"You will seek the revenge I crave?" Hyourinmaru questioned Juushiro. "Do you have the strength to slay the one who slew my master? The courage?" His eyes regarded the shinigami closely, trying to measure his resolve. "Prove this to me and I shall calm my storm."
Juushiro spoke evenly, eyes both dark and sad, in a clear voice.
"If not for a terrible attack of my illness, it would have been my duty to kill my lieutenant Kaien Shiba. Sousuke is an enemy of all Soul Society and the seraph of his ranks has already been marked as the prey of the Gotei 13. Now that she has killed a captain, there is little hope she will be shown mercy. Furthermore, if I would end the life of one of those in my closest protection, I can destroy a new friend who has shown to be broken and gone from us."
Hyourinmaru was silent for a long moment, staring at Juushiro. Finally, he walked over to where his master had fallen and stared at the spot. "Who is Tsuki?"
Juushiro walked over to the place, looking down at the note and the dragon earring. "I believe he is referring to Tsukiro Ashimitsu...and couldn't finish the note." A moment of silence passed. "Will you lower the storm so he can see his captain and receive this? It had to be important since he ... wrote it in blood... with his last breath."
"It is my masters will that the one this message is for was meant to be here. I grant you safe passage with your comrades, but no one else. If I sense another the storm will increase again." Hyourinmaru calmed the storm only a little to let him pass. "Make haste."
Hyourinmaru's warning resounded in the captain's mind. Had someone attempted to pass through before them? Aizen? No, he would have found a way past the dragon. But then... The details of what had happened in the cave truly needed to be asked.
Juushiro nodded. "I will return shortly." He turned around, retrieving his zanpakuto and left the cave, hoping to intercept and prepare his friends for what awaited them.
Sougyo no Kotowari offered one muted comment on the storm dying down, knowing it would be harder than that to restore their master's smile.
Continued in: Grieving Steps
