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Post by Shigeo Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 16:36:41 GMT -6
Bleach Unrated: REBOOTEDCurrent Arc: The ChaosEpisode 528 "Too Close for Comfort": Shigeo stepped into the sitting room of his family's home in the Noble's Quarter. It wasn't until he got home that he let panic take over him. His heartrate skyrocketed. How the hell was he going to drop this bomb on his family? That the Gotei had finally gotten close. Too close. He shouldn't have done the fund distribution today personally. He should have sent a proxy. Someone who he knew would keep their mouth shut. Their father had cautioned him in doing them personally. Naoru had opposed it entirely. He was the smuggler of the family. They trusted him to keep things under wraps. To make sure it couldn't be traced back to them.
He didn't think Fuu Ayumu knew exactly who he was, or that he was even a direct participant in the "Robin Hood clan", but there was no way to tell for sure.
Shigeo immediately spotted the older twins and Kuriko in the sitting room. He looked around, not seeing any of the rest of the family. "Where's everyone else?" He asked immediately. |
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Post by Naoru Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 17:15:43 GMT -6
Naoru leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "Scattered around the house," he said in his usual calm tone. "Why? What’s going on, Shigeo? You look like you’ve seen a ghost." His eyes narrowed slightly. "You didn’t do something stupid, did you?"
Shigeo narrowed his eyes at his eldest brother. "No, I didn't do something stupid. Why am I always the one you all suspect when something goes awry? Satoshi is way more liable to do something stupid than I am."
"Because you're impulsive and curious and you like to sniff around at everything, which usually lands you in trouble," Kuriko giggled. "Terrible qualities for a smuggler, don't you think?"
"I may be curious and impulsive, but I know how to reign myself in!" Shigeo huffed and rolled his eyes. "Riku on the other hand, doesn't." He changed the subject back to the matter at hand. "We need a family meeting. Now."
Naoru pushed himself off the doorframe and sighed. "Alright, go look for the others. I’ll round up whoever’s outside. We’ll get everyone together." His eyes softened slightly as he glanced at Shigeo. "Just make sure when you drop whatever this is, you're ready for the fallout. It sounds big."
He gave a curt nod, already turning to leave. "We meet back here."
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Post by Riku Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 17:38:46 GMT -6
Riku was the first one to enter, claiming a spot next to his twin sister. He saw the look in Shigeo's eyes and frowned. "Uh oh... something happened didn't it. Did you get attacked while you were in Rukongai?"
Shigeo shook his head and walked over to pat Riku on the head. "No. I'm fine. We'll get into it. Just wait till everyone is here and we'll talk."
Riku nodded up at his brother and fiddled with the sleeve of his kimono. If Shigeo was calling a family meeting then it had to be serious.
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Post by Minako Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 17:51:06 GMT -6
Minako entered the room from the back after Naoru told her Shigeo wanted to call a family meeting. As she crossed the floor, she mumbled, "Was there an issue with the fund run today?"
She eyed Shigeo, folding her arms as she stopped in front of him. "I told you not to handle it yourself," she said, her voice firm but not unkind. "What happened?"
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Post by Satoshi Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 17:58:12 GMT -6
"He probably was seen by someone he plays chess with in Rukongai," Satoshi said as he walked in. He folded his arms across his chest. "You spend so much time in Rukongai I wouldn't be surprised if everyone there knows your name by now."
Shigeo glared at Satoshi. "I'm just as good at disguises as Naoru and Minako. No one there knows who I am."
"Not yet anyway," Satoshi shoved Shigeo's shoulder. "I know you're not exactly reckless, but you do like to chase things that interest you. Sometimes right off a cliff. You and Riku are alike that way."
"At least he works the field more often than you do," Miyuki said as she walked in with their mother from the garden. "He has to know his way around, so of course he spends more time in Rukongai than we do. Even with our home there. His specific profession requires him to know where he is and where he's going at all times."
"Yeah, but it doesn't require him to get to know the locals as well as he does." Satoshi shook his head. "I know they're the ones we're doing this for and most of them would turn a blind eye, but there's always that risk."
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Post by Hisoka Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 18:03:25 GMT -6
Their father, Hisoka, walked in last, his presence quiet but commanding as he stepped into the room. He glanced between his children, his expression calm yet stern, as if assessing the tension in the air.
"I’ve heard enough," Hisoka said, his deep voice cutting through the chatter. "Satoshi’s right. The risk is always there. We can't afford to be careless, especially now." He walked over to Shigeo, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "So, what is this meeting about? And I expect the truth, Shigeo. We need to know exactly what we're dealing with."
His eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of concern hidden beneath his usual stoic demeanor.
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Post by Kuriko Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 18:09:05 GMT -6
Kuriko leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and looked at Shigeo intently. "Alright, Shigeo, what’s going on?" she asked, her voice calm but with an edge of concern. "You’ve had that look on your face since you walked in. Just tell us what’s happened already."
She exchanged a glance with Riku before focusing back on Shigeo, waiting for his response.
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Post by Risa Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 18:12:52 GMT -6
Risa walked in last, her arms full of papers and a slight frown on her face. "Sorry, I was finishing up some work." She set the papers down on a side table before turning to face the rest of the family, her eyes quickly scanning the room.
"What’s this all about?" she asked, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You called a family meeting, Shigeo. Must be serious." Her gaze sharpened, sensing the tension. "So, spill it. What's going on?"
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Post by Kiyoko Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 18:15:40 GMT -6
Kiyoko, who had been standing quietly beside Hisoka, stepped forward, her gentle but firm voice cutting through the rising tension. "Everyone, give Shigeo a minute," she said, raising a hand to calm the room. "Let him compose himself before we bombard him with more questions."
She gave Shigeo a reassuring look, her eyes softening. "Take a breath, son. We’re all here, and whatever it is, we’ll face it together." She glanced around at the others, her expression making it clear she expected them to hold back for now.
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Post by Shigeo Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 20:31:41 GMT -6
Shigeo sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That girl from the Seireitei Communication... Fuu Ayumu, Third Seat of Ninth Division... she's investigating us. Or I should say she's investigating 'the Robin Hood clan'."
"Well that's not surprising," Risa gave a hmph and shrugged. "It's not like people haven't tried to investigate us before."
"You don't get it, Risa," Shigeo shook his head at her, narrowing his eyes. "This girl is good. Really good. She's the one who wrote that article about the goddess Kita Miyamoto. She has a nose for this kind of shit. She finds things out, whether they want to be found out or not. And it get's worse. She's already close to us."
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Post by Satoshi Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 20:42:15 GMT -6
"Let me guess..." Satoshi crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Shigeo. "You did the fund run yourself instead of using one of our proxies and she showed up."
When Shigeo bit his lips and looked away, Satoshi cursed. "Dammit, Shigeo! This is why at least half of us don't want you doing them yourself! Not even with as rarely as you do now!"
"She had no idea who I was!" Shigeo threw his arms out to the side as he yelled back at his second oldest brother. "Hell, she probably thought I was one of the proxies!"
"Except you're not! You're an Asuhara! One that's better left staying out of the public eye! You're not like Naoru-nii and Minako-nee. You don't have as much experience as they do roaming around in public without people asking questions," Satoshi's tone became even more stern.
"What, so you'd rather I stay at home holed up in my room until I'm needed like you and Kuriko?!" Shigeo snarled with his teeth bared at his brother. He pointed at Riku. "Riku goes out more than either of the other twins!"
"Stop twisting my words, Shigeo. You know what the hell I meant." Satoshi pointed at Riku as well. "And Riku is a phantom. He knows how to stay hidden during a job even better than the rest of us." He ruffled Riku's hair a little too rough for the boy's liking, earning him a violet eyed glare. "Even with this head of hair."
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Post by Hisoka Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 20:51:01 GMT -6
Hisoka stepped forward, raising his hands to quell the rising tempers in the room. "Alright, everyone, calm down," he said firmly, his voice steady and authoritative. "This isn’t helping us at all."
He glanced between Shigeo and Satoshi, sensing the tension crackling in the air. "Shigeo, I understand your frustration, but shouting won’t change what happened. We need to think this through. Satoshi has a point; the stakes are higher now, and we can’t afford to act recklessly."
He turned to the rest of the family, his expression serious. "We all know the risks involved in what we do. So let’s not turn on each other. Instead, let’s focus on how to address this situation. Shigeo, can you tell us exactly what you observed? What Fuu might know?"
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Post by Shigeo Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 20:56:39 GMT -6
"She knew where the fund run was going to be, so she must have either gotten the information out of someone or overheard it. She must have already been there when I got there. I don't know exactly how she got her info, but it was good info," Shigeo sighed, taking a seat at the center table. He crossed his arms. "She told me she wanted the truth. She asked why I was doing it and what was in it for me."
He looked over at his father. "She said she wanted to understand, not to attract attention. She said the people needed more than just coins. They needed a future. She said to let someone else carry part of the weight."
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Post by Minako Asuhara on Oct 1, 2024 21:09:09 GMT -6
Minako leaned forward, her brows furrowing in thought. "So she was actually trying to dig deeper, not just looking for a scoop," she said, her tone a mix of concern and intrigue. "That makes her a bigger threat than we thought. If she’s trying to understand our motivations, she could start connecting the dots to who we are and what we do."
She glanced at Shigeo, her expression softening slightly. "But it sounds like she’s not just out for a sensational story; she genuinely cares about the people we help. That could work in our favor if we handle it right. We need to be careful about how we respond to her. If she’s interested in our mission, maybe we can find a way to steer her attention away from us while still making a difference."
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Post by Risa Asuhara on Oct 2, 2024 1:52:23 GMT -6
Risa tapped her fingers on the table, thinking for a moment before speaking. "If she's that invested in the people and what we’re doing, that’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, yeah, we might be able to use that to shift her focus, but on the other hand, it makes her more dangerous. She’s not just investigating for the sake of a story—she’s got personal interest."
She folded her arms and looked at Shigeo. "You said she asked why you were doing it and what’s in it for you. That means she’s already suspicious. The more you talk, the more she’ll dig. We need to figure out how much she knows already before she gets too close."
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