Parallels and Pity

Ichigo lay on his back in bed, absently staring up at the ceiling as he tried to process and wind down from his day. It's been a long day, he thought wearily, letting out a small sigh. It was late at night by the time he'd stopped training with the Kidō masters, though he'd taken a break for dinner with his family. Per the arrangement with his father and Urahara, Ichigo was now staying in one of the spare rooms in Urahara's shop. His body was still at home, housing Kon for the time being so it wouldn't deteriorate.

**Flashback**

After dinner, Ichigo had headed upstairs to his room, looking for Kon. "Kon, there's something I need you to do," the Vizard called out. No one responded. Frowning, Ichigo strained his ears and stretched out his reiatsu sense. Kon was nearby… and then he heard a muffled sob.

Ichigo's face softened as he silently exited his bedroom and went into Yuzu's room. Sure enough, Kon was quietly crying on Yuzu's bed, clutching something in his paws. Coming closer, Ichigo could see that it was the outfit that Yuzu kept putting Kon in every time she found her 'Bostov.'

"Yuzu-chan…" Kon whispered hoarsely.

Ichigo immediately felt guilty. He had his father, and Karin, to talk to and grieve with. He had Urahara, the Vizard and his closest friends to plan and train with. He had Zangetsu and Cazador de la Luna to understand him completely and totally.

But Kon… Kon had no one. He was one of the last Mod-Souls alive, his existence kept secret. He had no friends. No family. No wise and knowing Zanpakutō, no snarky and impatient Hollow spirit. Yuzu, who played with him, who dressed him up and talked to him despite not knowing of his sentience until recently, was probably the most precious person in Kon's life.

Ichigo sat down on the bed next to Kon. Startled, the Mod-Soul glanced up at Ichigo with teary eyes. Ichigo was never quite certain how he was able to cry, since he inhabited the body of a stuffed lion, and so shouldn't have tear ducts at all… But it was probably for the same reason that Kon could make that body move when it had no muscles – spiritual power had strange effects on mortal objects.

"Hey," the Substitute Shinigami said softly.

Kon quickly shoved the outfit behind his back and wiped his eyes with the back of his paw. "Ichigo… is Yuzu-chan going to be ok?"

"I don't know," Ichigo admitted. "But I'm going to do everything in my power to bring her back."

Kon's eyes hardened in a way that Ichigo recognized well. "I want to help. Tell me what to do, Ichigo."

Ichigo opened his mouth, ready to give him his regular duty of watching Ichigo's body… but then he remembered his previous thoughts. "Kon… you're a Mod-Soul. Your power gives you enormous leg strength, right?"

"Yeah. What are you thinking?"

"I'm going to give you the most important task I can think of," Ichigo told him. "I'm giving you my body, long-term. I want you to use it to protect everyone here however you see fit."

Kon nodded sharply. "I can do that. But won't that get us in trouble with Soul Society, if someone finds out I'm a Mod-Soul?"

Now it was Ichigo's eyes that turned steely. "You're protecting my family, Kon. And more than that, you're an innocent being. If they make an issue of it, I'll protect you."

Kon could only nod again, as what passed for his throat had closed up on him.

**End Flashback**

Ichigo nodded to himself, knowing he'd made a good decision there. His home was secure. And so too were a number of highly populated places in Karakura. The hospital, Ishida's dad. The Kurosaki clinic, my dad and Kon. The school, my friends. Those were three of the five most spiritually concentrated areas in Karakura, for varying reasons. The other two were the Vizard warehouse and Urahara's shop, both of which were very well protected.

Ishida had told him that Hell could only connect for any length of time at areas with high spiritual power, according to the Togabito he'd encountered earlier that day. While Ichigo had initially worried that that could mean the entirely of Karakura due to its status as the jūreichi, Urahara had told him that it was unlikely, and that in any case they'd likely target a place of high spiritual energy so as to quickly behead any resistance. That also matched up with what Ishida had reported as well; Hana had asked who was the strongest and had followed it up with associating them with places of high spiritual power.

It sounds like you've got all your bases covered, Cazador observed.

Yeah, but playing defense won't get us anywhere, Ichigo pointed out. Endless army, remember?

I disagree. 'Playing defense', as you put it, gives you the time to develop your skill with Bakudō so we can implement a more permanent solution. Unless the Spirit King intervenes again, our strongest chance lies in us being able to seal Hell.

I hope the Spirit King does come and help, Ichigo admitted. I'm tired of having it all come down to me.

Both Zangetsu and Cazador fell silent at the admission, knowing that the Vizard had every right to feel that way. It had come down to Ichigo to defeat Kenpachi and Byakuya and save Rukia. It had come down to Ichigo, with Byakuya's help, to defeat Kariya to save Soul Society. It had come down to Ichigo to defeat Aizen and save Karakura. It had come down to Ichigo to go back to Hueco Mundo and assert his strength to prevent a Hollow civil war that would inevitably spill into Karakura. It had come down to Ichigo to make a team and dive into Hell itself to save his mother and sisters. And it felt like it was coming down to Ichigo to single-handedly save the Kasumiōji heiress from assassins, in addition to being the one with the best chance to defeat Hell permanently.

Ichigo felt so very tired. Bone-weary no longer sounded strong enough to describe his sense of exhaustion, but there was still the threat of Hell over his head. There was no way to know when Hell's forces would invade. At least with Aizen we had a general idea of when he'd attack, since he was waiting for the Hōgyoku to fully awaken. But Hell? Ichigo shifted onto his side. When this is all over, I'm tempted to retire.

Cazador laughed darkly. You really think you can, Ichigo? You're in too deep to back out now. You are the King of Hueco Mundo, meaning that if you grow weak for any reason, Hollows are bound to attack you to claim your throne. You're a transcendent Vizard, which means that at least a few of Soul Society's big powers are scared of you. You let up your guard and you're likely to get a Zanpakutō in the back. If you want to run anywhere, you leave your family exposed, and it's already been proven people will use them against you. Your only choice is to keep getting stronger until no one dares to fuck with you!

Ichigo sighed, not bothering to remind his Inner Hollow about their plans to eventually create a world, a small paradise for his family to stay safe in. But then, a strange thought occurred to him. I wonder… is that what happened to Yamamoto? Ichigo mused.

What?

Yamamoto. He's by far the strongest pure Shinigami alive. Stronger in Shikai than all of the Bankai we've seen from the other taicho. How many life or death situations must he have gone through to reach that power? Ichigo shook his head. Are we merely repeating his footsteps? Growing stronger, more skilled, in every struggle, until it's obvious that taking us on is suicide? Did he have a family that was used against him?

If your paths are similar, Ichigo, then what of it? Your situation remains the same.

Ichigo frowned, trying to figure out how to explain how he felt. I guess I just want to understand his point of view. Try to establish some common ground.

His mind wandered back to the confrontation between himself and Yamamoto in front of the Berean mansion, remembering the chasm he'd created between himself and Yamamoto.

"I tried diplomacy, you old bastard! I BEGGED YOU, I GOT ON MY KNEES AND BEGGED! I PROSTRATED myself to you when I have done so to NO ONE! I would have done anything, ANYTHING, and you STILL would not help me save my family, you heartless old man!"

"So forgive me if I am a bit less than charitable, since I've met Hollows with more heart than you, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni!"

There was a moment of silence, then Cazador spoke up with as dry a tone as Ichigo had ever heard. Eh, Ichigo… I'm not sure you can come back from that one. I can come up with some pretty epic insults, but I admit I'm having a hard time topping that one. Calling the old man worse than a Hollow?

Ichigo's face reflected the seriousness in his thoughts. I meant every word. But while I'll probably never trust him again, I don't want him as an enemy either.

Cazador and Zangetsu both fell silent – there really wasn't much more that could be said to that.

A dimension away, the subject of Ichigo's thoughts banged his cane against the floor, the sound echoing in the Hall of Taicho. "Welcome to our ranks, Amagai Shūsuke," Yamamoto declared. "Take your position as taicho of the 5th Division."

Amagai, a tall, messy-haired Shinigami with a slightly unkempt look about him rose from his position kneeling in front of the sōtaicho and stood between Gin and Komamura, filling the void where Aizen had once stood. "Thank you, sōtaicho."

"Amagai-taicho, are you aware of the current situation with Hell?"

"Yes, sōtaicho," the new captain answered promptly. "As soon as Soifon-taicho heard the news, she took it upon herself to bring me up to date."

"Excellent. As you are no doubt aware, there has been no taicho for the 5th Division for quite some time, and your fukutaicho, Hinamori Momo, has had difficulty running the division due largely to her needing time to recover from Aizen, twice," Yamamoto reminded. "Your official duty is to restore order to the Division and train them to be able to fight the Togabito."

Yamamoto's eyes opened slightly. "However, you also have an additional charge. You will select an elite team of Shinigami from your Division that you will train personally for the following task: to capture a Togabito by any means necessary, and detain it for study by the 12th Division. You will be working closely with Kurotsuchi-taicho to field test any technology or Kidō developed for this purpose. Under no circumstances is word of this to spread. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sōtaicho," Amagai affirmed. "Sir, Soifon alerted me that Kurosaki Masaki and Kurosaki Yuzu have been infected by Hell's chains and are being studied by Urahara. Are we not duplicating work?"

"His line of research differs from my own," Kurotsuchi answered with a frown. "He seeks a way to remove the Hell-binding chains, preferably without killing the soul they are attached to. While potentially useful should any of our own become Togabito, my research focuses more on the immediate necessities. Namely, to determine the nature of the binding that allows the Togabito to resurrect in Hell despite the 'death' of the soul, and find ways to destroy that binding. While our research may overlap, they are still quite distinct."

"Ah, I see…"

Yamamoto pounded his staff into the ground twice, the sound echoing throughout the chamber. "I must inform you all that Kurosaki Ichigo has retaken control from his Hollow side. Urahara Kisuke has informed me that Kurosaki wishes to speak with Kuchiki-taicho regarding noble matters, but due to threat of Hell, Kurosaki has elected to remain in the living world for the time being."

"Hai." Byakuya inclined his head almost imperceptibly. "I will keep you informed, sōtaicho."

Yamamoto nodded regally. "Kyōraku-taicho, Ukitake-taicho, Kuchiki-taicho. Have you found any information regarding the method the Spirit King used to shatter Hell's soul?"

"Not as yet, sōtaicho," Ukitake replied with a slightly downcast expression. "Although it is too soon to say for certain, I believe that the knowledge of how to do so was deemed so dangerous that it was never recorded. Even so, we will continue our search. There may be some hints in other forbidden tomes… we will enlist more assistance from the Berean if needed."

"Very well. Zaraki-taicho, how goes Madarame Ikkaku's training?"

"Eh, not bad," Kenpachi replied with a shrug. "He can keep his Bankai going a bit longer now. And he's getting better at dodging."

"What can you tell us of his Bankai?" Soifon requested.

Kenpachi scratched at his chin as he looked up for a few moments, thinking. "It's a pure melee type. Gives him some big-ass weapons. Ikkaku called it lazy, saying that it doesn't like to go all out right from the start. But it's got some power behind it, especially once we get going. He said that the more blood spills between him and whoever he's fighting, the stronger his Bankai gets." Kenpachi shrugged. "Seems to be true. He's almost beat me a few times… made me pull off the eyepatch. But, well… it's brittle when he reaches full power. No defense at all. All offense."

The various taicho exchanged looks. It sounded like an interesting Bankai; no one had heard of a Bankai that grew stronger in the middle of battle. And just like all Bankai, it had a few weaknesses. Lacking initial strength, and brittle blades upon reaching full strength.

"Can he fix his weapons if they break?" Kyōraku inquired curiously.

"Dunno; don't think he's ever tried." Kenpachi gave a sudden manic grin. "We'll try that next time."

Ukitake shook his head, silently wishing Ikkaku the best of luck.

Yamamoto nodded and once again struck his staff upon the floor, silencing everyone. "Unohana-taicho, have you found anyone suitable for learning the healing arts outside of your Division?"

"Only a few non-seated, and a couple of seated Shinigami. Per your orders, I have already talked to their respective taicho and arranged temporary transfers. They are currently being trained by Kotetsu-fukutaicho. I have taken a special interest in training Kotetsu-fukutaicho and 7th Seat Yamada Hanatarō, both of whom have displayed outstanding talent in healing."

"Excellent. I am still corresponding with the Zero Division to arrange a meeting with the Spirit King. That is all. Dismissed!"

Amagai slowly walked out of the room, lost in thought. But he was startled out of his musing when Ukitake and Kyōraku came up to him. "So, how is your first taste of being taicho, Amagai-taicho?" Kyōraku inquired with a reassuring smile.

"It's…" Amagai sighed. "It's intense. I never expected to become taicho in the first place – there's never been a promotion from the Onmitsukidō directly to taicho in the past. And then there's the Hell situation…"

Ukitake grimaced sympathetically. "The task Yamamoto-sensei gave you is daunting, I agree. Capturing a Togabito!"

Amagai nodded wearily. "Capturing is always so much harder than outright killing. It gets exponentially more difficult if they work in groups, and according to the reports several of them were working together against Kurosaki Ichigo… I don't even know my Division yet, how am I supposed to hand-pick a team?"

"Well, Yama-jii probably isn't expecting it to be done right this minute," Kyōraku reasoned. "Why not go get to know your Division, and work with your fukutaicho, Hinamori Momo? She can help you ease into the role."

"Besides, Amagai-taicho," Ukitake spoke reassuringly. "The 5th Division is well known for gathering those with talent. Say what you will about Aizen, but he could recognize those with potential. Three of our own fukutaicho were hand-picked by him to join the 5th immediately after graduating the Shinigami Academy – Abarai Renji, Hinamori Momo, and Kira Izuru. I'm sure there are others just waiting to be found."

Amagai perked up a little. "You've got a good point, both of you. Thanks, Ukitake-taicho, Kyōraku-taicho. I think I'll go see Hinamori now – I really should get to know the people I'm going to lead."

Kyōraku smiled easily. "If you need advice, feel free to come to Jūshirō or me. Getting thrust into this position can't be easy."

"Again, thank you Kyōraku-taicho." They split ways, Amagai making his way to his new Division, a whirlwind of thoughts just tearing through his head. He shook his head to clear it, and only reached mild success. But if there's only one thing evident… it's that this is going to be a lot more complicated than before. I need to focus on the here and now. Hell has to take priority.

Kuchiki Byakuya entered the room in the 1st Division barracks that Yamamoto had dedicated for communication with the living world. Yamamoto had made it a permanent fixture after being forced to work with Urahara, due to the necessity of being able to consistently communicate with allies. Quietly closing the door, he silently turned on the viewing screen.

Kurosaki Ichigo appeared in full Shinigami garb, Byakuya noticed. He's left his mortal body. Unusual… "Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Byakuya."

The Head of the Kuchiki barely resisted twitching at the casual form of address, but he'd resigned himself by now to it. Kurosaki didn't treat anybody with proper forms of respect. "You requested to speak with me."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. There's a bit of a situation that I need some advice on how to deal with quickly. Noble stuff. I'd ask Rukia about it, but she's busy training with Renji. Besides, it has a bit to do with what happened with the Berean."

Understanding blossomed, and Byakuya was instantly at full attention. Ah. "I see. Elaborate."

"The Kasumiōji have an internal problem that has basically become my problem. The heiress is here in the living world, hiding from assassins sent by a guy named Kumoi. Supposedly he's in some influential position of power in the clan, and is poised to take over if the heiress dies."

"And how is this your problem?" Byakuya asked pointedly.

"They're using the house next to mine as their hidey hole," Ichigo replied deadpan. "And blatantly told me they were trying to rely on my history of saving noble girls to help protect them."

If the taicho of the 6th Division were any less of a noble, he would have sighed and shaken his head. Even so, his heart felt a twinge at the indirect reminder that Ichigo had had to save Rukia from Byakuya himself. "I see. And you feel that this is an unnecessary distraction, given the current situation with Hell?"

"Exactly. I need ways to resolve this and quickly, because frankly we can't afford to split our attention. One of the assassins fought Urahara earlier, and apparently was controlling some Hollows." Ichigo's fists clenched. "By delaying Urahara, Tessai and Hachigen, that assassin prevented us from bringing my mother and sister back alive, and indirectly is responsible for the rise of Hell."

Byakuya silently had a sharp intake of breath, startled. That was not information that anyone in Soul Society currently knew, and it meant that once again, Kurosaki Ichigo had reason to invade Soul Society. And given its personal nature, he will likely act as he did with Aizen – with intent to kill. "That… is a serious accusation."

"I know. But it's obvious that we can't let things stand as they are."

"I concur," Byakuya agreed steadily, framing his words carefully. It was a delicate situation they were about to enter, but he had to make sure Kurosaki understood the difficulties and politics involved. "However, there are laws the Gotei 13 must follow. To date, there is no incriminating evidence regarding this?"

"No. But if I were to present the heiress, and have her formally request assistance like you did with Yamamoto, would that work?" Ichigo questioned.

Byakuya shook his head, though he had to silently applaud Kurosaki for the thought. It was a good idea, given what precious little experience Kurosaki had with Soul Society politicking. "Unlikely. The key difference is that in the case with your mother, evidence directly implicated the other Noble Families. The Kasumiōji situation is exactly that: isolated to the Kasumiōji. So long as their affairs do not directly impact Soul Society as a whole, the Gotei 13 is bound to non-interference."

"So, what, Yamamoto won't do anything until the assassins attack a member of the Gotei 13?" Ichigo asked incredulously.

"That is the most likely case, yes," Byakuya admitted. His eyes and face hardened even more than usual, closing off any trace of emotion. "What am I about to say will no doubt make you extremely angry. I ask you to remain calm."

Ichigo appeared quizzical. "Hm?"

"Have you considered the alternative? Letting the Kasumiōji heiress die? The situation is resolved quickly, if not in the way you'd prefer. After Hell is bound once more, then you could bring charges against them with Urahara's testimony."

The Substitute Shinigami stared at the taicho of the 6th Division disbelievingly for several seconds, mouth slightly agape. He shook his head. "You must be kidding. You're suggesting I let an innocent girl die? And let some homicidal, power-hungry guy win and become the leader of a Noble clan?"

"It is the most expedient solution," Byakuya told him coolly. "I do not care for it either, truth be told. However…"

"However nothing!" Ichigo interrupted angrily. "This has too many parallels to Rukia for my liking! Would you have let Soul Society execute Rukia with the Sōkyoku, and given Aizen the Hōgyoku out of her still-warm ashes, just to ensure no hostilities between Aizen and Soul Society?" His face twisted into an expression of sheer disgust. "No! That is not an option!"

Despite all of his emotional control, Byakuya almost cracked a smile. Privately, the leader of the Kuchiki was glad that Kurosaki had not changed that much – he was still the same man who had rushed into Soul Society to rescue a girl who had saved his family. It was almost inspiring, how Kurosaki strove to do what he felt was right regardless of how painful and difficult it would be. "Very well. There are few alternatives, but while I cannot do anything as taicho of the 6th Division, there may be something the Head of the Kuchiki is capable of."

Ichigo gave a tired smile, relaxing from his previous shouting. "Thought as much; that's why I wanted to talk to you – you know the loopholes."

"Hmph. I shall request a meeting with this Kumoi. You have yet to learn the art of politics and manipulation, Kurosaki. You have a history of disregarding Soul Society law, and as you yourself have said, one of the assassins has caused you great emotional pain. A subtle reminder of such will prove more than sufficient. Kumoi will either cease his activities and attempt to find a way to appease you, or attempt to silence us directly. Regardless of his choice, the Kasumiōji heir will be relatively safe. Additionally, should he choose to attack us…"

"Then we show him why you're a taicho of Soul Society, and why I am the one who took down Aizen," Ichigo finished with a smirk. "Thanks, Byakuya." He paused for a moment. "What would Society Society do if I did just swoop in and kill him, anyway?"

Now it was Byakuya's turn to stop and stare at the Vizard. "… You ask difficult questions."

"I thought so."

"Hi there, Kuchiki-taicho!" Urahara walked in from off-screen. "While you're visiting the Kasumiōji, could you have some servants looking for evidence of Bakkōtō manufacturing? The assassin I fought used one, and admitted that it's forbidden, which makes it treason." He smiled and tipped his hat slightly. "And as I would well know, treason is one thing that always spurs the Gotei to action."

Byakuya took Urahara's spontaneous appearance in stride and nodded regally. "Thank you for the information, Urahara-san. Kurosaki, I will keep you updated."

"Thanks," Ichigo acknowledged. "Anything else new in Soul Society that I should probably be aware of?"

"A new taicho has been chosen to replace Aizen," Byakuya informed him. "Amagai Shūsuke. He has been tasked with developing a strike force to capture a Togabito for Kurotsuchi-taicho to experiment upon. It will likely be a week, possibly two, until Amagai-taicho leads the team into the living world."

Ichigo frowned. "I haven't heard of Amagai before… If he's strong enough to be a taicho, where was he during the fight against Aizen?"

The wielder of Senbonzakura had to pause at that. That's… a very good question, actually. "His previous position was in the Patrol Corps, a division within the Onmitsukidō. However, I do not know why he was absent."

"Allow me, a former assassin, to elaborate," Urahara jumped in. "The Patrol Corps is generally assigned to the Seireitei, gathering information mostly. It's likely that Soifon-taicho knew about Amagai-taicho at that point, and entrusted him with ensuring that Soul Society remained stable while almost all of the Gotei 13 command structure was out of Soul Society."

"Ah," Ichigo acknowledged with a nod. "That makes sense. Can't have everyone coming back to find the Seireitei up in flames."

Byakuya had to agree – Soifon was certainly cunning, sly and ruthless enough to do such a thing. "In any case, Amagai-taicho will likely wish to see you, and the advance force of Shinigami stationed in the living world. Accommodations may be necessary."

Ichigo frowned and rubbed his brow. "How many people are we talking?"

"That depends on the size of the strike force, but I would estimate between four and six people."

"Oh my. It may be more profitable for me to renovate my humble shop into a bed and breakfast," Urahara joked.

Ichigo just sighed, ignoring the eccentric shopkeeper. "Fine, whatever. Nothing else is really going on over here yet."

"Have there been any Togabito attacks?"

The Vizard shrugged. "Not really an attack, but we did have a visit from two Togabito. They seemed to just be scouts. My friends intercepted them, and found out that Hell can only connect to the living world at places with high spiritual energy, even for Karakura. So we're looking at my high school, the graveyard, the hospital, the homes of my spiritually aware friends and family, the Urahara shop, and the Vizard base. There may be others, and Urahara's looking into that, but so far that's what we got."

"I will inform Yamamoto-sōtaicho of this development immediately – that information will aid in providing swift approval for limiter removal if needed," Byakuya promised.

"Good to hear. Good luck with the Kasumiōji meeting."

The taicho nodded. "And to you." And then he ended the interdimensional call.

"You gave him a great deal of information, Kuchiki-taicho. And you have promised him your aid regarding a matter that the Gotei 13 has no legal right to intervene in." The voice was neither accusing nor jovial – merely statements that required explanation.

Byakuya turned around calmly. "Yamamoto-sōtaicho," he greeted respectfully. "According to Hitsugaya-taicho's reports, there were difficulties regarding accommodations when they were stationed there initially. It seemed wise to give Kurosaki and Urahara time to prepare for the elite team Amagai-taicho is creating."

"And the Kasumiōji situation? Kumoi?"

"Would you rather have Kurosaki 'swoop in and kill him', sōtaicho?" Byakuya's face reflected none of the tiny, private hope that perhaps his boss would say "Yes." It truly would make things far simpler.

Yamamoto sighed, his body shifting into a more casual stance. "I am glad that Kurosaki Ichigo shares a rapport with some taicho of the Gotei. However, I am disconcerted by how frequently he involves himself in matters he has no place being."

"To be fair, sōtaicho, that is hardly his fault," Byakuya defended. "Kurosaki grew strong enough to defeat Aizen when we could not. It was the Berean and the Togabito who attempted to control Kurosaki afterwards, and even now the Kasumiōji heiress involved him, not the opposite."

Yamamoto nodded wearily, sitting down at a nearby table and wordlessly waving his subordinate to do the same. Byakuya sat as commanded, and Yamamoto began to pour some tea. "Bakkōtō…" he murmured. "It has been so many years since I've heard that word."

"You are familiar with it?" Byakuya inquired calmly.

"Kisaragi Shin'etsu," Yamamoto answered. "He was a member of the 1st Division, long ago. The Central 46 denied my request to investigate the Kasumiōji compound after I'd heard rumors of forbidden weapons being forged. Kisaragi, however… he offered to infiltrate the compound anyway. I needed the information, the truth. I sent him to investigate."

"He was caught." It was not a question.

"Yes. I am uncertain how, but he was given a strange weapon, a Bakkōtō. It warped his mind, turned him against me. He attacked me, and I was forced to defend myself. The Bakkōtō broke, freeing Kisaragi from its control, only for him to die shortly thereafter."

"You did not send others to investigate, fearing for their safety," Byakuya guessed. "With the Bakkōtō broken, there was no evidence. And as you'd disobeyed the Central 46, you could not act upon the knowledge. You had to cover up Kisaragi's death."

"Yes."

They sat in silence for several seconds, drinking their tea, allowing Byakuya to digest the new information. "If I gather sufficient evidence…"

Yamamoto set his tea down and fixed his subordinate with a stare that reflected the fiery reiatsu he constantly kept in check. "Then I will invade the compound myself, and burn alive the ones responsible for Kisaragi's death. It is the least I can do for him."

It was looking at the tense, serious expression on his commander's face that prompted Byakuya to make a sudden realization: he'd seen that exact look on Kurosaki. Yamamoto and Kurosaki are far more alike than most realize, he thought in surprise. Power beyond reckoning, undying loyalty to those they claim as theirs, and the will to destroy all in their path to protect or avenge them.

It certainly put a new spin on why they clashed so badly. Yamamoto was old, tired, cynical. He'd adapted to the sōtaicho position, politicking and compromising, doing what he felt he had to do for the benefit of as many people under his command as possible in a cruel world. But Kurosaki was young, fresh and innocent by comparison, refusing to sacrifice others and standing up for his ideals. For Yamamoto to interact with Kurosaki must be almost a spit in the eye, as the sōtaicho looked upon someone who could well be a reflection of his past, a painful reminder of who he had once been, of what he had given up over the centuries.

And in light of those realizations, Byakuya found himself feeling an emotion he never thought he'd have regarding the strongest pure Shinigami: pity.