Never A Dull Moment

Tenjinsai made quick time from the medbay and now stood before the towering gates that lead into his barracks. He stepped forward, his hands touching the wood lightly as it gave way to his presence and gently slid open. His barracks now stood before him, the grandiose majesty of it all still striking deeply within him. It was fitting though, that such a structure would strike deeply into those who gazed upon it. The 1st Division had been home to some of the most powerful and influential shinigami in history; The most noted of course being the previous Captain Commanders. This building was the base of operations for Yamamoto when Gotei Thirteen was first founded; The heart of the Seireitei when it all began. While he was certain the man was not one for showmanship, this building said otherwise. It was vast, imposing, and was meant to strike awe into those who approached it.

Centuries ago, long before he was ever a thought to be conceived, this building stood as the headquarters of the Gotei Thirteen. Under that line of thought, it would make sense for the structure to be as grand as it was. It would strike the strength and majesty of the Gotei Thirteen into all who lay their eyes upon it. In a way, despite all of the authority, power, and strength that Tenjinsai now possessed, it made him realize how small he actually was in all of this. He was a warrior, a leader, but still only just one cog within this greater machine. One day as well, he would die, just as the rest of them did and would. Whether it was to battle, age, or perhaps even sickness, one day he too would be gone like those before him; Yet another name etched into the annals of history to be thought of and quoted in speeches and debates. When it was boiled down to the most minute details, something as simple as the structure before him, made him realize just how impermanent he was.

He sighed lightly, the young shinigami moving forward into the building. It was a strange thought to have, or line of thought more precisely. Lately though these questions of ethics and philosophy seemed to permeate his life. The world at large, both within his own realm and outside, have demanded his involvement to resolve the chaos and war that plagued it. Rules were being broken, decisions being made that further stressed the barely put together realm that he now found himself in charge of. With such things ambushing him at every turn, it made it hard to not contemplate his part in the world at large and evaluate just how much he was truly capable of. The current line of thought would have to wait though; A member of his squad approached him looking rather, frantic. They stopped only a few feet away, bent over at the waist and breathing heavily as if having ran all the way to greet him.

"Captain Commander, sir, something.......something urgent has come up." Tenjinsai raised an eyebrow as his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes tracing the shinigami before him quizzically. "Catch your breath first, then you may give a proper report." The squad member shook their head lightly, taking a few moments to breath and then straightening up before him. Their arms dropped quickly to their sides as they bowed and offered the proper greeting and report to Tenjinsai. "Fifth Seat Haseko Fukui reporting in sir, I have an urgent report to deliver regarding events in the World of the Living." Tenjinsai nodded lightly in response, removing his left hand from the fold of his arms for a moment to gesture for the officer to continue. "With reconnaissance and patrols being performed once more, we have noticed a heightened level of hollow activity in region N43, sector B17."

The young captain nodded in agreement with the information he had just been notified of, pretending to understand exactly what that all meant. At the very least though he understood what increased hollow activity meant; Activity that was seen as higher than the accepted average, even given the current series of events. "Am I to assume that this means that this activity has been deemed dangerous enough to be brought to my attention?" Officer Fukui began to shuffle within their robes, producing a series of papers after a few moments and offering them to their superior. "These reports should give you a more precise idea of what exactly is going on. From my own understanding though, dangerous is an under-estimation." Tenjinsai nodded once more and unfolded his arms to accept this offering of papers from his subordinate.

As the young captain shuffled slowly through the papers his eyes stopped as something quickly caught his attention. He cleared his throat, the words almost being caught in his throat as he verified the accuracy of the report. "Has this....., has this report been verified by readings from the Twelfth Division's R&D?" The officer stepped forward, moving slightly to the side and thumbing across a few of the sheets Tenjinsai was holding and pointing out specific details and information. "On this sheet here, and then on this chart, you can see the general descriptions and readings that were given by patrols and R&D. As much as I do not want to say it, these reports are as accurate as we can produce." The young captain sighed as he thumbed across the last few documents he was handed. "Nary a moment to rest, even for the weary.

Thank you for your report Haseko, make sure Vice Captain Kurokei gets a copy of this as well." Tenjinsai then stuffed the reports into his haori for further review once he had reached his office. He paused a moment after doing so, looking the officer over quizzically as the two stood together in silence. "If there is not anything further Haseko you are dismissed." The officer straightened up quickly and bent deeply at the waist, bowing to his superior. "Nothing further sir, I will attend to your orders now." The conversation was now concluded and Haseko quickly dismissed themself back into the barracks to assumedly deliver a duplicate report to Vice Captain Kurokei. Tenjinsai resumed his course to the office, now with a renewed conviction as something both interesting, and dangerous, was now stirring that required his attention.

His travel through the barracks presented no further impediments, his subordinates simply offering greetings as he passed them by. It took him little time to reach his office, opening the door and quickly closing it behind him as he stepped inside. It had been quite some time since he had last had a moment to himself, regardless of this matter breathing down his neck. Shuffling lazily to his desk, the young shinigami flopped himself down in the chair, leaning back in an exaggerated manner and exhaling loudly. His head hung over the head of the chair, eyes gazing intently at the ceiling yet not truly looking at anything. He remained like this for a minute or two, though it felt a great deal longer than that and just as good. Once he had 'relaxed' to his hearts content, Tenjinsai slumped forward and fumbled about his haori with his right hand looking for the paperwork he had been given.

Once his fingers had traced across it he grabbed hold of it, pulling it out and placing it on the desk. The stack of papers now sat before him, almost more intimidating now that he was by himself than before when they were presented instead. Still, this was not a matter he could postpone, not safely at least. His hands shifted forward, thumbing about the papers as he skimmed them over to get a hold of the vital details. Most of what was presented was simple technical data, however there was one word in particular that struck him harder than the rest, Arrancar. According to the observations and reconnaisance, there were arrancar present in the world of the living. This was incredibly unusual given that arrancar had only operated before during the whole Aizen debacle. For them to be presenting themselves in the world of the living now meant only two things. One, they were either extending their reach during the shinigami civil war; Or two, someone else had seized the reins and was in charge now.

Neither was a promising situation, but the latter was certainly more dangerous. It was clear that something had to be done, the question now being what, or more appropriately who. He would need to send people to investigate this disturbance, and not just normal squad members either. High ranking officers would need to investigate this if arrancar were involved. There were no particulars about the situation either, just that there was heightened activity and arrancar had been confirmed. He did not know what grade they were, how strong they were, just that they were there. The young leader sighed once more, the situation around him essentially falling apart. They had just exited a civil war and had now pledged their assistance to Kirito and his ilk to try and restore peace to the world of the living.

He did not have the manpower, or resources, to be engaging in multiple conflicts; That was the reality of the situation, but he also knew there was no other choice he could make. He held his right hand out in front of himself, a hell butterfly summoned quickly to his location. The orders that he issued were simple, all Captain's were to gather in the meeting hall to discuss yet another emergency topic. Though the only detail he gave as toward the topic of the meeting he knew would gather their attention. He simply inserted a single word, one with a great deal of weight behind it, Arrancar. Now, despite wanting to return to the manor and rest, or at the very least rest in his quarters, he had more business to attend to. He stood shakily, his mental fatigue stabbing at him viciously. His brain demanded rest and distraction, but there was no time for it.

He would head to the meeting hall and wait for the other captains to discuss the course of action. Stepping toward the door to his office, he quietly opened it and stepped into the hallway. With his right arm he deftly shut it behind with nary a noise being made but a simple click. As soon as the click was heard Tenjinsai's presence disappeared with a slight breeze created by his shunpou.

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Tenjinsai tended to his duties as always while he waited for news from the mission squad. He had gotten some sleep, a long relaxing nights rest that he had not had for quite some time. Paperwork found itself stacked up on his desk, eagerly awaiting his arrival in the morning as he spent hours sorting through forms, signing to and fro until complete. His afternoons were spent lounging, the first time in months, and probably his only reprieve for some time after. He did not think of the mission, nor the impending war, he just tried to rest and recuperate his strength. Three days would pass before he would hear news of the team sent to the world of the living. The news he would receive would not reward his faith in the shinigami that were sent but instead shatter the fragile vision of his own leadership that had been made. A member of his squad came bolting in, frantic and out of breath.

The young Captain glanced upward from his desk, his eyes placing the face of his third seat officer, Nokoreda. Tenjinsai raised an eyebrow, turning his attention away from the paperwork and fully upon his subordinate. "You seem to be quite frazzled Nokoreda, is everything alright?" The man made a few steps into the room and then fell to his knees; In his hands a small stack of papers clutched tightly in his hands. Tenjinsai stood quickly, and manuevered around his desk to stand beside his subordinate, kneeling beside him and placing a hand on his back. "Nokoreda what is the matter, what has happened?" The officer shook his head slightly and loosened his grip on the papers he was holding. They slumped from the grip of his right hand and moved shakily towards Tenjinsai, barely held in his left.

"The report sir.....from the mission...." Tenjinsai moved quickly and grabbed hold of the documents, relieving them from his lamenting subordinate. The appearance of a tenured shinigami so struck with despair, it drove a dark wedge deep into his heart as he glanced across the reports. There were a variety of numbers, miscellaneous information, then finally the piece that he was looking for. As his eyes scanned across the lines his eyes grew wider and wider until he stopped on a single word. "Casualties...." The young leader echoed the words out in his office subconsciously, the papers then sliding from his hands and dropping to the floor as he stood slowly. He knew that this mission would be dangerous, even for the group that had volunteered to go. Some of those sent would return with injuries for certain, but for some of them to have died; It was unthinkable to Tenjinsai.

What struck him further was the names that he had read in that column, those who had died in whatever conflict had occurred in the world of the living; He had been shaken to the core. "Inform the staff and send reports to all other squads. I need to go. There is someone.....someone I have to speak to....." His voice quivered as he spoke, his emotions threatening to overflow from the strong walls within. Never before had he faced such a tragedy, even less one that he had ordered. He needed to speak with the one person that he feared speaking to given what had happened, his father.

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Tenjinsai darted back to his own squad barracks and headed directly to his office. It was clear by the demeanor he carried that he was not meant to be approached. Many of the shinigami that he passed that would have normally greeted him avoided doing so like the plague. It was clear that the young shinigami was not in his right mind, far from it. His mind was plagued with thoughts, emotions, and how to find a solution to what seemed an impossible problem. He moved through the halls, passing squad members and sliding doors in an almost robotic fashion. His body moved on pure instinct, his muscles piloting themselves on memory. His mind was elsewhere, deep in thought, not even truly within the conscious plane. His senses came to him several minutes later, standing idly in the middle of his office. He had not moved an inch for sometime after he had stepped into the office, only closing the door behind him after he had moved inside.

The lapse of time that had passed from his fathers barracks to his own was lost in a void of darkness. His movements blacked out from his memory as he moved instinctively. Even now, aware of whereabouts, he still stood surrounded in silence. People moved about the halls, bustling and busy with small talk carrying on and orders being given. Outside the windows a light breeze could be heard blowing through the trees, rustling the branches of the cherry blossoms. Though despite all of this activity around him, none of it penetrated his being. Silence was all that he heard while trapped within his own mind. The silence slowly began to break as his body lowered down, slowly sitting down on the floor. Amidst the piercing void that surrounded him a single voice called out, one familiar to him that brought him back to a form of reality.

"Tenjinsai, Tenjinsai can you hear me? Helloooooooooooo!" All at once the young shinigami's senses returned to him and reality formed around him. Where he found himself now though was not where he had expected to be. He was no longer seated on the floor of his office; He now stood in a grand hall of which was most familiar to him. His eyes then fell upon the large form of an individual who stood before him, crouched down only inches from his face. Tenjinsai staggered back slightly in shock once he realized someone was stood right in front of him. Gaining some distance purely on instinct he allowed his eyes to fully settle on them and as he did, everything was realized. "Seijin? How did I get to my inner world, I don't remember performing Jinzen." The massive crouched form of Seijin reached out at Tenjinsai's acknowledgment and grasped him gently between his hands.

"Finally you remember me; it's been so long since we last spoke!" There was little the young shinigami could do to fight against the grasp of his zanpaktou. Their form stood several times over his own and he was relegated to a mere puppet before their whims. "Seijin, please, we talked about this the last time I was here. Besides....Now is not the time..." Seijin's mood fell from energetic and bubbly to sullen as the reality of the situation was set in once more. He turned slowly, Tenjinsai still held aloft as they moved toward the center of the hall. "Yes, You are right. A lot has happened, and little of it good." As the pair drew closer to the massive throne at the epicenter of his inner world, Seijin veered to the right, his size diminishing as he grew closer to the seating area. The zanpaktou spirit then flopped backwards down into the sea of cushions, Tenjinsai held upright in his arms until he had settled and lowered the young shinigami down onto his chest.

Tenjinsai shuffled about slightly before relaxing, his body arguing against the treatment but his mind not having the energy to fight it. The pair sat in silence for some time, the only sound Tenjinsai able to hear was the quiet thumping of Seijin's heart as he lay on his chest. His mind focused on it, grasping hold of the simple and slow metronome; It quelled his thoughts and brought a modicum of peace to the incessant anxiety and concerns. Minutes went by and he almost slipped away into sleep, almost. Just before the warm embrace of slumber would seize him Seijin's voice rang out and uttered a few words that brought everything rushing back to him like a torrent of worry. "You know that it isn't your fault, right?" The young Captain pulled himself upward and sat upright, his head looking upwards with eyes focused on the ceiling. A long and loud sigh drew itself from deep within his soul, an attempt to repress swelling emotions inside of him.

"A pleasant notion; If only I could bring myself to believe it." The world shifted briefly around Tenjinsai after he spoke, only after a few moments realizing it was simply Seijin moving. He felt the gentle grasp of the spirit on his body again as he was lifted up and spun around to face the creature he sat upon. Now turned to face Seijin, Tenjinsai still refused to meet eyes with his zanpaktou. His head fell downward, eyes glancing along and tracing the lines of the spirits flowered kimono. He just wanted to void his mind, to ignore all that was in his head and was happening around him; He wanted to disappear. That was when the typically soft and gentle voice chided him unexpectedly. "Look at me Tenjinsai." The young Captain shifted slightly, struggling against himself to look the spirit in the eyes. He hesitated, his eyes tracing all around the room avoiding the request as long as he could.

"Look at me!" Seijin shouted at him, raising his voice to the point that it boomed throughout the room from his large frame. Tenjinsai shifted quickly and locked eyes with the spirit, his base instincts taking over. Now staring at his spirits face, despite the gruff and commanding tone he had taken, Seijin's face was as soft as ever. It was not pity that he saw, not empathy, nor compassion, it was the same despair and agony that engulfed his own mind. "I see....I really am still the naive child struggling to survive in the rukongai. I only consider myself not realizing that those around me are suffering just as much." Tenjinsai's head dropped as his vision became blurred, tears welling up once again as he cried. "I really have no business leading anyone, let alone the entire Gotei. I don't deserve to be the Captain Commander; I barely deserve to be a shinigami."

Seijin reached out towards Tenjinsai with a single finger and placed it under the young shinigami's chin, lifting it up to his eyes again. "You know that isn't true, not all of it at least. You are still young, despite the power you possess and the weight on your shoulders. There is still much to learn, you can't let this, no matter how horrible it may be, destroy all that you have done." Seijin paused as he spoke, his arms moving to lift Tenjinsai and place the young shinigami beside him; His form shrinking further as he did so. "You've brought peace to the Soul Society, reformed the Gotei, and rebuilt our world from the shattered splinters you were given. If you had not come to be where you are, and had not done what you did, how many people would still be suffering today? You have done so much good Tenjinsai, you are a better person than you could know."

Tenjinsai flopped onto his back once on the floor, staring up at the ceiling in a haze. Deep down he knew that Seijin was right, to look at the bright side of things and see all the positive he had done. It was not that easy for him though, the darkness gripping tightly at his heart had shattered his resolve. He was never prepared to deal with loss; Having never lost anyone in his life aside from his mother that he had never truly met. To lose someone who was so close to him, one of the only people who had ever treated him with kindness, and at his own order no less; It broke him inside completely. "I just can't, not right now Seijin. All I see is darkness, an endless black shroud that I can't find my way out of. I feel like a lost child, looking all around and seeing no one beside me; All alone." He continued to stare quietly up at the ceiling, closing his eyes and settling into the darkness that now surrounded him.

After a few moments a weight settled on top of him, pressing him down further into the floor. His eyes cracked open at the stimulation and he saw Seijin, his form further diminished to roughly Tenjinsai's own height. The spirit had seen fit to roll over and flop down on top of him, draping his body over the young souls. "Errgh....heavy...." A few words forced their way out from his throat before he gave up on trying to move the spirit from his person. With the strength he possessed he could have easily lifted him up and shoved him aside; He just, didn't want to. The feeling of someone near by, someone close to comfort him, it was pleasant; Pleasant enough to ignore the weight of the being on top of him and simply rest in small bit of calm that he could find. He closed his eyes once again, a small sigh escaping from him as his mind settled.

He was content to continue on like this in silence. Just remaining in the moment, his mind at peace and away from the concerns of the world. He focused on the warmth, the beating of the heart that lay atop him, and the even movement of their breathing. As he settled in he smiled slightly, his eyes closing as he rested and only spoke two words. "Thank you."

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A blue fireball was now flying over the Seireitei at a break neck speed. However it was not damaging anything. If anything it was just moving at a very high speed. Inside of the fireball was Kirito trying to find his brother and get to the bottom of what exactly was happening. There were people dead and others heavily injured and there could be more casualties if it carried on. Speaking to his brother would put something into place that could end this sooner rather than later.

Arriving at the First division barracks he could sense his brother inside. He could also sense Nokoreda inside as well. This could only mean that the fallen members of their people was the sole reason he left. It all now made sense and he had to find a way to help. Landing with a loud thud, Kirito quickly removed his flames and began to walk forward toward where his brother was. His clothes were now in tatters after flying at such a high speed as well as some blemishes on his skin as well but they began to heal very rapidly.

Running through the corridors Kirito quickly found the way to Tenjinsai's office. Many members of the division looked confused as to why Kirito was there since he left earlier to train in the far off mountains. Nokoreda quickly caught a glimpse of Kirito and jumped in front of him. Placing only a single hand on Kirito's chest, Nokoreda spoke to him to try and slow him down a bit.

"If it is the Captain Commander you are looking for it might not be best to approach him right now. He received very bad news not too long ago." He only cleared his throat then looked back at the office doors. Nokoreda knew that Tenjinsai wasn't to be disturbed. "So please refrain from approaching him for now. The only thing we can do for now is wait."

Kirito only scuffed at this notion and put his hand on Nokoreda's that was on his chest and pushed it away. He knew what needed to be done and having people get in his way now was only going to make things worse. Besides he could sense Tenjinsai inside his office. His emotions were in overdrive earlier but have now calmed. This was a better time than any to handle the situation. "Sorry but none of you must get in my way right now. This is a urgent matter and will be handled right away." Placing his hand on the ground, his mochi fruit got activated and began to spring up the squad member's legs. This also included Nokoreda who was in complete shock as his legs were bound to the floor by mochi. No one could move other than Kirito who just stood up and began walking. "Sorry guys, but like I said this is urgent. Stay put for now. You will be free once I'm inside." Kirito pressed himself forward into the door of his brother's office. Opening it all he could hear was Nokoreda in the background voicing his stand against Kirito going inside but ignored it and went inside. Once the door shut behind him everyone was freed. Many were left confused other than Nokoreda who witnessed Kirito's power once before. He was only left in awe at how much more power there were to observe.

Stepping into the office Kirito moved to be directly in front of Tenjinsai and stood there looking at him. Getting a slight smile on his face Kirito could only think of one way to start this conversation. "Yo, so it looks like you got a situation on your hands. So What happened and who's ass do I get to kick?" The situation was being put in a light hearted mood by this phrasing but Kirito knew that he needed to down play it a little until he could fully understand as to what happened.

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Tenjinsai had laid on the ground for what felt like days. His mind swam in and out of consciousness, waking several times from sleep and being greeted by the same vision each time. Eventually the sight of his awakening changed though, a weight no longer set upon his body and the warmth of another having left him. Upon realizing it his senses came back to him quickly, standing up and looking about to get ahold of his surroundings. It appeared Tenjinsai was still within his inner world, but Seijin had removed himself from his body and resided back on the throne that adorned the hall. His form once again massive, he looked over to Tenjinsai with a knowing glance. "It appears that our time together has come to an end; For now at least." The young shinigami stood quickly, somehwat confused at first until he heard an echoing in his head. A voice spoke to him, but not to the him that was here, to his body that was still in his office.

He recognized the voice quickly, his eyes closing as he focused on it to hear it more clearly. "Kirito..." Seijin chuckled lightly as Tenjinsai turned his attention back to the spirit. "It appears your 'brother' has caught wind of something being wrong. To come here so quickly, he clearly realizes the severity of the situation. He is certainly an interesting human." Tenjinsai had a wave of anxiety sweep over him at the thought of his recently added family member. Kirito was certainly strong, his power rating among that of the Captains; But a Captain had just been slain during this mission. He knew his brother's personality, he was lighthearted and confident, but rash and reckless as a result. He feared what would happen if he was to involve himself in these affairs. "That is not your decision to make Tenjinsai." His gaze turned quickly to face Seijin once more, confusion now sharing his features with anxiety.

"While you command the Gotei Thirteen and all shinigami, Kirito is not one. He is here by request and asked for your assistance. If he desires to leave and fight, there is nothing as the Captain Commander you can do to stop him." What Seijin had said was right; If Kirito wanted to leave the Soul Society there was nothing he could do to stop him. He could persuade him to stay until it was safer, but knowing him as he did, it wouldn't work. He had lost one brother in this ordeal, the thought of losing another would destroy him. "Your heart is wounded Tenjinsai, it will take time to heal; I understand that. I can feel the same pain that you do, but your heart is also drowning in fear. I will not abide my master becoming a coward. You are the Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen, the strongest of the shinigami. You have fought hard battles and defeated many strong opponents to get to this point; You are no coward!!" Seijin's voice boomed through the hall, shaking all around them with his gargantuan yell.

Tenjinsai stumbled backwards slightly, caught off guard by the sudden outburst. Catching himself, he stood once more, this time slightly taller, his heart no longer trembling as much. "Once again Seijin, you are right. When I am blind to all around me you serve as my eyes. When I cannot hear the cries of those around me you are my ears; And when I cannot find the strength to move forward you are the wind at my back." His head hung down slightly, a light smile finding its way onto his face; The first in quite some time. Deep inside of him his heart still ached, the loss of his brother and comrades weighed heavily upon him. It would take time, a great deal of it, to truly come to terms with all that had happened. But he had once found, if even only a little of it, his resolve. He was the Captain Commander, the leader of the Gotei Thirteen, and the strongest of the shinigami.

If he was to show such a face before his subordinates, would they not also be demoralized by his pitiful appearance. He need to show strength, determination, and resolve; Only then would the others be able to rest assured in his leadership and move forward with confidence. The young shinigami turned his head upward again, the despair and anxiety wiped from his face. "Seijin, once more I must thank you. I really don't know where I would be without your guidance. But enough of that, I believe it's time for me to go." With a quick wave Tenjinsai closed his eyes and began to exit his inner realm. The world around him slowly began to blur and faded into black leaving him within a void. The void lasted for only a moment before his office began to materialize around him. Just before the void had completely disappeared, Tenjinsai heard Seijin's voice once more.

"You have nothing to thank me for, we are one in the same remember. It was inside of you the whole time, you silly boy." A smile marked Tenjinsai's face as he fully returned to his body. His eyes opened wide as he took in his surroundings. As suspected, standing before him was none other than Kirito. A smile was spread wide on his face as he stared down at Tenjinsai whom was still sat on the floor. The young shinigami paused for a moment, thinking back to what he had heard his brother say. It took a few moments but he was able to recall the words. They were fitting for Kirito's personality, direct and to the point. The young shinigami stood and straightened out his clothes as he moved past Kirito and headed toward the door. "All will be revealed in due time. I've called an emergency meeting to address the issue with the other Captain's. I would ask you to be present at the meeting as well.

Of course, it's up to you if you'd like to come. I suspect though, that you wouldn't pass up such an opportunity; Let's go." With a newfound confidence and his resolve restored, Tenjinsai strode from his office prepared to face the world again. Though his heart still weighed heavily by the death of his friends and family, his mind was a bit lighter.

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