sake_shinigami: (shun and jushi)
Captain Shunsui Kyōraku ([personal profile] sake_shinigami) wrote2019-12-16 07:53 am

Training Grounds behind Division Thirteen HQ, Seireitei, Soul Society. [Monday Afternoon, 12/16 FT].

"Ah." Shunsui, smiling faintly, cut across the grass, the gentle breeze stirring his haori around his steps, approaching the swatch of white that stood out from the field of green, at the very edge of a cliff. "There you are ♥. Doing a little sight-seeing, Jūshirō?"

What a sight it was, too, down below the cliff, where two forms found themselves surrounded by reitsu in a seemingly endless dance. Shunsui paused for a moment to watch, too, before laughing slightly. "Rukia-chan and Orihime-chan seem to be having fun for training. Perhaps they can teach my girls a thing or too. Mind if I join you?"



The other Shinigami had already shifted over as though making room, despite there being plenty already. "I figured you'd have more than enough sight-seeing to enjoy with your own division's training, Shunsui," Jūshirō noted, sounding mildly amused.

"Ehhhh," Shunsui, now seated beside his friend, shrugged his shoulders and found his sake jug, pouring himself a cup but leaving Jūshirō to his still steaming up of tea, "Nanao-chan has banned me for the rest of the day. She says I'm being to..." He grinned, snorting a laugh, and having a sip before finishing, "distracting ♥. I'm only preparing them for the inevitable battle banter, though, really..."

Jūshirō's smile had the start of a laugh in it. "I bet," he said dryly, and the two of them sat in companionable silence, watching the two young warriors down below, until Jūshirō, after a sip of his tea, shook his head lightly. "Kuchiki has never been good at making friends," he noted quietly. "Well. I guess that's because she never opens up her heart. When she came to me with this angry look on her face and said, 'Please open up the training grounds behind the division HQ,' I thought, 'what for?' There are plenty of training grounds to take advantage of at the moment, we're all preparing. But I'm glad. She was able to make a good friend. And friends are a good thing, even if they tread a different path."

Shunsui opened his mouth to add his thoughts to that introspective little monologue, but Jūshirō cut him off. "And I don't think," there was a gentle firmness in his teasing voice, "that's the kind of friendship she needs, Shunsui."

And what could he do to respond to that but laugh, lifting his sake cup with a wink, and taking a quick sip. "You'll let her know the offer's on the table should she ever come looking, though, neh?"

"Believe me. I think she already knows."

Again, they fell into a comfortable sort of silence, feeling no great need to fill the air with more conversation, as much as they enjoyed it when it did surface. The only sound other than the wind in the grass, in the far distant trees, was the sound of the two young women as the pushed themselves to their limits. Just a few months, if that, to build themselves up, to build their strength, before setting forth to face an enemy that left Yamamoto grim and serious and, if Shunsui was honest, afraid. It didn't seem like enough time, but it also felt like too much time, like he just wanted to go and get it over with so they could all go back to things as normal. But this moment, with Jūshirō, this temporary tranquility, was nice, and he just wished it could last a bit longer, but he was grateful for it. And for all the other moments just like this they'd had in the past, the calm before the storm, any other time they'd had a great war hanging over their shoulders, and there had been many...

Just then, Shunsui felt a faint shiver up his spine. Like someone walked over his grave, the human saying went, didn't it? And not a moment later, he understood why, catching a faint movement in the corner of his eye. Jūshirō noticed it, too, and their attention moved away from Rukia and Orihime toward the black butterfly that approached and hoovered there between them.

"A Jigokuchō?" he murmured, tensing slightly. "Wha--"

"Arrancar that appear to be Espada are in Northern Karakura Town!!" A voice distorted by static emerged from the butterfly. "There are four of them, and they have engaged Hitsugaya's Advance Guard in battle!!"

Arrancar? Espada? Now? So soon? Shunsui felt the knot that had not left his stomach since Yamamoto broke the news about Aizen's plans to them a week ago tighten. Weeks, Yamamoto had said, before they would gain enough power to make a strike. Months, even. The Hōgyoku couldn't have possibly have already awakened!

...could it?

Looks like the old man was getting a little rusty with his math.

Jūshirō bolted to his feet, calling down the training grounds below. "Kuchiki!!"

"Yes, sir!" Rukia shouted back, a black butterfly at her shoulder as well. "I just got the report!!"

"The Kidou Brigade should be preparing to open the gate!" Jūshirō called. "Hurry to the Senkaimon in front of the Division Headquarters!"

"Yes, sir!"

By that time, Shunsui had reluctantly gotten to his feet, deciding not to bother with holding back a heavy sigh, and Jūshirō had turned to him. "I know, I know," Shunsui said, waving a hand dismissively. "You go and take care of Orihime-chan; I'd best make sure Nanao-chan has preparations under way."

Jūshirō nodded, hesitating for just a moment before turning to leap from the cliff down to the training grounds. And Shunsui stood with his own thoughtful hesitation as he watched Jūshirō jumped down, exchanging words with Rukia and Orihime before departing seperate ways.

Four Arrancar, believed to be Espada. No small skirmish, to be sure, though he hoped Hitsugaya and the others could hold their own. What bothered him most about this was that it made little sense to just send four, much less of Arrancar class. If Aizen meant to surprise them, catch them off guard, when they weren't expecting the war to truly start in earnest yet, why such a small force? Why not hit them with everything he had? Shunsui hoped that, whatever it was, it was indicative of some flaw, some desperation on their part, some unexpected hitch in their plans that forced their hand, forced them to act early. But he couldn't in good faith truly believe that...



The wind picked up slightly, and Shunsui lifted a hand to keep his hat in place.

What are you planning, Aizen? What's the trap this time? What do you have up your sleeves now?

Thoughts, perhaps, for another time. Shunsui finally turned, intent to keep his usual unhurried pace back toward the Division Eight Headquarters, but it didn't take long before he found himself breaking out into a run.

Whatever it was, whatever happened next, he just hoped it would be over quickly.

[[ this is vaguely swiped and altered from Chapters 230 (Dead White Invasion) and 231 (The Mascaron Drive) of Bleach by Tite Kubo to involve Shunsui a little bit more, I'm just making it better. *cough* NFI, NFB, OOC will make me feel like suffering through the next part of this arc and then trying to actually make logical sense of shōnen manga fights enough to write them out for the next part was really all worth it in the end ]]

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