Northwest Seireitei

[Itami]

Coming and going was Yurei's specialty, Some, most, would claim he was a perfect fit for the Second Division, albeit Yurei doesn't like sneaking around and spying for others. Yurei instead found a home not just in the Eleventh Division, it was under the direct orders of Date, that Yurei found his motivation to seek and forge a pure path forward.

He doesn't get infuriated, he doesn't become surprised, sad, happy, or any feeling, any of the useless emotions. Yurei is a weapon, a vassal. The blade doesn't feel and fear the cracks, just as it doesn't cherish the polish and glisten of a fresh cleaning. It's a tool. Life, to the majority of lesser masses, shares this objectification. Yurei is fine playing his role in the storm.

Having scouted ahead of his Captain, Following Date's Signature while his Zanpakuto allowed him a beacon of his location, was all according to Yurei's Captain's orders. Yurei hovered in the air, a distance away from the gates of Twelvth Division. Based on Taro's Reiatsu he was heading here next. Yurei remained in Shikai so Taro would know exactly where his Lieutenant was waiting for new or updated orders.

" It appears as if calamity rises once more."

Yurei would whisper to himself in the clouds above, the wind isolating him.

The Ghost of Eleventh awaits his Captain above the gates of Twevelth.

Travel: To Northwest Seireitei: Twelfth Division
Posting Order: Yūrei Tsukikage →

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[Estarossa]

[From Thirteenth Division]

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Hovering on a fish made of Ink Taro makes his way towards the guarded sanctuary of knowledge, the Twelfth Division. Though the Captain here is an old flame from the past this visit is anything but casual, it is all business. As he is riding atop the ink fish it speaks to him, Kurogane senses his unease.

”Feeling nervous about seeing Captain Harai? How very unlike you, Taro.”

Taro does not respond, his mind is a million miles away from his Zanpakuto. Out of frustration of not receiving an answer from him, and potential jealousy that he is actually feeling nervous over another woman, Kurogane dips down as if she were going to plummet from the sky. She snickers and with the fish eyes looks up at Taro who is glaring at her with both of his eyes wide open.

”Do that again and I’ll snap you in half for the day.”

”Answer my question.”

The only being who can call Taro’s bluff and survive is Kurogane, she knows he won't follow through on that threat. The bond they share won’t allow him to do something that dastardly. His eyes close again as he looks forward once more.

”Not nervous about her but about the Arrancar situation as a whole. No one seems to be taking this situation seriously. These fools learned nothing from the civil war, if we still had veterans from the Unhallowed Wars things would possibly be in a better place.”

Kurogane remains silent for a moment, it is rare to see Taro nervous, it is rare to see him show emotion outside of anger or malice.

”Do you fear we will lose the Seireitei to the Arrancar?”

He laughs. Taro laughs from the bottom to the top of his lungs, he laughs so hard he falls on his back atop the fish laughing. Kurogane couldn’t help but think he was going insane, but she knows better than that, she's been with him long enough to know better. Taro has faith that the impending Arrancar threat is no issue for the Seireitei, but for what reason? Once his laughing fit settles down he explains.

”No, the Arrancar won’t take over or win because THEY won’t let them…”

Zero Division

”The Zero Division, The Royal Guard won’t let the Seireitei fall…”

”Oh… I see…”

The two continue to travel in silence as they both understand the weight of those words. To anyone else that would sound hopeful, that a victory is assured for the Seireitei, that back up of the highest caliber will arrive and save them all. But there are consequences to that, consequences that no one else understands, not that anyone else knows that Zero Division is on standby to deploy.

”They will deem the Gotei Thirteen irrelevant and incompetent, that it cannot function properly to protect the Soul Society or The Balance. And no one person will be to blame, everyone will take the blame and fall for it. As much as I despise Central Forty-Six they are in the same boat and understand what is at stake so I cut them some slack where it is afforded. These other fools though… The sooner they learn and realize we are at war the better chance we have of keeping The Royal Guard at bay…”

”Ah, Taro we have arrived.”

”So we have…”

Kurogane speaks to derail the doom and gloom topic and Taro knows it. She may be his Zanpakuto and used to how his mind works but she is not used to seeing him grasp at straws, he never needed to do that in his life so it is scary to her. Perhaps chatting with Shibuya will change his perspective a bit even if only slightly. As the Twelfth Division comes into view Kurogane notices Yurei but Taro had sensed his presence long ago. The inky fish stops beside Yurei allowing Taro to speak to him.

”Punctual as always, I appreciate it. Join me, your Zanpakuto will be needed to create a point of teleport. The item I will be requesting may need to be picked up in a hurry.”

They descend to the ground together and once there Taro hops off the inky fish, drawing his blade partially so that it may return to the Zanpakuto. With this being Twelfth Division, the pair of Shinigami are merely stared at inquisitively, being analyzed on various levels by multiple levels of intellect. Not the kind of people to wantonly approach Taro and Yurei, a trait Taro appreciates. He makes his intentions known to all present.

”I wish to speak with Captain Harai, where may I find her?”

---

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[Frea]

"If you want to achieve this bankai forcefully...You are going to have to sacrifice something."

Uzume told Nanami coldly, implying she wanted to have a sacrifice from Nanami herself. For Uzume, she implied that with her tonnage, it could be something like a limb or possibly emotional. Once again, the redheaded woman spoke towards Nanami with a sigh.

"Listen. I suggest you think a little about this ordeal. The best way to achieve bankai...is not forcing it."

There, Uzume had disappeared from Nanami's sight. This left the shinigami with some deep thoughts about this, but of course, Nanami didn't have time to mess about it. She took off the helmet she had on her head. This device was seeing into force an interaction with her Zan spirit. She got up from the chair and began to walk out the door, of course, she found a couple of her underlings tarnishing the name of Harai. She was annoyed at this leading her to smile and walk up to the gossiping pair.

"Dears, is it polite to gossip behind Captain Harai's back?"

Despite her smile, it was clear it was a very frightening smile which led the pair to run away and go back to their original stations. Nanami will admit, that it was a bit shocking to Nanami when Harai became a captain not because of her abilities in combat or even her intelligence, but rather because Harai's personality wasn't very. Captain like. None of the less, Harai was best fit for captaincy in terms of leading the twelfth into a better place, than Nanami ever could.

Of course, since then she heard rumours that Michiya Senko was working on a project, which piqued the third seat's interest she started to walk towards the room where supposedly the project was, and this was until she heard an unseated member screaming out for Nanami.

"TEISHI SAMA THERE'S A CAPTAIN AT THE BARRACKS"

She softly sighed and immediately ran towards the direction it came from. Upon hearing the announcement, she wondered who was creating all the fuss from her peers. There stood three men, one was a captain, she heard of him before as well he was known as Captain Taro Date. She looked at the two men and noticed the other, unknown to her was a high-seated member of their respective division, presumingly could be the same division as the Captain stood before her.. Nanami placed a smile to greet them.

"Hello, welcome to the Twelfth, what do I owe the pleasure to see you here Captain Date?"

The purpled-haired woman placed her arms inside of her sleeves and bowed in respect to them, she elegantly poised herself and stood true to her height while listening to his request.

"I wish to speak with Captain Harai, Where may I find her?"

Nanami paused for a moment knowing full well that the Captain and the fourth seat were out leaving her in charge for the time being. Her eyes connected to the Captain's eyes as she spoke to him.

"I'm sorry Captain, however...Captain Harai is out at the time being."

She paused for a couple of seconds to gather a solution, that may cause trouble with Harai, however, she wished not to disappoint Captain Date any further by turning him away.

"Perhaps, you all should follow me? After all, you can wait for Captain Harai in her office."

There she turned herself around leaving her back to face them, she led the three inside the building, following a few short halls and turns she unlocked Harai's office door with a master key. She smiled as she opened the door, hushing in the men. She called a fellow lower seat over to which she responded and quickly went to Nanami.

"Could you prepare some hot tea and snacks for our guests please?"

The girl simply nodded in response and bowed in respect before going off to do her task.​

 

[Kuu]

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Arriving: Northeast --> Twelfth Division

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On their walk back to their squad headquarters Shibuya humoured Michiya's questions about his new companion.

"No, you do not need to feed it. It feeds on my spiritual energy,"

"No, it does not have any other bodily needs, nor functions,"

"It can hear and see everything you do,"

"Yes, it projects everything it observes to me,"

"Yes, it can speak,"

"..... Fine, you may name it,"

Among other questions posited her way about the Azamushi. She's perhaps a bit too accustomed to them, not understanding why Michiya would be keen to ask about what she considers obvious about her little pet project. Well, if the boy does make this breakthrough, he'll become acquainted with one species of her parasites whether he wants to or not.

The Flea could finally materialize.

But, that is for the future, much as she'd love to run through the prospect more in her head.

As the two approach 12th Division, Shibuya picks up on dull familiarity down, deep in the bowels of her division, toward her office.

Entering through the main entrance, Shibuya subtly checks herself in any reflective surfaces she passes, adjusting her hair and clothes as she notices anything out of place, anything that makes her look anything but prim and proper.

Clearing her throat, she speaks up as the elevator clicks to their floor, "Boy," a quick glance shot up toward Michiya, stepping off the lift, "I'd like you to accompany me to my office,"

Without waiting for Michiya to reply, she continues toward her office. It's up to him whether he listens to her request or not, her tone lax enough that it clearly wasn't an order, that he had an actual choice to the matter.

She picked up that Taro wasn't alone at some point. Nanami was expected, who wasn't is who she assumes is Taro's Lieutenant. If both Captain and Lieutenant are present, then her idle hopes of a casual visit and chit-chat with one of very few people she could stand are null.

It's business.

That doesn't stop her from letting a small, barely there, smile cross her features as she opens the door.

"Captain Date," Her voice is pleasant, rising above her casual growl, gravel cleared for the most part, words coming smoothly, as she addresses Taro. It's weird that she's capable of speaking without sounding like she's about to rip someone's head off.

If Michiya chose to follow her, he'd be told to stand himself behind her desk and behave.

Glancing toward her other subordinate, she waves her hand flippantly at the taller woman.

"Teishi. You are excused," it's non-hostile, but it's still an order masked by that pleasantry she's keeping up.

Once Nanami is out, Shibuya gestures for Taro and Yurei to sit where they please. Her office, for what one might expect, is clean, organized, orderly aside from a few loose papers strewn about her desk. Two chairs on the other side of her desk, for guests and the like. Walls lined by both bookshelves and filing cabinets. And a few additional seating options pushed up against the only bare wall, near the door, out of the way.

The earlier girl that Nanami had sent for tea and snacks returns, bowing quickly as she finishes placing the requested items, and scurries back out.

Shibuya sits at her desk, propping her elbows up, and steepling her fingers together.

"Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
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---

 

[Itami]

When Taro arrives, Yūrei immediately stands at attention, bowing deeply as a mark of respect. His demeanor is stoic, his voice low and resolute.

"Captain Date, your timing is impeccable. I stand ready to assist as you require."
When tasked with creating a teleportation point, Yūrei acknowledges with a nod, unsheathing Kagehime in a smooth, deliberate motion.
"Kagehime shall anchor us as needed, Captain. The shadows are ever at your command."

A door in Twelvth Division opens; The Division's Captain, with a small smile, calls to Yurei's Captain Date and allows them inside her office., while excusing another one of her division members at the same time.
Upon encountering Shibuya, Yūrei would silently assess her appearance and demeanor, noting her precision and the orderliness of her surroundings. This would earn a degree of reluctant respect, but he would remain guarded, as she is not of his division.
(Inner Monologue): "At least this one values discipline and order. A rarity among the rabble."

When Shibuya addresses them, Yūrei bows respectfully but remains curt, letting Taro lead the discussion. His loyalty and purist attitude dictate that he follows his captain's lead, seeing no need to engage beyond necessity.

"Captain Harai." Is all he says while bowing in respect of her status among the Gotei 13. During the discussion, Yūrei remains standing, even after being invited to sit He serves as a silent, imposing presence behind Taro, offering his captain quiet support. If addressed directly by Shibuya, he would respond with measured words, respecting her rank but keeping his answers brief and to the point.
(Inner Monologue): "Fools grow fat on the peace bought by blood. If they fall, it is deserved. Captain Date understands what must be done—he alone is worth following."

Northwest Seireitei: Twelfth Division

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[dem0nzlust]

He pulled out a small virtual notebook writing down all the information while listening to everything his Captain was sharing about this so-called Azamushi. Michiya valued all forms of information especially from the source of the person who created them, despite already knowing some information about them. He started to ponder on how she would feel about experimenting on his newfound specimen, but this was going to be a topic for another time.

Now with limitless possibilities opened up from this arrangement with Captain Harai his mind already began planning for his next stage of research. He couldn't help but let a smile of eagerness come out with his ambitions either about to lead Soul Society into a new era for the better or the worse but whatever outcome came from it would be loved all the same. He believed there were no such things as failed experiments since each discovery allowed for one to further and learn from in the constant state of improvement as long one continued onward. When they got closer to the 12th division barracks he immediately picked up on two presences from his time at the 10th division hoping for something interesting to happen and the familiar member from their squad Nanami. The two of them approached to go meet their guest within the barracks but out of the corner of his eye, he saw something quite peculiar as he tilted his head.

"People normally try to pretty themselves up and become self-conscious of their appearance statistically when there is someone they hold deep affection for."

He noticed the subtle smile making him ponder on how many romantic outings she had been on with Captains although her mannerisms appeared on a completely different spectrum compared to the encounter with the 4th division Captain. He glanced over at her with a slight eye twitch of him calling him boy while they took the lift together.

"All due respect Captain Harai, I exceed the age limit to be considered a boy although I most closely fit in the category of young adult or adolescent depending on people's views and my name is Michiya. Nonetheless, I will gladly accompany you I am quite intrigued to learn what the business they have here."

He followed behind her as the two entered the room where the three already awaited them giving a small bow of the head respectively to the Lt and Captain. Not wish to socialize anymore unless needed to and simply took a casual standing posture behind the desk as requested with both hands tucked behind his back. Quitely Michiya observed the two before him taking it all in and personally curious if his Captain did anything embrassing to make a fool of herself.​

 

[Inkmasterru]

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SOME TIME LATER...

The sound of training could be heard from the barracks of division thirteen. It was quite some time since his return from the fourth division. A while more since his bout with Captain Date and he hasn't seen his mangy mug anywhere. He was slightly worried what that bastard was planning in the shadows, but it let him do his work unhindered. Though he hasn't seen his captain either. Captain Izanagi didn't even respond to his wolf and remained in the Rukongai with no indication for how long. At least his location is known if an emergency arises or his presence is needed. Though... the paperwork that he had to do for both division was annoying. With the captain being out once again, it fell on Kazuki to do them as always. You would think he will be used to this by now, he was, but it was still irritating. At least he has loyal seat officers to spread the workload as required.

The 10th division sent a few Jigokuchō his way, keeping Kazuki up to date on their actions and endeavors. Though not much control or monitoring was required beyond that. As in those past year and 6 months, they have been completely reinvented to the upmost efficiency and effectiveness. He could trust his men to do well in his absence, even with him being gone as long as he has today. He had their full loyalty and devotion, to disappoint big brother Kazuki was unheard of and he used it to his and the squads advantage. Now as for the thirteenth... he didn't have an another year and 6 months to bring them to the same level of strength and efficiency. Yet he wasn't saying that the change in the division wasn't significant, even in this short amount of time. From a disheartened and shambled group of cadavers they have become hardworking and driven shinigami. Much is still to be desired in terms of their skill and reiatsu. Yet at least their chances of survival have risen to a somewhat hopeful level. Strange what a little motivation and proper leadership can do to regular men.

As for his own training, it was coming along too. In the time that he spent developing his hakuda, he came up with a name for it. He will call it Kirute (Severing hand), an appropriate name even though the technique didn't just apply to his hands. He walked to two straw dummy and took a deep breath. His fingers were slightly bandaged and calloused as they swayed at his side. Then in a blink of a eye he flicked his arm outward into a upward diagonal strike. His arm cleanly severing through the dummy, a clean cut as if done by a sharp blade. Then without taking a pause using the momentum to step back and load his leg into a downwards roundhouse kick. Severing the other dummy only halfway and getting his leg a bit stuck. With a grunt, he got his leg out and sighed. It was slowly coming along, but still needed work. He mostly figured out the slashes with his arm and the piercing attacks, but just needed... practice.


"Not... bad..."


It was a massive improvement, but it can still be better. It can be done faster, more efficiently, it was still far from being a mastery. Yet it was getting there... it was getting there. Maybe if Captain Izanagi turns up, he can improve Kirute along with increasing his mastery of Hakuda. Yet until then, he must tend to other matters. Just as he was pondering the thought, his wolf appeared next to him and yawned. I knelt next to him as he hopped up and tapped my lieutenants badge. He was signaling that something has occurred at the 10th barracks. Was the captain back? Man did he take his time, I guess it's time to head back. Turning to the entirety of the thirteenth, he projected his words to all those currently on the grounds.

"I must be off, duties call me elsewhere. Despite my departure, I expect for things to continue as I commanded. Training is to resume per schedule, patrols are not to be changed and paperwork filled with due diligence. I expect the seat officers to uphold this and more. I will not accept any laziness in your roles as shinigami. If you wish to not be branded cogs, then prove your might, become the wolves you are meant to be."

"YES SIR!!!"

All the shinigami shouted in union and bowed towards Kazuki. Kazuki bowed back and used Shunpo to vanish before their eyes. As him and his wolf flickered their way towards the 10th barracks.​

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LEAVING FOR SOUTHWEST SEIREITEI (10TH BARRACKS) --->​