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Kidō was a peculiar art, and admittedly the most abstract of the zankensoki. This is perhaps why, though there are many practitioners and experts in the field, there are fewer masters in comparison to the other combat forms of the Shinigami. Both Itaku and Kasuka are two such of those few individuals. Hakufuku was a prime example of the abstractness of the Demon Arts. Those versed in its nature know what it does but unless it is used against them, they do not perceive what it does. An illusionary Bakudō spell, when cast rather actually manifesting purple sakura petals in reality, as a means of shifting and drawing away their attention and focus, the petals are conjured solely within their perception, manifested both by and within their mind as it becomes muddled and confused before sleep overtakes them. Kasuka, a master himself, would perhaps recognize the spiritual fluctuations of the spell and find them familiar, especially as he had cast this very same spell himself, yet like Itaku cannot perceive the phantasmal rain of petals that Goro and his colleague do.
A translucent wall divides the two men from one another. The Charmer smiles as the young investigator stares tiredly at him while...sipping something from a mug? Just when and where did he get that from? Curious. Magical mugs aside, Kasuka was the type that Itaku least enjoyed interacting with — solely because the boy was so unreadable. Charming his way into the various hearts and social circles within the Rukongai, and the Seireitei he's heard a few pieces of information about the little genius enough for him to somewhat graft an image of the boy in his mind. He hoped their paths would never cross...he should have known better than to hope, never hope...never. The man seems unperturbed by the monstrous mutt towering over its master. As he tries to discern something from the boy, he can't help but wonder how much of him the detective knows about. So he does what he does best.
He continues to smile
“Uh-huh.”
Was all he had earned from the Seireitei's Hound. As Itaku casually thinks aloud, Kasuka does as expected, and picks up on the hint of information he knows to be something that has not been spread or reported and correctly deduces that it must have happened recently. Vying for every piece of information accessible, Kasuka says nothing, and does nothing to distract the 'rambling' man before him. Itaku continues speaking revealing more for the boy to digest. He now knows that the man is from the Tenth Division and thus this means it is the Tenth's Lieutenant who is dead. Like Itaku he is at a loss on the purpose behind the murder, months after the murder of the Captain.
“Try checking your Human District.”
The first actual thing said to Itaku, who glances up at him. He watches as the boy sips from his mug and then is...suddenly holding some papers in hand. 'Hnnn..' Itaku's expression doesn't shift, his smile doesn't wane at the spectacle that had taken place. Instead, he ponders on the nature of what he had seen, and how it had transpired, but only for the briefest of moments. 'Checking Naruki City huh...it does make sense. The Human world has seen much peace, not just for our turf, but the jurisdiction of the Thirteenth Division as well.' His hand finds his chin, stroking it ever so lightly. 'Maybe its not that the old man had found something in the Seireitei. Perhaps simply...doing his job had gotten him in trouble, realized something was up in Naruki when going through the reports and readings.' His hand breaks away from his chin reaching inside his shihakusho as he beams warmly towards the Spirit Detective. His hand ceases its rummaging at the sight of the orange colored cubes surrounding the mug and papers in Kasuka's hands, both vanishing abruptly from his hand immediately after.
"Say, Rikai-kun. You wouldn't mind helping me protect these two would you? Something tells me, if left alone the Seireitei's mystery butcher just may pay them a little visit."
“Huh? Yeah, sure.”
He agrees to protect those that Itaku himself has protected, in more ways than one. The two gaze into one another's eyes, from an outside perspective one might believe the two to be sharing a moment. They do not wonder if the two are instead perhaps, feeling one another out, peering into the eyes and thus the soul of the one before them, seeking to retrieve whatever they can from the other. Any hints of their thoughts, feelings, each one investigating the other in their own subtle way. Goro and the nurse's sporadic disappearance divert Itaku's gaze as he glances to the spot the two once were, shifting his eyes back to Kasuka, eyes shifting just a little more when seeing something from his peripheral, that something being both Goro and the nurse dangling from the beasts mouth. 'Ahhh...so that's it'. The beast drops the two to the ground, letting them land with a casual yet audible thud.
“Who are you by the way?”
An interesting question, one that Itaku admittedly finds amusing. Was it a baiting question or, did the boy genius truly not know who Itaku was? 'I suppose there's no reason he would know a random seated officer in the Tenth.' He laughed inwardly at himself, thinking how ridiculous it was to assume that from reputation alone the boy would perhaps know any and everything and one in the Seireitei. Itaku pushes himself off the wall, his hand that was still in his shihakusho is finally withdrawn, multiple pieces of folded paper being held in it.
"Ah, sorry sorry, I guess I never did introduce myself did I?! Ahaha."
His laugh was warm and chimed like bells, his free hand knocking gently at his head as if to reprimand his brain for its poor job.
"I'm Itaku Ōhei, Third Seat of Squad Ten. A pleasure to formally meet you."
While not a noble, the way he went about with pleasantries and greetings, when combined with his looks one might very well assume otherwise. Preparing to unfold the pieces of paper he had brought with him from his late Lieutenant's office, his hands, no...his entire body just...stops. No, it wasn't just him. Despite the explosion at Fourth there should have been a ruckus but...everything seemed and felt....hauntingly quiet. His body still refuses to move, eyes choosing to do so in the body's stead. Itaku perceives the infinite web of spiritual threads yet...everything is still, nothing seems to disturb the interlacing web, there exists no vibrations to read or follow. This was...most unusual.
Everything was quiet, everything was still and unmoving — and then it was not. As if a bomb of sound, color and reiatsu had detonated. The spiritual threads that had gone untouched now all reverberated wildly and frantically, becoming almost overwhelming to the reader of the threads. From Sōkyoku Hill an explosive pillar of purple pierces the sky, dwarfing the crimson blade that had reduced the Fourth Division to rubble and ash by many folds. 'The Commander? What-' Itaku like perhaps, all others would perceive the pillar and reiatsu belonging to their Head Captain. Pondering on the cause for such a violent and showy display of spiritual power his question is answered mid-way as another reiatsu is felt being exerted. A layman would merely perceive the two spiritual pressures, unable to feel that they were not being exerted in unison, but rather in opposition to one another.
The Reiyō (霊揺, “Spiritual Vibration”) once again tugs at Itaku's perception shifting his focus as he follows them down their respective glowing threads towards Northwest Seireitei. Here too, two Captain's spiritual pressures were blazing and roaring against one another aggressively, they too stood in opposition of one another. Again, this time at Southeast Seireitei...and again, this time from...from the Rukongai? There was a reiatsu however that flooded the perception. 'Kenpachi Murakami.'
“This is an emergency broadcast! This is Third Seat Takenaka!
Itaku is given no time to his thoughts, no time to dissect not what is taking place, but why it is happening when a voice resounds within his head.
This is Third Seat Takenaka! The Seireitei is under attack! I repeat, the Seireitei is under attack! A group of Captains, led by the traitor Hitoshi Shihaimono, have declared war against the Gotei 13! The Captains of the Fourth, Eighth, and Eleventh have joined the Betrayer’s cause! The Captain Commander’s order is that the members of these rebel Divisions stand-down; those that follow the Commander’s orders shall be pardoned for such treason; those that defy his orders, he will personally execute! All other Divisions are to infiltrate the Divisions of the rebels, and arrest all who do not denounce their treasonous Captains; those who resist are to be eliminated! I repeat! Those who resist are to be eliminated!“
Itaku looks to Kasuka just as Kasuka looks to him. He follows the boys gaze, wondering his thoughts on what they both had just heard alongside the rest of the Gotei 13. 'I could personally care less what the rabble does, but what of you boy wonder?' Takenaka's message has forced the others to take a stance, to choose to aid in the current Gotei or to take up the mantle of traitor and rebel. Either choice placed you at risk, honor be damned. Should the rebels lose, those who fought on such a side under the banner of justice would vanish from history, remembered only as villains and devils. Conversely, should those that opposed them fall at their blade, the innocent and ignorant who merely followed the status quo, would undoubtedly be demonized by the victors of this foolish conflict. He watches as Kasuka presses his finger against the transparent wall separating them, only for another of its kind, clearly different in nature to be erected. Itaku says nothing in regards to this, standing idly by as he watches the boy and his dog step out to join him on the other side.
And still, he smiles
Rather focusing on what Kasuka does next, Itaku instead returns to the pieces of paper he had unfolded, green eyes scanning from top to bottom.
And still, he smiles
Rather focusing on what Kasuka does next, Itaku instead returns to the pieces of paper he had unfolded, green eyes scanning from top to bottom.
World of the Living: Naruki City Field Report
//WL2k R/
0700: Chōbara district perimeter check complete
0830: Unit 12 successfully performed Konsō on fifty Pluses
1215: Brief spike in Hollow activity in Quadrant 7. Unit 45 Dispatched to investigate and cleanse.
1220: Unit 45 Reports back no Hollows detected.
The report continues on in such a manner, Itaku willing himself to stay focused as he studies each report while Kasuka continues with..whatever he was doing. Was this truly meaningless, perhaps Kasuka had gotten it wrong and the Lieutenant had just happened across something. That is until he thought of something.
1400: Unit 5 Reported in an adjuchas and engaged with target. Unit 5 sustained injuries, reports Hollow's escape.
1635: Hollow activity detected at Naruki University. Units 3 and 15 dispatched to investigate.
1655: Units dispatched report the Hollow to be a Jibakurei. Report the spirit cleansed.
He wonders, were these reports truly just nothing? At a glance everything seemed in order, the units patrolling Naruki City were handing in their reports as usual, yet...something felt...off about some of them. He looks at the time logs of each report, each documented work related injury while in the field, each request for supplies and what specifically was being requested.
"Go with them, fetch me if it's important."
Kasuka's murmured and whispered message does not draw Itaku from his studying, but his louder and clearer command to the strange dog does register with the man. Eyes pull away from the logs held in his hand as he witnesses the vanishing of the dog, the thunderous explosive roar accompanied the creature's exit. Itaku glances at the crater left behind by the odd mutt then to Kasuka, seeming to briefly glance behind the boy, then to the side. Itaku says nothing, his teeth on full display as he smiles at the child detective who turns to face him.
"Well that wa-"
“I’m heading to the Shiba compound. Come or stay. Just don’t waste my time.”
In a casual tone the boy interjects Itaku, announcing his departure and the destination he had in mind. 'The Shiba Compound huh? What's there or, rather what does he hope to find there?' Unaware of the Shiba's alleged treachery and hand in the chaos erupting around them, the man's curiosity his certainly piqued. He watches as Kasuka thrusts himself in the direction of his destination in a shunpo, while he lingered behind. He shakes his head before combing his fingers through his hair. Lifting a hand he waits quietly for several moments before a black butterfly lands gently atop the offered hand. He smiles lifting the creature up to his lips and mutters something before lifting it up, watching it flutter away. He prepares to leave, pausing one last time to inspect his surroundings, eyes slowly shifting as his head turned from one side to the other. He says nothing and jettisons off, his shunpo quickly pulling him to Kasuka's side. He looks toward the young shinigami, the wind brushing their hair as the sounds of war and the scores of reiatsu reverberate throughout the entirety of the Seireitei.
"So, what's at the Shiba's Compound?"
Heading to Shiba Manor
"So, what's at the Shiba's Compound?"
Heading to Shiba Manor
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