Orihime's gentle touch calmed Ichigo. He relaxed a little, but he still had a scowl on his face. His eyes still blazed with anger.
"Then when? When the execution is about to begin? When is she about to die?" Ichigo turned his glare from Shirou to Yoruichi. "When should we save her?"
Yoruichi looked at him with a calm expression. She sighed in her cat form and planted her paw in his face.
"Idiot, don't you get what we are talking about?" She flicked his nose, making him yelp in pain. "You're not listening, are you?"
Ichigo looked at her in shock.
Yoruichi continued, her voice low but firm.
"Look, I'm not telling you to just give up on Rukia. I am saying that we need to regroup first, make strategy, and gather our strengths."
She paused for a moment, her gaze never wavering from Ichigo's eyes.
"I'm saying we need to think about the situation. Don't just rush headfirst without thinking. If you want to rescue Rukia, think carefully, plan and act."
Now he put a scale on how important people were to him. The heavier the scale, the more likely he would risk himself to save them.
Family, loved ones, and then friends.
He would spare nothing to protect. Using all his power without holding back, even if that meant risking himself to be a target.
"Think carefully, huh..." Ichigo trailed off, his brow furrowing.
He was clearly not convinced.
But Yoruichi had a point, so Shirou decided to support her argument.
"Yes, that's what she's been trying to tell you." He agreed with her, nodding. "We can't just charge in blindly. It will be suicide for us all. And you can't do it alone, either."
"Fortunately, we have a source of information."
Grinning, Yoruichi turned to Renji, the red-haired Shinigami.
"Right?"
Someone who knew the inside of Seireitei. Who was familiar with every inch of the place, who could give them a good lead.
A Shinigami who betrayed the Gotei 13 but hadn't been caught yet. The man himself was clearly shocked at the sudden call.
"Me?!" The Shinigami pointed at himself in shock, his expression surprised and confused, "Are you sure about it?"
"No one knew that you defected yet." Yoruichi explained. "You still can enter Seireitei."
"Oi, are you trying to make me a spy?!" Renji asked, disbelief clear on his face. He was frowning, his brow furrowed.
"Spy? That's too much." Yoruichi waved her paw, "We just need someone to tell us about the situation inside. Shirou has roughed up some people, including the famous Zaraki Kenpachi, so it's not strange if they find a Lieutenant laying around with wounds."
Sweat rolled down the side of Renji's face. He never expected to be a spy. He only wanted to save his friend from execution.
"Ugh..."
"Don't you want to save Rukia?"
That wasn't fair. That wasn't a fair way to ask that kind of question.
"Damn it! I got it, alright!" Renji shouted, throwing his hands up in defeat, "But I don't know how long I can hold it! They're gonna know it sooner or later. When they find out that I betrayed them..."
"I understand, and we don't plan to let them know that you have betrayed Gotei 13 either. We won't make contact after this. But if they find out anyway, then I'm sorry." Yoruichi bowed her head in apology.
"Tch. Fine. Just remember this: I won't sacrifice my life for you guys, and if it comes to that, I'll betray you, alright?"
Shirou and Ichigo didn't say anything, but both looked at each other and nodded slightly.
Gritting his teeth, Renji prepared himself. He didn't like it, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He just hoped it would work out.
"Do your worst."
***
The meeting for the Lieutenants was filled with a somber mood.
Hinamori Momo was on her knees, staring blankly at the floor. Tears were streaming down her face. The others stood quietly around her, watching her silently cry.
It was a terrible situation.
No one expected a Captain to be murdered right behind their back, in the compound where everyone gathered for a meeting. Not only were there Lieutenants, but there were also other Captains as well, except the Captain Commander.
It was impossible, but it happened.
Everyone's thoughts ran wild, trying to think of anything they could do. How could they prevent another incident like this? What should they do? Should they stay vigilant or remain calm?
No one had the answers, but the most pressing problem was what they would do now.
And so they sat and waited.
While waiting, another piece of bad news arrived. This time, it was the 4th Division Lieutenant who found something.
"Move! We need to heal him! Don't touch him, Matsumoto!"
"I'm just trying to lift him!"
"Shut up! You might injure him further!"
A loud voice, belonging to Isane Kotetsu, Lieutenant of Fourth Division, echoed in the hall. Everyone looked up, curious.
The tall and slender woman cleared the way for other people carrying an injured man, making them move faster.
"Bring him to the treatment room!" She shouted again.
The man she brought in was an important person, someone everyone knew.
Abarai Renji.
The Lieutenant of the Sixth Division was heavily wounded. Blood covered his entire body. His injuries were so bad, some of the people who saw him couldn't help but grimace. Some of them even gagged at the sight of his injuries.
"Renji..." Momo, who saw Renji being brought into the treatment room, quickly ran and approached Isane, her voice hoarse, her expression desperate.
"What happened?" She asked frantically, her voice cracking. "What happened to him? Please, tell me!"
She was so worried about her friend and she was scared.
"Calm down, Hinamori-san. We'll treat him." Isane said, patting her back gently to calm her. "It will take some time before he awakens."
Isane then looked around the hall and spotted a few of the Shinigamis in the vicinity.
"Get the captains!" She commanded, "Tell them about this! Abarai Renji fought the Ryoka with strange swords and got injured. We will investigate this further when he's awake!"
The Shinigamis immediately followed her order and left. They needed to tell the captains.
And it didn't take long for one Captain to arrive. A woman with long black hair braided to the front of her chest appeared, wearing a white haori. Her cold, calculating gaze was fixed upon the unconscious figure of Renji.
"Captain Unohana..." Isane called, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at her superior officer.
"For now, get him to bed. I shall treat him." Captain Unohana spoke softly.
Her eyes never strayed from the injured man's face, and her expression remained impassive. She didn't show any emotion at all, but there was a sense of concern behind her words. She wanted to treat him as soon as possible, especially since his wound looked pretty bad.
The treatment was finished pretty quickly.
While his body was covered in blood, the wound itself was unexpectedly shallow and didn't cause much damage.
It looked like Renji had only been knocked out, his injuries weren't deep or severe.
He would wake up in no time.
Only the injured Renji and Captain Unohana were in the room. No one else was allowed to enter the place, even Lieutenant Isane. After she treated the man, she sat down on the chair beside his bed and looked at him quietly.
Unohana had her hands clasped together, resting them atop the lap. She stared at the ceiling above her. Her expression remained calm, yet there was a hint of worry in her eyes.
"..."
There were many questions running through her mind right now. But first...
"You can open your eyes, Lieutenant Abarai." Unohana said with a calm and even tone. "There is no one here except you and me."
No one replied. The silence was so thick and heavy, one could hear a pin drop in the room. But Unohana didn't lose her composure. Instead, she continued speaking calmly and clearly.
"Your wounds, it's not from a battle. You didn't even try to block the attack. You just took it, didn't you? And there's no reiatsu residue. It was a simple attack, wasn't it?"
Still, no answer. Only the sound of the wind and the chirping of birds could be heard outside. Unohana patiently waited for a response. She knew he wouldn't lie to her, because he couldn't hide anything from her.
No doctor would mistake wounds, after all. Especially someone as skilled and experienced in medicine as Unohana Retsu.
"These wounds are different from what was inflicted to Captain Aizen's body." She said, "Your wound is clean, while the deceased was stabbed through and had a bigger cut. It is clear that whoever inflicted them are different persons."
"..."
"Please, Lieutenant. I am only asking you to speak honestly. No harm shall come to you, and I will not report this to Captain Commander. If there's something troubling your heart, please, tell me." Unohana smiled softly, but there was still a hint of sadness in her voice. "You don't need to suffer alone."
Then, the patient finally opened his eyes.
"Captain... Unohana..." He spoke slowly and weakly, his voice barely audible. "Please, forgive my insolence... But believe me that no Ryoka killed Captain Aizen..."
Unohana didn't answer. She didn't have to say anything.
"I will not pry more. But do remember, Abarai. I will keep this a secret and I will protect you if anyone dares to accuse you. You're my patient and I will protect you from any danger. You don't have to be afraid."
"... Thank you."
"I will leave you here alone."
Standing up, Captain Unohana left the room. Her once gentle eyes narrowed slightly in a dangerous manner.
Something was wrong.
And she would get the truth, no matter what it took. But violence wasn't something she would use for a long time.
Not when she could just ask someone for the answer.
She just hoped she wouldn't have to resort to violence. She hated resorting to violence.
***
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