So this is how it would be? His pleas falling on deaf ears, accused of the most heinous crime. No Captain speaking openly in his defence, with his strongest support being merely a plea for leniency. Referred to as a tantruming child when he had never even raised his voice. The smile of Kuroda as his gut was wrenched out would not leave his mind, nor would her vile and false words. Osamu was reminded briefly of the tale of Oedipus, most think of it as the story of a man who married his mother. Whilst true it was as much to do with the self-fulfilling prophecy. Kuroda’s words threatened to do much the same thing. 

When Osamu walked into this meeting he was loyal, to the soul society, to her, to all the captains. He would have obeyed every order, perhaps not happily but he would have obeyed. What dissent he had would have been voiced openly and honestly, in the name of frank discussion and in the confidence of trust. When Osamu walked out of the meeting Kuroda had made an enemy where none existed before and his trust was gone. Not just for Kuroda, but for all of them. Osamu could no longer look at a Captain and implicitly trust him, have faith the man would defend or help him in even the smallest or most necessary degree. Before he had seen good men and women who, whether right or wrong, were at least trying to do the right thing. Now they were squabbling, scared, angry, stubborn and self-interested hypocrites. Perhaps this attitude would pass in time, perhaps not. For now he just had to supress his simultaneous urges to kill everyone else and himself. Oddly it was the same duty and loyalty that Kuroda denied that stayed his hand. He could not allow the soul society to fall solely into the hands of the men and women around that table, who either would not or could not do what was right. He had to live, he had to serve, if only to clean up their mess. 

Still though he did not rest easy with it. The face of every captain at the fateful moment, was burnt into his mind. He could see them, in their every, tiniest facet. Their expression would live on in his mind, perhaps forever. He knew if they seemed shocked, disinterest or if they smiled. The smiles he would never forget. But for now he could not afford to make an open enemy of any of them. Partly because he would lose as things stood and partly because even if he won the soul society would be so weakened and distracted during the struggle that the hollows would rip them all to shreds. 

So he just had to sit there and take it. He remained silent for the rest of the meeting, not even acknowledging Kuroda when she spoke directly to him. He was similarly silent when the meeting was called to an end and he walked out slowly. When he moved he moved as if in a dream, slightly detached, as if all of this was not quite real. The world began to sink in though, when he was outside, amongst the other Captains as he left the great tower. His number four was still there, waiting obediently. When his Captain appeared the man walked up briskly but before he could talk Osamu turned his head slowly to look at the shinigami, with an odd expression, forcing the man to come to an uncertain halt. There was an odd lopsided smile on his face, but it was empty and dead. His eyes expressed a worrying sense of knowing flecked with an odd sadness. 

“Sir?” Asked Osamu’s number four, hesitantly. All the other captains were still around, aside from those who had remained inside or who had been particularly keen to get going. Pausing for a few moments Osamu eventually said in level, empty tones. 
“Suppose there’s no sense in sugaring the pill. We have had a degree of authority stripped from us, our commander and noble houses have been lying to us for some considerable time and for seemingly no reason other than greed and paranoia and, oh yes. We have been accused of treason.” His subordinates jaw practically hit the ground, he almost staggered under the shock of it.
“Treason! But don’t they… but were…” Whereupon Osamu cut him off. 
“Innocent?” He gave a low, empty chuckle. “I don’t think that matters quite as much as it used to anymore.”
“So what are going to do sir?” His number four still sounded shocked and appalled, even disbelieving that all of this was going on.
“I’m not entirely sure yet number four.” It was an odd trait of Osamu that he referred to his most senior staff by number, not by name. It was an odd form of endearment really. “But at this rate they will have our heads on spikes very soon, the whole division, food for the crows.” There was an odd moment before he added a tad more quietly. “And plenty more besides.” 

Walking a few paces forward Osamu seemed to stretch before putting both hands behind his back, as he often did. “I do know this number four. We might not have long left, so let’s try and do some good whilst we still can.” He was smiling again, slightly wryly but you could tell there was no joy behind it. “Once we’re gone the 13 divisions won’t exactly have many good men left so we had better get busy.” Osamu then began slowly striding away, both hands still behind his back whilst his subordinate still just stood there. His subordinate only moved when Osamu called out in a strangely empty yet genuine voice, the words he so often said. “Come along. We have a civilisation to save.”