of the Twelfth Division members for that matter. One piece of clothing, one piece of hair, one flake of dead skin would give them an avenue by which they could hunt him down. But then Zenshin destroyed much of that evidence when he foolishly unleashed his zanpakutō. Maybe he was just slipping? Not that Yuri really cared. For once fate had dealt him a nice hand. He had already planted the seeds of two machinations and he hadn’t even yet returned to the Elevenths barracks. Those two would sprout and grow until he had a solid alibi to explain his absence from any inquiring seated officers.

‘You back from more foraging?’

Why was he not surprised by her appearance? At least she had the sense to disguise herself to the same extremes he did with a face mask, scarf, and accompanying cloak to disguise her energy signature. Estelle Hakuya – better known as Est to anyone who could be bothered to befriend the girl beneath the eccentricities – was on a height with him and one of his closest confidents. Her intelligence was matched by few and bettered by fewer, and her understanding of reishi was exceptional. Though hardly surprisingly considering her former seated position amongst the Fourth Division. Tonight she wore her usual pink hair dyed black. It made her difficult to discern.

‘And I’ve got results,’ he replied. ‘I trust you weren’t followed?’

‘~No~,’ It was amazing. Even in a situation like this her personality shined through.

Yuri followed her lead. The duo walked for roughly ten minutes through the streets of the Seireitei before they reached their destination; a rough storage building on the outside sequestered away behind narrow alleyways. The only way one could hope to find it was to be guided there or to stumble upon it by complete accident. Even from the sky the building was difficult to spot. But then that was how the Taira clan had envisioned it when they first built it during the early days of the Seireitei. Few knew that information outside of the clan themselves. Yuri wasn’t even sure if Heiwajima knew if he was aware of the Taira clan’s true function. Regardless he had long ago made allies of the Taira clan, who often helped him in his investigations.

The building was as rough on the inside as it was on the outside. Cobwebs lined the four corners of the ceiling and years of dust clung to the floors and walls. Estelle covered her mouth and made as though to gag and Yuri couldn’t really blame him. A hidden door opened into an underground space which shared a wall with the sewer system. The smell of waste wafted through the stone in places, filling the room with an awful stink!

‘Ladies first,’ Yuri remarked.

Estelle led the way down and to the right where she entered through yet another hidden door. Inside there was lab equipment and three people: two women and one man who where all members of the noble Taira clan. The clan saw it as their duty to police the Seireitei from within its own shadows. From the darkness they dealt justice whenever it was deemed necessary. Never did they act as a public entity and never did they seek reward or recognition for their work. They simply performed their duty.

‘Master Hiroshi,’ the female to the far right inquired. ‘It is good to see you again. And Miss. Hakuya as well, I see? Come in, come in.’

Yuri really liked the woman. She was kind, dutiful and willing to render aid; which was a rare thing these days. With Averian’s army still at large and the people within the Seireitei and the Rukongai sickened of war, they looked after themselves. She was named Nera and had short-cut blonde hair, an hourglass figure, and hazel eyes.

‘Nera,’ he greeted. The guard had changed since last he came. He didn’t recognize the other two and they hid their faces behind masks to keep it that way. They didn’t speak to him or acknowledge him in any way but to help Nera. ‘I’m afraid I need to keep this short. I need this analysed.’ He procured the device he had used to scan the document. ‘I have reason to believe that one of these reishi signatures belongs to traitor. The Senkaimon records where altered and mysterious Arrancar have been sighted in the Rukongai, with the power to steal the spiritual power from their victims.’

‘It will take until tomorrow for us to have the names,’ Nera replied. ‘As for the delivery, Est here will see to that.’

Yuri’s companion nodded energetically as Yuri turned to leave. ‘Thanks for your help, Nera. Your clan doesn’t get the praise it deserves.’

They would argue otherwise of course but he didn’t have time to debate with them. Not now at the very least. He had his work to be about, machinations to set into motion, and reports to make. Hopefully by tomorrow he’d have a shortlist to work on. That would please Tadashi immensely: good news amongst a series of bad.

What was that expression he’d heard when he vacationed in Northern Ireland? It had something to do with the sun and stones? Oh yeah! The sun was splitting the stones! Right now Horiwari was bathed in a warm light that reminded him of his time in Spain with Kusaka, Ino, and Kazuma. Boy that felt like a lifetime ago. Heh in a way it was. It happened more than two-hundred and seventy years ago. Jeez thinking like that didn’t half make him feel his age!

‘Kenji? I knew I’d find you out here,’

The speaker was young Shinrei Kurosaki. Today he wore a white kimono over the top of light blue hakama and a white shitagi. Recently he had allowed his hair to grow out. It now reached the base of his back and was completely unbound. The young man Kenji had raised was almost fully grown now though he was still the height of silly nonsense. And God how Shinrei hated that little pearly of wisdom being given voice in his presence – it was one of the easiest way to piss the youngster off.

‘Hey there, kiddo,’ greeted Kenji with a lazy wave.

Maybe Kenji was feeling nostalgic this morning. Today the Head-Captain of the Ryū Order wore an old training outfit that hadn’t saw use since his trip around the Human World. It consisted of a blue kosode and hakama, no shitgai underneath, and a white ōbi wrapped lazily around his waist. Sitting on the ground to his right and left where the hook swords of Sanmiittai. Ever since his union with Kyoaku Kenji’s eyes returned to their prior green. He had also grown his hair out long but choose instead to keep his in a single long ponytail, the length of which easily reached his backside.

‘You know that Ino’s been looking for you for the better part of an hour, right?’ Trust Shinrei to be the bearer of bad news.

Kenji merely nodded. ‘Now you see why the webbing band isn’t on the finger.’ He held the finger up and revealed a tin of cider in the same hand. ‘Want one?’

‘I’m underage,’ Shinrei rebuffed.

‘C’mon now, kiddo, it never stopped you before.’ From a cooler to his left Kenji tossed his Godson a chilled tin before kicking back to relax himself once more. Shinrei settled onto the grass beside him. His tine made a hiss before the first mouthful was drained.

‘This sure beats out work,’ Shinrei admitted. ‘But I didn’t come here to tell you about Ino. We’ve got a problem.’

They had always had problems lately. It was either Saburo Ryū running around as though he were a leader or something to do with Kōhai Tochi. And if it wasn’t the latter two headaches then Kenji would be quite happy to put all his worldly goods on the odds that it had something to do with Heisekai. As it turned out he should’ve taken that bet.

‘It looks like a civil war is brewing.’

Kenji looked at what remained of his sixth tin and sighed. ‘You know I was enjoying today. But it seems that the affairs of other realms are once again falling on my lap. I trust this came from Tyrell?’ Shinrei nodded in acknowledgement. ‘Good. See to it that…!’ His green eyes went wide as saucers! ‘What the hell is that!?’

Shinrei felt it too apparently. The tin was surrendered to spill over the grass into the ground as the young Kurosaki sprang to his feet. ‘Kenji… that’s massive!’

Kenji hated the very fact that he had to agree. But he was and his hand immediately grasped the hilts of Sanmiittai, while he once again returned his webbing ring to his finger. The cause of the duos surprise was a spiritual signature that appeared as suddenly as a bad smell when you sat beside Kaimen Kazuki after a night on the drink. It wasn’t just powerful and unexpected; it caught you off-guard. This power was also close to rivalling his own! Apparently Shinrei sensed that latter fact as well for the young man had already activated his Shikai state. The familiar flashes of lightning then surrounded Kenji’s own limbs as he opened a portal for he and Shinrei, which took them face-to-face with the wielder of that spiritual force.

‘I must say that the red carpet wasn’t long in showing up. Saves me the trouble of looking for you.’

The person was male and quite tall. He sported long black hair and wore a suit of red armour over his Shinigami robes which Kenji would have associated with television depictions of ancient samurai. In his right hand was a zanpakutō while in the left he held a gunbai – which was a type of fan that was often used for war.

‘Well, this mat has teeth!’ Trust Shinrei to be quick to resort to his fists.

‘Calm yourself,’ Kenji advised. He was suddenly all grim seriousness. The calmness remained but there was an altogether sharper set to his features. His shoulders where squared, his back was straight, and that scowl reminded Shinrei of the times he’d saw his Godfather face Averian alongside Van Satonaka. ‘Who are you?’ He asked of the man.

‘Ichihara Kōhai,’ the man replied.

The name put Kenji on the defensive immediately. Kōhai? Was he related to Shuhen? Not good!

‘Then I trust you aren’t here to exchange pleasantries?’ The man merely shifted his stance to a ready stance. ‘Thought so… Shinrei, are you ready?’

He didn’t need to ask. Shinrei burst forward like a bullet from a gun with a lightning aura crackling around his lean limbs. His zanpakutō struck zanpakutō but before Ichihara could counter with his gunbai Kenji was there with a twisting motion from his hooked swords, which relieved the man of his gunbai. With that accomplished Shinrei transferred that lightning aura through his blade directly into his targets body! Ichihara grunted and groaned as that current ran through his body, but before anything else could be done; Kenji swopped like an attacking hawk and grasped him by the neck of his kosode! With a heave and a push Kenji ploughed him through the air before hurling him to the ground on the outskirts of Horiwari far from any of the major settlements.

‘Now that we’re alone I’m going to ask you some questions. You can answer or I can kill you. The order this happens in is entirely up to you.’

Shinrei soon followed suit. ‘I’d listen to him if I where you. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him this pissed off.’

‘Cocky little shit, aren’t you?’ Ichihara replied.

Kenji merely grinned. ‘I have every right to be. You push your way in here, for whatever reason that may be, alone. I’ve got the entire Ryū Order behind me you fool.’ Which just so happened to be some of the best backup you could ask for. ‘So, let’s begin this again, shall we? What are you doing here?’

‘To serve,’

Kenji wasn’t in the mood for cryptic messages. He had other things to worry about as it turned out and trading words with this Ichihara wasn’t one of them. But then he couldn’t let this fellow go. Or could he? He narrowed his eyes as an idea formed. He'd already done the hard part after all...

‘… Leave. Now.’

Shinrei’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull! ‘Are you mad, Kenji? You let this man go and he’ll only make trouble later. We can finish him now.’

‘I won’t give you the chance again, Ichihara. Go now and I won’t follow.’

‘… That’s an interesting decision, Archon of Storms. There isn’t a hint of fear in your words nor is there a hint of doubt. Very well, I will leave.’ And as quickly as he appeared the man was gone. Though his signature returned briefly before vanishing once more -- probably retrieving his gunbai.

‘You mind explaining what you’re playing at?’

‘I put a tracker on him earlier,’ Kenji revealed. ‘When he stops moving we’ll know exactly where he is. Then I can swoop down on his allies as well.’

‘How do you know he has allies?’

Kenji merely laughed. ‘He said he was here to serve. Serve who? My guesses are Shuhen formerly of Heisekai. If my hunch is right then I’ve just figured out whose instigating this civil war that Tyrell told us about.’ Sometimes Shinrei was really frightened of his Godfather...

It was a good feeling and one he really missed. There was something about his sisters company that instantly relaxed him, though that wasn’t the only benefit. He was used to Mariko’s way: he: hell he and she basically went about things in the same manner. Their destination had been on the outskirts of the Northern districts. Mariko and Itazura stalked through the underbrush with their spiritual signatures disguised to the point of invisibility. Normally that was impossible but both siblings still wore the gloves given to them by Kusaka some sixteen years ago; and they had learned since to use the gloves effectively for matters involving stealth.

‘There,’ Mariko pointed out.

Standing in a clearing surrounded by towering oak trees where two men. The first Itazura laid eyes on was a tall man with casual light-brown curls atop his head, with matching brown eyes. He wore a high-collared brown trench coat over the top of a black shirt and army-style camouflaged trousers topped off with stout leather shoes. The man who accompanied him wasn’t as muscular and was instead more lean and wiry. He had silver hair styled into noticeable spikes with red eyes that shone in the shadows. He wore a sleeveless combat uniform with extended shoulder guards, and leather pants accompanied with the same stout leather shoes as the other man.

‘Are they Shinigami?’ Mariko asked in a whisper. ‘I haven’t seen any of them before.’

‘That’s not the worst part.’ Itazura replied. ‘I can’t feel their energy signature. And look at the taller man. Who does he remind you of?’

The siblings had saw Shuhen Kohai once in their collective lifespan. He had been tall and intellectual with sharp facial features. The man with the curls had a similar facial structure. Mariko put two-and-two together quickly from there and nodded sharply as her hand went to the hilt of her zanpakutō. Her intentions where clear but Itazura knew better. He shook his head and pointed to his eyes and then to the two men; signalling his sister to watch and wait.

‘Come, brother.’ The man with curls said aloud. ‘Oda awaits us.’

The smaller of the so-called brothers didn’t move alongside the larger however. In fact he seemed to tense up.

‘… Mariko…’ Itazura whispered fiercely. ‘Get up out of here.’

The words hadn’t left his mouth fully before a torrent of silver arrows sped towards them! Itazura narrowed his eyes initially but soon surprise won out. The smaller was a Quincy! Before he and Mariko where whizzed away two of those arrows had embedded themselves in Itazura’s shoulder. When they reappeared in the Eleventh Division barracks he let out a strangled groan.

‘Get these arrows out of me,’ he demanded to no one in particular.

He didn’t see the hand that grasped them. One minute they where embedded in his shoulder. The second they where gone! All Itazura felt was a flash of pain spread throughout his arm and shoulder, which made him grind his teeth to stifle the groan that would have otherwise deafened everyone for half a mile! It was just his luck that the person in question was his father.

‘Pops,’ he whispered quietly before realizing where he was, ‘Captain, thank you for the help. Now, we’ve got a problem.’

‘Later. Mariko, I take it you accompanied him?’ He waited on her nod before continuing. ‘Good. Then you will fill me in. Itazura, take this to Heiwajima. He’s still at the Fourths Barracks.’ Disguised orders to get his wounds seen to. While he was at it he’d need to get a reishi analysis done. No more words where said. Itazura shrugged his shoulder -- though he quickly wished that he hadn't -- and said farewell to Mariko and his father before walking off with blood trickling down his left arm.

Next Story > Answers to Questions Asked.