Parallel States [Hazuki]

It was, all things considered, a very ambitious project, but the departmental heads Hazuki had gathered seemed positive to what she had tentatively christened Amaterasu: an integrated surveillance package to replace the aging technology that let the Fourth cast a watchful eye over Soul Society. The inventory she had taken of the Fourth’s past and current projects had left her with the distinct impression that what they had was not going to be good enough going forward given the situation as it was—who knew how many more Jasper Aizawas were running around undetected inside the walls of Seireitei and beyond?

It was an interesting contrast to the historical relationship between the spiritual powers; where once it had been important to monitor Hueco Mundo, that was no longer the case. Reports indicated that the threat from the desert had never been quite as insignificant as it was now—the greatest danger Seireitei faced was from within. The existing coverage of the world of the living was more than adequate, and literally nothing could escape the Fourth’s gaze in the Dangai—as a few people would very soon find out the hard way. The Fourth’s efforts, therefore, had to be focused on home turf, where it was most vital.

‘I expect you all to have proposals on my desk a week from now,’ she said by way of concluding the meeting, ‘and I’ll personally be reaching out to the Third in order to secure their cooperation in developing any necessary Kidō in aid of the project.’

A knock at the door caught her attention, and she shot it a quick glance before she turned back to her subordinates. ‘That is all. Dismissed.’

The scraping of chairs filled the chamber as everyone rose from their seats and filed out of the conference room, and Hazuki’s lips tightened in disapproval of how few of them were wearing their swords. It wasn’t enough to warrant a comment—these were some of the brightest minds in Seireitei, after all, and that meant their behavior was excusable at least in part—but it did irritate her. If she could take enough of an interest in the intellectual side of the Fourth to be of some use, then the least these men and women could do was keep their swordsmanship up to snuff.

Hazuki was the last out the door and she closed it softly behind her, assuming that whoever had knocked had found who they were looking for. She didn’t realize that they had been looking for her.

She turned and came face to face with her visitor, and even Hazuki, normally a picture of poise and composure, couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath at the sight of someone she thought was long gone. It was only after the shock had subsided that Hazuki could comprehend the myriad of tiny differences that separated this girl from Kiriko Chinda—the youth, the color of her eyes, the feeling she exuded.

Hazuki’s expression hardened, her eyes suspicious. ‘Can I help you, Shinigami?’


°505

Her knock was not immediately answered but through the thick door, she could hear the odd scuffling noise and a few thuds. Reacting quickly, Hanabi stepped to the left of the doorway right before it snapped open, a stream of Shinigami filed out chatting to one another in a technical jargon far beyond her understanding. They all looked so casual and there was no clear deference between any of them, enough so that Hanabi assumed none of these people were the Lieutenant. Pressing back against the wall to give them more space, she waited a half beat before stepping back into the hallway's center, and glancing into the room.

She was just in time as a tall woman with a severe look on her face and the typical Lieutenant's badge on her shoulder was only now clearing the meeting room. Bowing respectfully, Hanabi couldn't help but pick up on the way the other woman seemed to freeze, an infinitesimal hitch to her breathing belying the rapid return of her icy composure. If she hadn't trained under Kiriko herself Hanabi might not even have caught that much, and she dearly hoped this wasn't going to be a trend in the Fourth Division with people mistaking her for the other Chinda Kiriko. Luckily, unlike the Fourth's Captain, the Lieutenant made no comment as to what had bothered her so, and those eyes turned to coolly assessing ice as the looked her up and down.

Rising from her bow, Hanabi fought to meet the other woman's eyes despite the fear curdling her blood. This did not have to go badly so long as she followed etiquette. This was not the Second. And she had a reason to be here. Mistrust did not always equal pain, and despite Kiriko's attempts to teach Hanabi about subterfuge she had never had the ability to waylay another's suspicions through acting. There was an old saying she remembered hearing recently at her office from a researcher, muttered haphazardly to a project that just wasn't running properly; the truth will set you free. In this case, in most cases, the truth was all Hanabi had. And that was what set her apart from people like Kiriko. That was what would hopefully convince the Fourth to rebuild ties with the Third. Honesty.

“Excuse me, I apologize for bothering you. I am Enyo Hanabi, Fifth Seat of the Third Division. I came here to speak with you about our joint-research operations. Would now be an acceptable time to discuss this topic, Lieutenant?”

Despite the lightning flash of anxiety that struck when faced with the now famed Lieutenant of the Fourth, Hanabi was shocked to realize that the woman was conventionally very beautiful under the frozen features. But more than that, she appeared young, and that alone gave Hanabi a bit of hope to hold onto. Perhaps she could relate to her on some level, and maybe if all went well the Third and the Fourth would not have to be on such bad terms. Even if this Shinigami had struck down Wakahisa-taichou, that did not mean she would automatically strike any Third division personnel. Maybe.

WC: 524 | GP: 10 | Total GP: 23

At first, Hazuki wasn’t quite sure she had heard her right. The issue of the name notwithstanding—it wasn’t exactly what Hazuki had been expecting—had this girl just asked her to speak about a joint venture between the Third and Fourth? It was certainly fortuitous, even bordering on suspicious—Hazuki had mentioned going to the Third mere minutes ago and now it seemed the Third had come to her.

‘Yes, of course,’ she replied, a slight frown darkening her expression. A leak was literally impossible. This was simply coincidence. ‘Come with me, we’ll speak in my office.’

Hazuki led her visitor further into the Fourth’s compound in silence, not out of rudeness but because she honestly couldn’t think of anything to say. She hadn’t quite recovered from her shock at the girl’s appearance and her words failed her, but as they neared her office, the sensation subsided. She opened the door to show Enyo inside, then entered herself and shut the door securely behind her.

The current state of her office was a disaster; she had finally found the time to redecorate and it was taking a little longer than she had expected. What had once been a rather grim space of dark colors and little light was transforming into a bright and airy office that, though modern, was unmistakably Japanese. The wall to the courtyard she shared with several other prominent members of the Fourth had been knocked out and replaced by something a little less oppressive, and that had allowed Hazuki to introduce a great deal more greenery into her workspace.

For now, however, much of that was secondary to the tall stacks of books, papers and files that were scattered haphazardly around the room. Her desk was also being replaced and it hadn’t been finished yet—Shun’s father had volunteered to throw something together for her yet again and Hazuki was starting to wonder if he had some ulterior motive or if he was simply very pleased at the fact that his son had managed to find himself such a capable executive officer.

‘My apologies about the mess, I’m redecorating,’ she said, motioning for Enyo to sit down. ‘It seems some of my predecessors were keen on using their office as coffins to hide from the world in so they could tinker with their inventions, but that’s not how I work.’

She took her own seat after removing her copy of Heart of Darkness—still untouched, she noted with some irritation—from it, and touched her lips in thought. Ah yes.

‘So. Joint ventures with the Third Division. Your timing is impeccable, I had intended to visit the Third later today but it appears you beat me to it, Miss Enyo.’ She swiveled on her chair, looking for something she had written earlier this morning. She found what she was looking for and handed it to her guest.

‘I hold the Third Division in very high regard, but our records seem to indicate relations between our divisions have been in steady decline for some time now. Perhaps we can reverse that. What you’re holding in your hand is a proposal I’m currently working on with the rest of the Fourth to upgrade the Soul Society surveillance network in order to better meet the threat of these half-breeds and other subversive elements. I’m not sure how well-versed you are in the greater strategic balance but as it stands the largest threat against Seireitei is from within. It is highly likely that we will be requiring the assistance of the Third in developing the solutions necessary to make this possible.’

She smiled. ‘If strengthening our bond is the goal, I can think of no better place to start.’


°620

Hanabi strode after the taller woman, her rapid double-pace keeping her thoughts away from any dawning sense of horror. Hazuki had long legs, and her stride was quick and confident. Hanabi barely had time to think about the twist of hallways before they were ensconced in the lieutenant’s office. Whatever oppressive darkness she had been expected was thrown in stark relief as the breezy elegance and soft lighting penetrated Hanabi’s biased preconceptions.

Looking around with an approving eye, Hanabi sat neatly in the chair that was being offered but didn’t stop herself from continuing to take in the office space. Many of the book titles were foreign to her, but as a researcher at heart she respected their number and density. This was not just a space in transition, it was a mental home, and she rather liked what it said for the woman who commanded it.

Straightening her sleeves, Hanabi folded her hands demurely in her lap and turned her full attention on the superior officer. Hazuki was still just as dour as she had been out in the halls, but there was something else there, a glimmer just now visible to her educated stare. This might be the woman who had struck down Wahakisa, but she was still a Shinigami, and the duty of her post weighed on her. Not just that though, it was the questions. The theories. The problems. Those intricacies were what brought the two together, and Hanabi saw precisely why as she scanned the documents that Hazuki slid towards her.

Hollows. Vaizards. Rogue elements. Seireitei had been plagued on all sides by traitors and turncoats alike. Even the spiritually hale, the loyal and dedicated, even these could suffer subversion by the enemy. It was a risky time to be in service, and the Third and the Fourth were on the frontlines of this war.

Thumbing through the pages all at once, she slowed and took her time to read each document in turn. They detailed projects she might have been able to guess at, but a few that came as a pleasant surprise. The Fourth seemed intent on handling these issues singlehandedly, she wondered if Hazuki had expected the Third to refuse to help, or worse, to provide nothing useful? Was that why the woman had thought she would have to go to the Third first, rather than an underling coming to her?

It would mean a lot, if the Fourth was just as unsure about this as the Third was, when it came time to develop their programs and engender deeper relations. In the past the divisions had not always worked as parts of a greater whole, indeed there had been a long span of time wherein they competed for the same resources and funding and political support. That sort of thing was not under her purview, but even Hanabi could tell how disastrous such an adversarial relationship would be in their current climate.

“This is a sound plan, from what I understand of the technical side. We understand the complexity of this issue, and also the delicate nature of information in these current times. That is why the Third has expanded research on our ancillary bakudou. As you probably know, a spell to bind a Vaizard’s hollow taint has been developed. The experience of forming and crafting such a spell brought other aspects of the Vaizard’s natures to the fore of our research, and we realized that there is a deeper distinction than simple those affected by this taint, what we call ‘Vaizards’, and those wholly clean. Like a medical infection, there is an incubation stage, and we are trying to create a spell which will locate people in that stage, before they gain the mask and fully mutate.”

She ruffled the papers, and placed them neatly atop Hazuki’s desk before meeting the other woman’s eyes. “It would seem to me that any surveillance apparatus would need to find both types, as well as other sorts of malcontents. This is something bakudou is well equipped to deal with, sorting and searching, that is, across vast quantities of space. You are right, Iwould recommend a joint-task force on this particular problem, if nothing else.”

WC: 701 | GP: 14 | Total GP: 37

‘The Fourth’s technology will only take us so far,’ Hazuki noted, tapping a finger on the papers, ‘just as the Third’s Kidō has its limits. Working in unison, however, these strengths and weaknesses will overlap, creating what I hope will be a complete solution the likes of which Soul Society has never seen.’

That wasn’t quite true—Hazuki knew it would. There were members of the Fourth who were very well versed in the intricacies of Kidō, but there were elements beyond even their expertise.

‘My captain has mentioned the Third’s efforts to weave a spell to detect and contain half-breeds,’—that wasn’t strictly true, either; Hazuki had read the transcript from Kiriko Chinda’s final captains’ meeting, after all—‘and it will definitely be of some use. More importantly, however, we’ll be looking to incorporate some way for this system, which I’ve named Amaterasu for the time being, to see beyond barriers in order to more effectively surveil those who don’t wish to be surveilled. Beyond that, partially automating the process of finding potential half-breeds will aid the Third’s workload a great deal, and it should go without saying that we’d be more than willing to extend usage of the system to the Third Division to that end.’

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, a distant look in her eyes as they wandered off to one side. ‘I find myself utterly incapable of pitying those who flirt with taboo, but it’s a problem that runs deeper than any of us can possibly imagine.’ There were some names on the list she had known would be on it, some names that hadn’t surprised her (much), but others had caught her completely off-guard. ‘What drives someone to such lengths? What could possibly make them risk their very identity for the allure of some toxic power that threatens to erode everything good about them?’ They were half-rhetorical questions, but at this point she would have welcomed any new ideas; Vaizards were an affront to all the Gotei fought for, and to succumb to something like that was nothing but an indication of extreme lack of self-control. If there was one thing all those names had in common, it was that they had invited it, of that Hazuki was certain.

She made a mental note to start collecting files on all involved parties to see if she could discern some sort of pattern.

She turned her attention back to Enyo, eyes cooly taking in every detail now that the initial shock had subsided. The resemblance was uncanny, of course, but there was so much about this girl that set her apart from the former Captain-Commander. She was less... Sharp. Not dull, but there was less of an edge to her somehow, and with her youth almost entirely intact, it was difficult to not see her as a younger, less jaded Commander Chinda. The feeling that Hazuki somehow knew this girl was overpowering, and despite knowing she was wrong, she also knew precisely why. It was difficult to see a person who resembled someone so infamous and not feel some form of connection, particularly under Hazuki’s particular circumstances.

‘I’m sure you get this a lot, Miss Enyo, but I can’t help but notice just how much you look like the the former captain of the Second Division. If we’re going to be working together, it would be unwise to let the question fester unasked, so better to get it out of the way here and now.’ She felt a lot like Shun must have done when he asked about her surname. ‘Who exactly are you?’


°602

Thinking of the power of a combined task force, Hanabi realized that what some would call her obsession with fixing the Vaizard problem might just be of use when it came to creating unilateral relations with the Fourth. Perhaps they would even get somewhere, or at least further than she had on her own. The motivation was there, she could see it in the other, Hazuki's words tinged with the need to know. To understand. Puzzles were troubling, for a while they could be fun, engaging, exciting, but if they couldn't be solved it devolved into more of an irritation. An incessant worry – what were they missing?

“We are still forming the prototypes and any advice or experience that the Fourth might have would be welcome on this matter,” she nodded firmly, trying not to let her thoughts race off down theoretical lanes. But the possibilities had just doubled effectively if the Fourth was serious about lending their expertise to the task.

Hanabi realized that the Lieutenant was speaking aloud not in search of a response, but to air some deeper inquiry. It was the same way that she herself sometimes asked an empty room her questions as if giving voice to them would allow the answer to take form. It made the question all that more tangible. But the intensity of the belief behind the musing, that was what forced Hanabi to speak up. She was wary of moving out of turn and yet couldn't abide misinformation on the subject she had so thoroughly devoted herself to.

“Sometimes the good isn't enough. People often want more, and when that want becomes internalized, when it is mixed with fear and desperation, it can all seem logical at the time. If you feel you have nothing or nothing to lose, and everything to gain, that 'allure' could be very persuasive. In that state of mind, do you really think these people are considering what it all means? The repercussions? I believe that souls can be weak, that many of us often are, and that the draw of power, it is one of our greatest infatuations.”

She shook her head, an almost melancholy pity filling her words. “For people like that, what is losing your identity, the purity of your soul, if you feel it is already worthless? Perhaps a new identity, one that guarantees the power you felt you lacked, perhaps that is a motivator all on its own.”

Is that what had happened to Kiriko? She had wanted everything so badly she hadn't been able to see what lurked beyond the promise? It was sad and shortsighted, but somehow understandable in its own way. Humans were fallible. That was why the law existed, the ideal, behind the Gotei, to hold society in check. It was the distinction between Minamoto-taichou, who needed to purge the Vaizards to maintain order, and herself, who wished for a cure because she couldn't stomach the deaths. Both sides made perfect sense, but she was not strong enough to chose Shun's. Not when Nagisa was on the line.

“For others, though, many did not ask to become twisted like this. Those who have become chips in the Arrancar King's bitter war with us, or those who were experimented on against their will. For them, I think the truth is no one can resist an Inner Hollow. If it was only a matter of self-discipline, we would have heard of someone succeeding before now. Surely they would use it in their defense. Or try to. They couldn't not. But never has anyone stepped forward with such a claim.” She thought again of her sister, unwilling to contemplate what might have happened to her had she not willingly bound her Inner Hollow up in a bakudou. Even less able to consider what would happen if that binding broke. It was still experimental, after all, and Nagisa was the first true test subject.

Stiffening, never quite as good at hiding her feelings as she should be, Hanabi blinked calmly at the other woman. Why was it that the entirety of the Fourth seemed bent and determined on pointing out the Kiriko resemblance? Few others ever had. It was like the moment Kiriko left the people around her began to see the continuity, but rarely did they make such pointed digs or put her in a situation where she had to answer. Even Minamoto-taichou had provided her an easy out, unwilling to admit that there was something uncanny going on. And why would this woman, a veritable newcomer, someone who'd rarely been around Kiriko before that Hanabi knew of, why would she be so perceptive?

For a moment, her mouth went dry. She didn't know what to say. With a direct question, it was impossible to deflect. Even if she had felt like lying, Hazuki was the last person Hanabi ever wanted to try to lie to. It was like looking into the stern face of authority personified, just a bit colder and more graceful.

Steeling herself, wrapping her worries in thick cloth and shelving them, Hanabi let her features relax into a neutral stare. “It actually has only started to come up recently,” she murmured, some tinge of her true irritation at the fact leaking through the perfunctory words before turning into a report. “I am as I said, Enyo Hanabi. I just graduated the Academy recently and have been assigned the Fifth seat in the Third Division. Before that, I lived in the Rukongai. In East 76, Sakahone to be precise. I believe that is the origin district of the Chinda family, or at least that might explain the resemblance. They are a rather large presence there.” Not that there was really much of anything else in 76, just empty land and bloodshed.

“The similarities were noticed, though, and I did study briefly under Chinda-soutaichou when she was Captain of the Second,” Hanabi managed the formal title without any wincing, pulling off her bland explanation with some aplomb. Mostly because it was all totally true, just missing the fact that her childhood had been in the Sakahone of another dimension, and that she wasn't just related to Kiriko, she was of the same flesh and blood. Soul too, though hopefully by now they had deviated in their cosmic path.

Hanabi transitioned smoothly into her own question. She didn't like all of Kiriko's teachings, but sometimes they were useful. When you don't want someone pressing you for information, turn the tables and ask them something in return. “If you wouldn't mind my impertinence, you also are a recent graduate, are you not? It has only been a few years for you, and yet you are already a Lieutenant.” She admired that, it wasn't just raw talent that could get you that far. It had to be hard work, too, and true determination.

If you could get someone to talk about themselves, they often forgot what they were asking about earlier. Hazuki seemed too focused to fall for such a trick, but maybe she overestimated her cold exterior. 

WC: 1178 | GP: 23 | Total GP: 60

Hazuki’s jaw stiffened.

‘When you put it like that, Miss Enyo, it becomes abundantly clear to me that the common defining trait is weakness. Not of the body,’ she said, thinking back to the names on the list and who they belonged to, ‘but of the mind. I disagree with your assessment that they didn’t ask for it, there is nothing to suggest that it can be thrust upon someone truly unwilling, but I don’t think you’re wrong in that it must be very alluring to those without the mental fortitude to withstand such temptation.’

What worried her was the prominence of the names. What worried her was how high those half-breeds had risen once they had tasted forbidden fruit. What worried her was how easily some of them had kept it a total secret.

Right now, however, Hazuki chose not to dwell on it. It wasn’t really why they were here, and they could save the existential argument for another time and place. Instead, she paid close attention to Enyo’s answer, and perhaps unsurprisingly found it lacking. Hazuki wasn’t quite sure what she had been expecting, and while there was no reason to doubt the other Shinigami’s statement, the way it had been delivered struck the lieutenant as mildly discordant, like someone briefly hitting the wrong key in the middle of a familiar melody.

The reason it rang so falsely in Hazuki’s ears was because she recognized it at once: Enyo was telling the truth, but not the entire truth. There was no need for Hazuki to look any further than a mirror to find someone else who did the exact same thing.

But this wasn’t an interrogation. Hazuki wasn’t trying to catch Hanabi Enyo in the act of lying. If she wanted to withhold something about her personal life, she was well within her rights to do so.

‘I don’t mind, and yes, I am. I graduated two years ago, not long after my eighteenth birthday. I was in the First until Commander Chinda dissolved it, and when I transferred to the Fourth Captain Minamoto was quick to spot my talent. I knew her,’ she blurted out, as if trying to explain why she had asked, ‘when she was a lieutenant. The Commander, that is. I looked up to her a great deal.’

And to Aizawa, once. She had thought proving herself against a captain would make her feel better, but deep down she was just as hollow inside after humiliating Wakahisa as she had been the moment she had lost against Jasper. It had been a strategic victory, yes, but she still hadn’t found what she so desperately craved. Not yet.

There was a faraway look in Hazuki’s cold eyes and she seemed to snap back to the present with a slight shake of her head, delicately pushing a stray lock of hair behind one ear.

‘I’m sorry,’ she began, suddenly feeling quite sheepish, ‘where were we?’

There was a reason she tried to think of these things as little as possible. They threw her off.


°509