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Post by Suisenro Koriyama on Aug 29, 2024 20:23:03 GMT -6
Bleach Unrated: REBOOTEDCurrent Arc: The ChaosEpisode 515 "Shadows of the Noble House: Fuu's Dilemma": (continued) Suisenro and Fuu sat in the tea room several minutes later, a servant bringing by a tray of tea and a stand filled with sandwiches and tea cakes. Suisenro served each of them some tea and grabbed a mooncake for himself. "So, what has you stopping by the Koriyama manor at this hour? It must be quite serious if you came asking for my sister directly. I can tell by that look in your eye too. Something is wrong, isn't it? Something you can't print in the Seireitei Communication."
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Post by Fuu Ayumu on Aug 29, 2024 20:32:33 GMT -6
Fuu was lifting her teacup to her lip to take a sip as Suisenro asked his question. She lowered her cup slowly as she lifted her eyes to her former captain. Her head shook slightly. "No. sir. Not at all. If I posted what I have learned, the biggest fallout of the Seireitei would take place and I am sure the fall of the Noble clans would follow close behind that."
Suisenro broke his mooncake in half and bit into one of the halves, washing it down with his tea. "I see. And I'm assuming it has something to do with us since you came here. Or you felt that this was the only clan you could go to." He watched as Fuu sat her cup and saucer down, the bottom of the cup rattling softly against the saucer with the trembling of her hands. He reached over and placed a steadying hand over hers. "Fuu-chan. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I may not be your captain any longer, but you can still trust and confide in me. What is it? What did you find out?"
Fuu sat in silence, staring down into the golden liquid in her cup as it rested on the table. Fear gnawed at her, leaving her unsure of how to begin. Her thoughts swirled, the weight of the information she carried turning over and over in her mind. She looked up at Suisenro, swallowing hard, but before she could organize her thoughts or decide how to phrase what she needed to say, her mouth opened, and she blurted out:
"I know your clan is not only involved with but also owns the Masanobu Assassins."
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Post by Suisenro Koriyama on Aug 29, 2024 21:03:34 GMT -6
Suisenro froze mid sip, the liquid of his tea scalding his lips before he pulled the cup away and sat the cup down, taking a cloth napkin and dabbing at his mouth. He cleared his throat and leaned in closer to Fuu. His gaze was stern but also gave her a gentle warning of where exactly she was treading with this information.
"Fuu, the only reason I am saying this is because I know you are an excellent journalist. Your investigation skills rival even that of those in Divisions Three and Six. More so when taking your zanpakuto into consideration. In fact, I would very much like to see you as Lieutenant of one of those Divisions one day. So I will not do you the dishonor of playing stupid. I do not know how you found out this information, but I can assure you that nothing good can come of you even knowing that in the first place, regardless of the fact that you came to us with this fact. My clan has kept that information as far as possible from the public eyes and ears. So before I go and pull my sister away from whatever she is busy with, I need you to tell me exactly how you found out this information so I can ensure that you walk away from this as smoothly and swiftly as possible."
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Post by Fuu Ayumu on Aug 29, 2024 21:30:19 GMT -6
Fuu took a deep breath and began her story. "I was assisting a friend, Yorusuke Nagano from the Sixth Division, with the Robin Hood case. So I task myself to gather information from the people of Rukongai." She paused, taking another deep breath before continuing. "I learned that the Robin Hood group redistributes the wealth they take back into the villages. Knowing the people of Rukongai wouldn't easily betray such a group, I decided to use Shinrōtei to help me gather the information I needed."
She lifted her teacup and took a sip, moistening her lips before continuing. "I was making progress when one of the villagers I questioned pointed me toward an elderly gentleman who had lived in their village for centuries. They believed that if anyone knew anything about the Robin Hood group, it would be him. So, I sought him out."
Suisenro nodded slowly, hanging on to every word Fuu said. "And this man's name?"
"Adachi. However, it was not information on the Robin Hood group I got." She looked around nervously, then pointedly at Suisenro. "He told me all about the Masanobu Assassins. How he worked for them for centuries, and how the two eldest boys, Kin and Hakuryuu were like his own sons and the two youngest, Kouen and Shirou were always goofing off and never taking things serious. Then he talked about the little girl, Makino and their mother, Lady Tori and how she had more talent as an assassin then the entire Masanobu clan."
Her head nodded when Suisenro's eyes widened. "I know it all. Everything down to the last mission Adachi did before he retried." Her head lowered in shame, "I am so sorry, Suisenro-sama. I wanted to stop the interview, but the journalist inside of me would not let me and by then it was too late anyway. I knew too much."
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Post by Suisenro Koriyama on Aug 29, 2024 22:13:40 GMT -6
"Okay that's enough," Suisenro raised a hand to her in warning. "Stop right there. Whatever else he told you, keep it to yourself unless my sister asks. You take it to the grave. And I mean that. For both our clans and for your sake."
He sighed and stood from his seat, shaking his head. He paced the width of the room, back and forth in front of the tea table, his arms folded over each other. "I understand that this is a very deep, dark rabbit hole that your investigative skills and Shinrōtei have led you down unintentionally, but unfortunately there is not going to be an easy way to get out of this. And it is not up to me to decide what happens now." Suisenro placed a hand over his mouth and turned back to Fuu, a look of concern washing over the features of his face. "I'm not sure what Suigetsu-sama will do, but what I do know is that she has to be informed of this."
He took a breath to continue, considering telling her about their efforts to find the Robin Hood clan as well, but he decided against it. The less she knew the better. Instead he sighed and lowered his arms, turning to face Fuu fully. "I'm sorry, but you should plan on at least staying here until morning. Possibly longer. I... we can't let you walk out of here without securing this secret once more. As you said, this is dangerous information. I know you are not one to gossip, but surely you are not the only one who can force information out of others. As you know, the Gotei keeps a close eye on individuals with that power because of this very reason. It's why your articles always take longer to go through the editors than the others'."
Suisenro shook his head again dismissively. "In any case, I will do my best to spare you from the fallout regarding this. I'm glad you came to us first. That should make things go over more smoothly at the very least."
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Post by Fuu Ayumu on Aug 29, 2024 22:44:16 GMT -6
Fuu nodded and lowered her eyes to her hands in her lap. They were laced and her knuckles were white from her tightening her hands around one another. "I am ready for whatever punishment you deem fit. Even if you have to erase my memories from the lest few days. I understand, but please remember I did not mean to uncover this."
Her attention was quickly adverted to movement across the room as Suigetsu entered the room. Fuu quickly stood and bowed to her, "Good evening, Suigetsu-sama. I apology for disturbing you and your family this evening, but thank you for seeing me on such short notice."
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Post by Suigetsu Koriyama on Aug 29, 2024 23:05:15 GMT -6
"No worries," Suigetsu gave the girl she recognized as Fuu Ayumu from Ninth Division a friendly smile. She plopped down in Suisenro's seat, her brother still standing near the tea table. She refilled the cup he had been using and took a bite out of the mooncake he had been eating. "So, whatever this is, it must be pretty important if you came here directly to see me."
She looked up at her brother who was giving her a look she couldn't quite process. "What's up with you?" She wiggled the other half of the mooncake at him with a grin. "Come on, there's like twenty more where this came from. The cooks made them all day yesterday."
Suisenro sighed and moved over to sit next to Fuu on the other side of the tea table. "That's not why I'm tense."
"Okay, then what's all this about?" Suigetsu dusted off her hands and took a drink of her tea. She looked between Fuu and Suisenro and blinked. She pointed at the two of them, still holding the teacup. "You both look like you killed a puppy or something. What's wrong?" She gave Fuu a pointed look and raised an eyebrow. "Did you publish something you shouldn't have?"
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Post by Fuu Ayumu on Aug 29, 2024 23:15:41 GMT -6
"No, ma'am. I would never dream of releasing the information I've gathered over the past few days," Fuu assured her, glancing from Suisenro to Suigetsu before starting her story again. She only paused once when the door opened, and the Koriyama maid entered the room.
Fuu waited patiently as the maid completed her task, then picked up where she left off. By the time she finished recounting to Suigetsu what she had already told Suisenro, Suigetsu was pacing the floor, just as Suisenro had been by the end of her story.
"As I told Suisenro-sama, I didn’t intend to uncover this information, and I’m prepared to accept any punishment you see fit." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Just please… don’t kill me."
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Post by Suigetsu Koriyama on Aug 30, 2024 10:19:59 GMT -6
Suigetsu was pensive as she listened to Fuu tell her everything she found out. When she heard the girl beg for her life she blinked, unfolded her arms from underneath her breasts, and turned towards her. She smiled and shook her head. "I'm not going to take your life, don't worry. Suisenro trusts you, so I trust you." She squatted down in front of Fuu, resting her elbows on her knees. She looked Fuu straight in the eye and said, "But I also can't just let you return back to the Gotei like nothing happened. Accident or not, the truth of the matter is you dug a little too deep. There are consequences to this. I wouldn't necessarily call it a punishment, but we do need to be made whole."
She sat down fully on the floor next to Fuu, then reached over and grabbed her teacup once more. "That said, normally I would just have your memory wiped and be done with it. However, you are an invaluable resource to the Gotei. You have an uncanny knack for finding out things that no one else can. And that trait of yours is reflected in your zanpakuto." Suigetsu smirked at Fuu over her teacup. "So... as consequence for digging into things too deeply, until further notice, you no longer work for the Gotei. You work for me. You investigate for me, find out things that I want to know, and report directly to me. Not to Lieutenant Hisagi nor Captain Hirabayashi. Not to the Commander. Not even to Byakuya Kuchiki. You come straight to me personally."
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Post by Suisenro Koriyama on Aug 30, 2024 10:30:51 GMT -6
Suisenro stammered in shock at his sister's words. "S-Suigetsu-sama! She can't just abandon her post! The Gotei would consider that treason! You would be landing her in even more trouble than she's in now!"
Suigetsu waved him off with a flick of her wrist. "Calm down, Suise. I'm not asking her to jump ship and defect from the Gotei. She will operate as Third Seat of Division Nine as normal. And in addition to that, she will have assignments from me that she will report findings to me only. I would be a fool to not take advantage of her skillset. We have issues that need to be resolved. She can and will help us do that."
Suisenro huffed a sigh and crossed his arms in a display of rare defiance towards his elder sister. "And if she refuses? If I refuse to let you take advantage of my former subordinate?"
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Post by Suigetsu Koriyama on Aug 30, 2024 10:41:13 GMT -6
Suigetsu shrugged, nonchalantly grabbing a cucumber and cream cheese sandwich from the display tray. "Then I wipe her memory and have her monitored twenty-four seven to ensure she doesn't go sticking her nose into noble business again. And if her investigations lead her right back here--which they will--then I will be forced to take more drastic measures."
"And what does that mean?" Suisenro's brows knitted together, scowling at her.
Suigetsu huffed, rolling her eyes. "Relax. I already said I wasn't gonna kill the poor girl." She bit into her sandwich and said, slightly muffled. "I mean getting her removed from her position as a reporter for the Seireitei Communication and possibly even having her zanpakuto sealed." Suigetsu swallowed and took a sip of her tea, looking over at Fuu. "I'm sure you are very skilled in Hakuda, Hoho, and Kido with a zanpakuto like that. It isn't exactly a fighting type, nor even a defense type. So given that you're Third Seat, I'm sure you can hold your own in battle without your sword's powers. Having Shinrotei sealed will be of little consequence to you as far as your battle prowess is concerned."
Suisenro was baffled by his sister's words. She was often so casual and... very much not like a noble, that he forgot that she could be cunning and sly just like any of the other noble clan heads. It came with the territory. The game she had to play to protect them. "So her only options are..."
"Work for us and keep her mouth shut from here on out, or refuse and lose her position and her right to use her zanpakuto freely." Suigetsu leaned casually against the tea table. "It's your choice. I understand it's not much of a choice, but you have to understand the position I'm in." She poked Fuu on the nose with a grin. "You have a nose like a bloodhound. If I wipe your memory, you'll just end up right back here telling us the same story within a week or two. And I'm sure neither of us want's to live in deja vu constantly."
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Post by Fuu Ayumu on Aug 30, 2024 16:28:47 GMT -6
Fuu looked on at Suigetsu sitting on the floor in front of her. "So you want me to help the Koriyamas find the Robin Hood group after hours or is there something else you need me to dig up information on?"
"Let's start with our band of merry men, and then go from there," Suigetsu nodded. "They are my top priority now. I need to know who these people are. I need to know their intentions with the snarky notes they've been leaving us. Regardless of their intentions, they've put both the Masanobus, themselves, and now us in a dangerous position. I need to know if I can still trust them to take care of the people of Rukongai, or if there's been a change of leadership that we should be concerned about."
"Wait," Fuu raised a brow, "Notes? There were notes? What did they say and why has this information not been shared with Sixth Division?" She looked between the siblings as they sat there looking at one another.
"Well I see this is going to be a tough crowed." Fuu sat back in her chair, "If you want me to get information for you, I need to know what you know. I don't like repeat reports."
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Post by Suigetsu Koriyama on Aug 30, 2024 19:06:25 GMT -6
Suigetsu gave a heavy sigh and rolled her neck to stretch the muscles there, rubbing her shoulder. "Well, you'd better grab a notepad and a pencil and get to note taking, because there's a lot that neither Sixth nor Third knows."
"So what do you know about the Robin Hood group?" Fuu questioned the noble head.
Suigetsu folded her hands in her lap, sitting up straight, suddenly looking much more serious and... professional. Like a noble. "The Robin Hood clan is a group of thieves that the Masanobu clan have encountered indirectly for centuries now. As you probably already know, they target corrupt noble clans, go in, clean them out of their wealth, and then redistribute a portion of the wealth to the slums of Rukongai. I myself was a recipient of their generosity before I was adopted by the Koriyamas. It is assumed that they always use a trusted third party to distribute the funds and it is never the same person twice. At least not that anyone can tell. It is assumed that the rest of the wealth they keep for themselves, but it is unclear what percentage they keep. The rumors about the clan are as numerous as the districts of Rukongai. Very few of them confirmed."
Suigetsu continued, finishing off her tea. "They seem to specialize in various types of thievery. Big and small. Petty to grand. They never target innocent people and never those who are middle or lower class. At least not that we believe. They may engage in petty theft on the street but it is doubtful they target those who are undeserving. As for where the Masanobu clan comes in, there have been several times over the past centuries where our assassins have arrived on scene only to find our targets wrapped up all nice and pretty for us and the treasuries drained and gutted. Other times we take out our targets and the next morning we find out that the targets were robbed shortly after our assassin's have left. But only the high profile targets. The worst of the worst in the noble clans."
"And the notes you mentioned?" Fuu asked.
She nodded. "Somewhat recently notes have been found left at the scene that seem to mock or at least poke fun at the Masanobu clan. Teasing and joking that they got to the targets first and that they're making the assassins' jobs easier. That sort of nature. The historical reports I've looked through seem to mention receiving notes from the clan before, but those notes were communicating important information to keep both of us from being discovered by the Gotei. They were left as a courtesy. Apparently the Masanobu assassins even left notes of their own once upon a time--cluing them in on hidden wealth that they may have missed during their planning stages. It has been assumed that the Masanobus and the Robin Hood clan are two sides of the same coin. Both necessary evils to purge evil from our society. One to take what was not earned and spread it to those in need, and one to bring justice to those who have been wronged. But now... now I worry that changes may have taken place within the Robin Hood clan. I worry that they may no longer be our allies. My predecessors were content to let them be anonymous. But I am not. As grateful as I am to them, I cannot let them go unnamed any longer. I need to know who they are for the sake of the Koriyama and Masanobu clans. And you will help me identify them so that I can gain an audience with the head of the clan. Or deal with them accordingly if it turns out that they are no longer acting in the best interests of the people of Soul Society."
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Post by Fuu Ayumu on Aug 30, 2024 20:33:39 GMT -6
Fuu's head nodded slowly as she took in all the information Suigetsu was giving her. "So you both," she looked between the siblings, "have mentioned me not returning back to my division. Will that be just for the evening or will I be taking up temporary residence..." she was not sure where she would be staying the night, "close by?"
"Depends on how long it takes you to look through all of the files we have related to the Robin Hood clan," Suigetsu clarified. "We're not going to keep you awake the entire night, but we also can't let you take our files home with you. You are welcome to sleep in your own division barracks, that is if you wish to make the commute from the barracks to the offices, here, and then back. You will only be allowed to investigate and do any research on the Robin Hood clan under our supervision. You will stay here for tonight so that you can get up to speed on everything, and in the morning if you wish to return to your barracks, you may go. But if you do not return here to complete this assignment, then that will change."
"This is a chance of a life time," Fuu giggled, her head shaking slightly, "I will get to write an article on what I have learned about the Robin Hood gang, correct?"
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Post by Suisenro Koriyama on Aug 30, 2024 21:28:26 GMT -6
When Suigetsu looked at her brother with a raised eyebrow that said "you didn't tell her?", Suisenro cleared his throat and patted Fuu on the back, shaking his head. "Uh... no, Fuu. This is not for an article. This is a private investigation. You won't be able to write anything about this beyond reports for our clan. If you investigate this independently from the Gotei for us, and then try and publish an article about the Robin Hood gang, then people are going to get suspicious. Sixth and Third specifically will likely come asking questions. This has to stay private. No one beyond these walls can know your findings."
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