Disaster had hit Osamu like a train, he was still reeling. The very nature of the accusation brought him to near the point of uncontrollable rage, it was the single worst insult anyone could level against him and he would neither forget nor forgive. Even now his mind still played out little scenes of Kuroda, weak and helpless before him and all the cruel, vicious and unspeakable things he could do to her. However, as infuriated as he was his reason could just reign back his desire. Still though, the man was in the mental equivalent of a deep, dark and nihilistic pit and he wasn't sure he could climb out. 
 
The 10th division had been similarly affected, their moral was at rock bottom and their dependability in battle threatened to plummet because of it. Demotivated, resentful and afraid any commander would be well advised not to rely on them. Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, Kuroda was not well advised and the 10th were to be at the forefront of tomorrow’s battle. Osamu was worried if they would stand. After all, you don’t go up to a man, say he is being investigated for committing the most heinous of offences, may very well be executed and his family imprisoned and then ask him to die for you. This further called into question the soundness of Kuroda’s mind but Osamu could not worry about that too much for now. Similarly he was worried that Kuroda would set him and all his men up to die tomorrow. One thing was for sure, Osamu was going to be watching his back just as much as his front tomorrow and any general should realise that when you commanders started doing that you were doomed. 
 
Still, the battle tomorrow was something Osamu knew he had to win, the war effort required it and he needed it as well. To that end The men of the 10th were busy making their final preparations for the battle tomorrow. Inventories were being checked and re checked, drills were being gone through one last time, officers received their final orders and general preparations were near completion. Osamu had spent a great deal of time building a well oiled machine, so well oiled it barely needed him at this stage. He had given the order and it was being carried out as well as was possible but not as well as it could be. They had to account for all their actions and men of the 8th could inspect them at any moment. As a result preparations were suffering. All of this was going on in the yards of the 10th, yards which had long since been covered over with tarpaulins to guard against aerial observation. It was hard to tell if Osamu was smart and cautious, or just paranoid.
 
His paranoia, or rather fear, had led him to request a meeting with Yue some days ago. He had done so in order to try and assure himself that the knife that would one day end up in his back wouldn't be held by her hand but it was more than that. He feared less for himself but more for her and the whole soul society. Osamu had a mind that was near incapable of thinking small, everything was big and he put every little thing into the context of the bigger picture. This way of thinking led him to be very concerned for her and even the Yukihiro clan. He hoped that he could garner their cooperation one day but today was not about that. It was about her and her alone. Anyone who made a habit of watching the 10th would have noticed a sharp increase in security since the grand meeting which was not a good sign. It showed Osamu felt isolated and threatened, unable to rely on or cooperate with the outside world. Even he knew this was a bad thing, isolation leads to death but until some of his fears were lessened he could not do anything else. So, he hoped to talk to Yue to satisfy himself that his own hide was safe, but also about the bigger picture. 
 
Unfortunately she was late, significantly late. He had privately resigned himself to the fact that she was not going to appear, only increasing his worries. As such he was heading to meet his 3 o’clock appointment with a heavy heart and a worried mind.

It hadn't been a particularly bad day for Yue, not compared to other days at least. The Patrol Corps were constantly busy and reporting to her day and night, causing a constant flurry of butterflies around the girl. They certainly got annoying at one point, distracting her from attempting any paperwork but she wouldn't swat them away; she couldn't bear being rude to the animal. 

However, one thing that definitely wasn't a highlight of her day - or rather, week - was Osamu. The man had called for a meeting, a meeting Yue didn't want to attend. She was sure it would only lead to more arguments and she wasn't sure if she could remain civil for much longer. Perhaps it was Isao rubbing off on her but Osamu irritated her to Hell and back. He didn't take her seriously, probably because he didn't see her as having a mind equivalent to or possibly greater than his. It was probably his ego but Yue couldn't stand for it; she couldn't let her age take direction of any civil conversation and dictate whether her words were considered or not. Perhaps he would listen more if she was physically older, though Yue still doubted he'd listen to anyone but himself. 

Yue had several reasons to be concerned about Osamu, a cornered rat fights harder than anything else and if he really felt he had no way out other than by taking her on then he could be a real threat. After all, Osamu was still an animal just like any other person and you really do not want to fight an animal when it’s afraid. Particularly not an animal like Osamu who had harnessed his own fear to his advantage in the past. He didn’t suppress it like some did, he used it and he used it well. But one thing Yue did not have to worry about was her physical age. True she looked young but she did not look like some child fresh from its mother’s skirts so Osamu could ignore it. Secretly he kind of envied her for it. He was by no means physically old but everyone likes to stay young forever. He hoped to stay at his current age for the rest of time but he didn’t waste much time thinking about that, it was one of the few things he admitted was beyond his power. 

Eventually, Yue found avoiding his presence no longer a viable option. Not even doing paperwork could take its place, as she'd miraculously, in her time as Captain, finished it all. And she never would again. It was better leaving it to her Lieutenant, Yue decided as she left the Division barracks and made her way out in the open streets, her documents were probably full of overlooked mistakes anyway. Certainly a product of her distraction and paranoia. Arriving at the Tenth Division took much less time than she'd originally anticipated and would've liked; however, there was no turning back now. The men at the gate were strangely alert as if waiting for a threat - surely he didn't have so many before? They bowed and allowed her to pass, probably having been notified beforehand of her arrival. Entrance to the outermost areas of the 10th division was relatively free, Osamu wanted people to be able to come to his division with complaints, questions and concerns and overzealous security would not aid that, besides the guards recognised Yue. Security got tighter however, the deeper you went in.
 
The Division's base structure and layout was just like hers minus the additional buildings but it felt alien and unfamiliar as she walked through the inner 'streets'. Some of the new functions of the tenth were housed in locations other than the main divisional HQ, on little bits of land they had acquired over the years. This included the civilian holding cells and the civilian courts Osamu ran, which were located off site. However, the additional buildings here were so large and numerous as to render the once standard HQ almost unrecognisable. The older buildings were made of good stone whilst the newer extensions were made of a much flimsier material but the new outstripped the old. Osamu housed almost his whole administration here and it needed offices as well as stores, warehouses and loading bays. Furthermore, depending on which direction Yue came from, she may have had to pass through the vast refuge population and their temporary housing and shelters. Osamu kept the refugee’s close and anyone could tell they were living hard lives but something was odd. For anyone familiar with the old lower districts of the Rukongai they noticed something was missing and something had been added. The smell was gone, the smell of blood, excrement, fear and death was gone. What was added was a few of the bigger building in the camp which bore signs such as “school” and “health center.”

Passing by the refugee camps wasn't an easy thing for her to do; her mind constantly flashed back at the prospect of how easily she could've been one of the those hopeless, peniless people. Granted, her current position as a Noble wasn't ideal at all and sometimes Yue could barely tell the difference. She kept her sight away from the people sitting outside or working; it would only further bring home the fact that she once knew them all by name if she recognized some faces; on the other hand, it was highly unlikely they'd recognize her as the small, elusive thief that had once darted through their homes and beings until she'd robbed them blind. She smiled wistfully as the memories flooded back, one by one, reliving her hard days as a petty thief. It hadn't been as bad as people had made it to be - she had had a house to herself in 69th and enough to eat, hadn't she? Of course, that was before the invasion. 

Once Yue had passed through the outermost gates she was in a surprisingly empty courtyard, all of the military activity was going on in secure areas elsewhere. Once through the courtyard she would pass through further gates and be presented with a reception area. Several civilian receptionists on desks were dealing with various members of the public, a waiting area had been built as well as several meeting rooms off to the side. A few doors behind the receptionists were marked with the signs. “No unauthorised access beyond this point, security passes must be displayed, all visitors must be accompanied at all times and papers ready for inspection.” These doors were guarded by slightly more serious looking shinigami and who knew what security lay beyond? 

8th division men were also present, some carrying papers about but all watching like hawks. Yue’s presence would have been undoubtedly noted and recorded in their investigation. The atmosphere in the room was thick and tense. A fight threatened to break out when two 10th division shinigami who were on guard near one of the doors started gently whispering to one another, only to be noticed by one of the men of the 8th who noted the event down before stalking over and loudly demanding that their conversation be repeated. Osamu’s men explained, perhaps even truthfully, that they were discussing how to react if Yue became aggressive and attempted to kill both their captain and other senior members of the division. This seemed to satisfy things for a few moments but shortly the same two guards began whispering again. The investigator from the 8th turned on his heel sharply and, as if by instinct, the men of the 10th present in the room all put their hands on their swords. The room froze, there were far more guards here than just the two whisperers and it was obvious the man from the 8th would stand no chance if a fight broke out. Still though, the repercussions for the 10th would have been huge. A few tense moments seemed to drag out forever before the investigator backed away slightly and the men of the 10th then slowly relaxed their grip on their swords. One thing was obvious, things were on an absolute knife edge here. 

Yue would not have to report in to reception however, the guards recognised her. They did not wave her through but one walked into one of the secure areas, presumably to pass on a message. He hadn't told her where to meet him, only when and that she hadn't bothered to comply with; what difference would getting the location wrong as well make now? A few moments later Osamu appeared, but he came in from the outside, the same way Yue had entered. Looking at the woman he seemed to genuinely smile and said “Ahh, good. Nice of you to make it at last. I was starting to worry. Come, let’s walk in the courtyard.” He gestured her back outside and held the door open for her as she passed. It clunked shut behind them with an ominous thud as Osamu put both hands behind his back and started to slowly pace around the courtyard. “I am afraid I’m going to have to combine this meeting with a previous appointment, I’d scheduled something else for this slot but the two can be done together. Tell me, why do you think you are here?” He seemed genuinely interested and it wasn’t a trite point or a opener to discipline like a teacher asking a naughty school boy that same question. He really wanted to know how she was thinking.

Yue found herself in a courtyard similar to the ones present in every Division, the enclosed space unnerving her to the point where she knew she wouldn't react well and as calmly to any notion of a threat or aggression. She turned towards Osamu, lacing her fingers together underneath her overly long sleeves in her characteristic, peaceful pose. Most people found her either walking, standing or sitting like this, a perfect image of zen. "That's perfectly fine, Iwakura-san," Yue's smile became more cheerful, though not at his question as he'd assume, but at the prospect of having interrupted his meticulous plan. "Perhaps so that we can have a lovely discussion of you taking over Seireitei?" Strangely enough, there was no sarcasm evident in her voice; it was so well hidden and masked underneath genuine layers of friendliness it was not perceptible. She laughed lightly and added, "On a serious note, though, I think that discussion we had at the meeting isn't considered over yet, not by a long shot. Are you here to persuade the House and I to agree to your demands? Or perhaps get me to support you in those actions?" Her eyes were piercing and perceptive, staring sharply at Osamu, contrasting against her sunny smile.

He raised his eyebrows when she said they were here to discuss his plans to take over the Seireitei. Her sarcasm was well disguised but he knew her intent. Their little spar at the recent meeting had been illuminating and she would never have said that if she were serious. Osamu had to admit, she did seem peaceful with her hands as they were, tranquil and elegant, it was a pleasant sight to be sure. That was until you realised you couldn’t see what her hands were doing. Smiling slightly Osamu said in a manner that was half a joke. “How many knives do you have up those sleeves Captain? How many poisons are they coated in?” He chuckled slight saying. “Don’t worry, you can keep whatever you have tucked up there. I know you aren’t going to kill me today, or tomorrow. Day after tomorrow perhaps.” He looked at her sideways as he walked, casting a wry smile at her before he looked ahead once more. But there was an odd emptyness behind it all. 

Yue gave Osamu an amused look at his jibe about her hidden weapons, giving him no hints as to the authenticity of his statement, but played along. "One can never be too careful, Iwakura-san. You never know, the person you're targeting might just walk right by you." She laughed at the thought of sticking a couple of poisoned senbon in Osamu's neck and knocking him out, most probably doing Seireitei a favour. 
 
Returning to his previous point about his so called plot he leant towards her slightly as they walked and whispered. “Come on, you can’t say you aren’t a bit tempted to take this place over. All those nobles, all those shinigami jumping at your every word. We can pull it off if we work together. They’ll never see it coming.” He was being just as sarcastic as her but he wasn’t so good at concealing it and his smile gave him away. It was evident though that she was serious when she brought up their previous discussion and the fact it was not over. He locked eyes with her for a moment, peering into her just as she was peering into him. It was debatable which one of them was better at it, probably her. Their eyes were fundamentally different in what parts of one another’s souls they exposed. To him her eyes were like needles, piercing and precise. His eyes were more like rumbling furnaces, hinting at the vast machine that they powered. Her smile just accentuated her eyes in his sight, rather than hide them. After a few heavy seconds though he broke the contact and looked ahead and kept on walking. “You didn’t answer my question, you just asked me what the answer was. I asked to assess your thinking, your understanding. It’s not a pass or fail test but if it were you would have passed with flying colours. Sharp, calm, subtle, deceptive. Used to taking what you need and not giving, at least for most people.” He waved a dismissive hand, he was getting off of topic. 
 
“It’s true, I want you and your house on side and we may discuss that later on. For the moment though it’s about you personally. I need to understand and I fancy you want to understand me as well. If we are to be friends it aids cooperation, if we are to be enemies well, it’s always good to know the soul of your foe.” He seemed very matter of fact about all of this and he was, but he was also enjoying himself a little, though he was hiding that fact slightly better.

She in turn inched away from him as he leaned in and whispered an offer to join his ranks, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I think I'll take you up on that offer; I've always wanted to play head honcho of the Gotei." Yue didn't bother hiding the sarcasm at this point, going along with the general flow of the meeting.

His stare didn't unnerve her as she'd originally anticipated. Yue could see the fire in his eyes, his passion for the huge conspiracy he was brewing. No doubt it would bring trouble, she thought as she challenged his stare until he looked away. She wasn't surprised he'd 'seen through' her so easily; it was expected of the leader of the Division tasked with the ruthless assassination of anyone the Central 46 deemed a dangerous element, unworthy of living or a thorn in their side. Perhaps she would be handing Osamu's head on a silver platter the next time. "I'm glad I succeeded in disorienting you instead. As for taking and not giving, that is the duty assigned to me. Of course, though, I have people I treasure. I wouldn't hurt them if it killed me. Don't you? Don't you leave someone out of your destructive loop?"

“No….It’s more fundamental than that.” Was his only reply to her statement that her duty was to take and not give. He did not explain it, preferring to let it churn around in her head. If she wanted clarification she would ask for it. “As for people I won’t hurt and this destructive loop you mention. You are wrong on both counts. What I want is worth the suffering and death of anyone, yes even me. As for the destructive loop it is not of my making. I don’t drive it, I’m fighting it.” His tone was heavy suddenly, the playfulness of earlier gone, though it could return just as swiftly. His voice was laced with sincerity as well. Whether or not he was right was another question but anyone could tell he believed what he was saying and there was no lie present. 

It was at this juncture the doors to the reception building opened and a man said. “Your three o’clock is here sir.” Before the man had even finished talking there was the sound of something running behind them and heavy breathing. Osamu turned round calmly, but with a broad smile, to see a great Irish wolfhound tearing towards him hell for leather. It was a grey, shaggy thing but you could tell it was originally designed to be a predator in wet and windy lands. It had a much gnarled stick in its jaws and as it drew closer it leapt up into the air and hit Osamu full force before bouncing off of the man, landing on all fours and running around excitedly for a moment. Osamu laughed heartily and bent down slightly, tapping his thighs saying in lighter tones than normal. “Come here boy.” The dog ran over to him and jumped up again, putting his paws on Osamu’s shoulders and dropping the stick so he could lick Osamu’s face. Osamu just laughed and squirmed slightly, tickling the dog’s underbelly. After a moment the dog seemed to register Yue and calmed down. He looked at the new woman quizzically for a moment before walking around her in tight circles smelling her feet and legs. Osamu looked at Yue, smiling and said. “He’s called Monty, don’t worry he’s a friendly dog. Utterly loyal and will rip your throat out on command but don’t worry. I rarely give that order.” He chuckled again and said in a slightly more serious tone. “Don’t worry. So long as you don’t scare him you’re fine. You like new people, don’t you boy?” The last sentence was obviously addressed to the dog.

The moment the dog bounded through the doors, Yue was already several feet away quietly observing the man and his pet. So he did have a compassionate side. It was strange seeing him so loving towards something other than his dear plans for the future. Still, she couldn't help but flinch away from the dog as he circled around her and sniffed at her legs. It was uncomfortable having a strange creature assess her like that. "I'd hate to do that." She replied, already much farther than she'd previously been. It was mildly surprising to note that Osamu had made an appointment at this particular hour with a dog. It still didn't diminish the amusing fact that she'd interrupted his playtime with his pet. "Is that all you wished to ask of me? Or have you finally decided to leave well enough alone?"

Osamu chuckled slightly when he saw Yue flinch at the approach of the dog, so she did have something resembling fear down in there? It was encouraging to see something other than the stony edifice he had previously been exposed to, even if it was only for a brief instant. 

Osamu shook his head when she asked if that was his only question. “You aren’t getting away that easy. Besides, you never even answered my question. Well, not the serious one any way.” He casually picked up the stick his dog had dropped and threw it over to the other side of the court yard, the hound chasing after it like a streak of lightning.

Yue gave him only a serene look and nothing more. "You asked me a question and my opinion on it. Yet you immediately declared me wrong. That is your problem. [i]You[/i] are never wrong. [i]I[/i] am never right, or anyone for that matter. Has it not occurred to you that you're living in a self-sustained bubble? You remind me of a child covering its ears and screaming to the world that the sky is green simply because he is colorblind." Despite the initial appearance of her words being philosophy, they were just facts and nothing more. Facts she'd gained through observation. "You cling to your fears of being wrong." 
 
“When did I declare you wrong, aside from when I was musing to myself?” He waved a bit of a hand and said. “Unimportant.” He didn’t want to get bogged down in an argument over something that insignificant so he was just going to let it slide. Weirdly when she launched into a deeper character assassination of him, saying he was little better than a whining child and refusing to see the world around him he didn’t get angry or upset. He smiled. It was not a smug smile or a purposefully antagonistic one. It didn’t even seem to be a pitying one. He seemed genuinely happy. “Why do you think that? If I truly am like the stubborn but understandably misguided child, incapable of seeing the world as it is. You explain, you make sure they understand. Tell me, why am I like this child, why am I wrong? What am I wrong about?” Osamu genuinely wanted to learn, he gave everyone a chance, even several chances, to justify themselves to him. To persuade him. He never just shut off his mind but he was not easily led. 

Naturally, Osamu's happiness at her statement made her slightly more wary of the man. Most others would usually get instantly offended, which was why she'd learned to keep her mouth shut and keep her observations to herself. Osamu, however, was a different matter. He took all of her words in stride and seemed genuinely curious to learn how she'd come to that conclusion. But she'd never explained her train of thoughts before and she doubted it'd make any sense. "It's self explanatory. Everybody else says it's blue but you are convinced it's green because that's the way you see it. You try and convince everyone that it's green. But then you cannot be blamed for that, it's not your fault you were born like that. You are not wrong, just innocently misguided until you grow up and accept reality as it is. Of course, I'm not calling you a child. You're far from one. What you have achieved in the past 100 years is great but the way you now seek to achieve more, bordering on extreme, denotes you're unsatisfied with what you have. You're unwilling to budge to allow others in because you deem them wrong and misguided, blind, ineffective, partial but while you tack on judgement after judgement, they're all judging you back. You're playing a dangerous game. I'm not saying you're wrong or right. I'm saying you're on a dangerous path." 

“I have many questions for you as I am sure you have for me. Unless of course you have made up your mind already in which case you disappoint me. I know you are clever, don’t shut off your mind just yet. But in this little discussion you aren’t going to be able to just take. You have to give. This is a trade, not a robbery. We may trade many things, but for now I need to know why you do what you do. Why do you do your job and why do you cling so hard to the old and your family? Do you believe what you do is good and right, if so why?” A little bit of the playfulness was gone, it could return at some later point but you could tell he was serious. You could also tell he was being relatively open, honest and fair about it all. This wasn’t a fight to him, not now any way. He didn’t want to be enemies but he lacked faith in Yue possessing a similar attitude.

The barrage of questions aimed her way barely made Yue bat an eye. As expected of him, she thought to herself as her mind worked back to the flurry of question. Luckily, they still remained in her head. "Why do I do what? You're going to have to be a little more clearer." Yue smiled once again, this time a trace of enigma lacing her voice. "I don't cling to them, I do what is expected of me and support the people who have been through thick and thin with me." True. "They took me in when I had nothing." False. Another one of her lies, expertly weaved in between half-truths and enigmatic statements. It hadn't been her helplessness that had compelled them to take her in; it had been the broken mess of a Yukihiro left behind when he'd grabbed at her and scared her. Sometimes, that instinct still surfaced whether she liked it or not. 

"I don't usually believe that I'm right; I simply look at the facts. Mathematically or scientifically, there's always a solution. There's always a theory confirmed possible and impossible. There's always something proven possible or impossible given facts. That's what I base my decisions on. I don't always cling to the steadfast hopes and beliefs like most, including yourself, do. It's not about faith, it's about facts. Believing you can save the entirety of the population by spreading out resources is a mathematical impossibility. The only possibility of those actions is resources spread so thinly that they're practically ineffective and essentially non-existent. That is but a small example, though, of one of the flaws of our human mind."

He was tempted to pick her up on her last sentence, she seemed to be implying that her mind was somehow, more than human. But he opted to let that one slide. When she began to answer his question he was relieved, he had worried she would refuse to give him anything. He couldn’t work with someone like that. Such people were fundamentally greedy and uncooperative, poor team players and entirely untrustworthy. He cracked a little, slightly more mischievous, smile when she asked him to clarify what he meant by his question. He knew she didn’t need it to be clarified. But as she set about answering him he listened very carefully. A family that had stuck with her through thick and thin? Believable enough, even the devil protected his own so why not nobles? When she claimed that she had nothing when she was taken in he believed her. He did however, question the motives of the nobles who took her in. It was not that he doubted that she did indeed have noting. Instead he doubted the fact that they had taken her in for that reason. But he remained silent on the topic.
 
Soon however, they got to the real meat of things, right and wrong. Though Yue seemed not to want to express things in those terms, strange but he heard her out. She expressed everything in terms of possible and impossible. Not the worst way to approaching things but less than perfect. Osamu was silent for a few moments after she finished speaking, looking into her eyes, deep in thought and with a brow just as deeply furrowed. He even ignored his dog for a few moments when the loyal beast came up and started pawing at its master to throw the stick again. After a while he just said. “I see.” Before bending down to take the stick and throwing it once more, the dog chasing happily after. Looking back at her he walked closer, slowly, but not so close as to be threatening. “You are close to being right, in how you think. What is possible and impossible must always be considered but it’s too simple. Right and wrong matter. It helps you choose between the variety of possible options. It even helps you look for the right scenarios to assess as possible and impossible.” He wasn’t talking down to her, he respected her too much for that. Indeed, her earlier accusation that he only ever thought of himself as right and her as always wrong wounded him. Surely their experience around the table in their previous meeting proved he didn’t think that way. If anything the accusation worked better in the other direction. He had been the one trying to work things out, adapting, and compromising. She had sat their stubbornly and refused to budge an inch. Her staying power was to be admired but it was poorly directed, she had to learn when to move as well. But he did not throw that comment out there quite yet. That was a pointless antagonism for now. 
 
“We disagree on what is possible as well, though you slightly misunderstand my objective. I have no intention of spreading resources evenly, I agree that is stupid. Even once we have driven the hollows back into their barren world we cannot share things evenly. Instead it’s about fairness and justice and I know it can be done. I’ve been modelling it for a very long time. It’s about survival as well. Not mine, all of us.” He looked tired suddenly, far too tired. As if all the weight on his shoulders suddenly got a lot heavier. Truth be told he was tired of being isolated. He had his division at his back, the people too and other odds and ends. But he didn’t have anyone at his side. But he didn’t make that obvious. He just looked tired and fed up. 
 
"Our judgments and society dictate what's right and wrong. Countless millenia have demonstrated what is right and wrong. Yes, it's all about decisions but success has always favoured the possible. You see, because it's impossible to succeed if it isn't possible." At this point, Yue was spinning him around in circles. Had he been even a little less intelligent than he already was, and he'd probably have been much more lost. She was used to blank looks, scoffs and honest, good people as well as heinous murderers pretending to understand, hanging onto her every word in an attempt to make sense of her words. Obviously only a few got close to deciphering the meanings but it always resulted in even more questions and confusion. There was a reason why she was so quiet, demure and docile. At times, words were more dangerous than mere actions. 

He was disapointed by one of Yue's comments, that millenia and times past had demonstrated what was right and wrong. That was no system for morality. But he decided not to focus on that. “We aren’t friends Yue. I wish we were, there is a very short list of candidates and you are sitting at the top of it. But I think you’re far more likely to stab me than help me as we currently understand one another. Don’t worry though, I’m not going to kill you, not unless you try first. But I’m going to give you one of the privileges of a friend and hope you don’t abuse it. It’s stupid of me but I’m going to trust you, to a degree.” There was then an odd pause before he said. “There is something in there….” His statement went unexplained, he was staring right at Yue as he said it. Some might have taken it as a statement that there was some intelligence hiding in there but Yue should know Osamu did not mean that. He had overtly stated several times that he thought she was an intelligent woman so he must have been eluding to some other hidden quality.

Yue laughed at that comment. The reputation and assumptions came along with being the Captain of the Division that dealt with assassination and underground work. If she'd tried as hard as she could to erase that assumed image the Division gave her, it'd be forever before she'd get rid of it. The duties of the Division spoke volumes; they were feared and for good reason. Who knew when you'd suddenly have a soft hand over your mouth and cold steel running over your throat? "Unless ordered, I don't stab people in the back. As dishonorable as that is, it's my duty. I try to avoid collateral damage but I see no point in being sneaky about it unless there's good reason, in which case the Central 46 will order it. It's not me you should be worried about; it's the higher-ups you want to avoid." Had it been anyone else, they'd have kept quiet and let Osamu run himself down into the ground. Had he not been warned, it'd have been akin to suicide. Of course, that what they usually made it look like. But she hoped he'd heed her genuine warning. "I'm doing you a favor by telling you this, as a friend. Anyone else would've let you commit suicide. I, however, don't think it's entirely fair. I'm flattered that you consider me a friend and that you trust me but I don't really think that's going to change things. I'm still going to sit on the sidelines of all of this because I don't fancy myself willingly involved."

“In less than 100 years the soul society is going to burn, the streets will run red with blood and our heads will be on spikes as will the heads of your whole family.” His tone had become matter of fact again, almost casual in the way he prophesied doom. “I’m trying to stop it. I’m trying to make a better world whilst I go about it as well but I think the ‘I’m trying to stop us all dying’ motive might have a more instinctive appeal to you.” Perhaps a tad of his tongue in cheek attitude had returned. “Earlier you said you had nothing when the Yukihiro family took you in. I’ll take you at your word and assume you really did mean nothing. That you were once one of the lowest of the low. Survived all that wretchedness and in some cases the near indescribable life.” He was tempted to go into a little aside about his own life but, stopping himself, he stayed on target. “Even if you only understand a fraction of how bad it can be you can see the gap, you can see the difference between the haves and the have nots. It’s only gotten worse for the have nots since the occupation but it is more dangerous now. They are being asked to give more and they are physically closer than they have even been to those who hold dominion over them. Even if it’s worse for the nobles as well the difference is so much more apparent to the so called lower orders. I walk amongst them almost every day, I make it my business to be the best friend they have in high places. They are all starting to realise just how vast the difference is and they are realising why that difference exists and they are not satisfied with the reason. There are ugly murmurs and dangerous talk circulating and it's the kind of thing you can't just supress.” The dog returned and Osamu absentmindedly took the stick and threw it again, his true focus was on Yue, he wanted her to understand the point he was making with a quiet desperation. He wanted Yue, the woman, on side and he needed the Captain of the 2nd. 
 
“It was always going to happen one day, just so happens to be now. They will stay compliant during the occupation so long as you don’t push the peasantry too hard. They are smart enough to realise that now is not the time to be grabbing what they deserve. But once the hollows are driven out the clock starts ticking and it’s a short timer. The people will not sit and wait for the change they want to go through the old system and the system would probably try to stop them anyway. If they aren’t given at least some of it, they will take all of it and there will be nobles, members of the middle class and shinigami alike who stand with them, either for selfless or selfish reasons. It will be a civil war unlike one we have ever seen and the old order will lose. They will win many battles, particularly early on but in the end the old order will die a bloody and violent death. You can’t hold back an entire nation. You cannot rule over those who, en masse, withdraw their consent to be ruled over.” 

By the time he was done talking, Yue knew what he said held little merit. She'd been one of them and lived among them, among the most violent and bloodthirstiest of men that thrived in the lower districts. It was painfully obvious as to their worth as revolutionaries: all talk but no action. Most were simply satisfied with what they had, having been used to it their whole lives. Yue had been satisfied with it. Had she not been taken in she'd have returned back home from the 1st district and went on. It was people like Osamu, who'd stumbled across one out of a thousand people with the smallest of complaints and saw himself as their savior. Little did he know how much damage he was causing. Yue carefully measured her words before speaking, keeping most of her opinions to herself. Some things just weren't fit to be said. 

"We don't push them at all; they're used to it. I was used to it. I've seen everything from a commoner's perspective and they don't care. Not unless someone feeds the fire, like what you're doing. Don't you think that once in more than twenty thousand years people would've risen up and protested? No. Because it doesn't matter to them." They lived in separate worlds; that was their way of life. Even if disrupted, they'd feel much more comfortable and familiar in their old ways. Thousand-year-old souls wouldn't take lightly to being relocated and given things, having their schedules rewritten, working and other things.

A prime example was the Human World's Communism which had taken place around sixty years after the human Yue's death. What had started as a grand scheme, a plan for the equality and fairness for everyone and stripping nobles of their money and power had rendered the country hated and backwards in terms of money, military prowess, scientific and mathematical progress and other such things. They were feared but not for their power and prestige as a prime country as it should've been; no, they repulsed other countries enough to keep them running and erect as much buffers towards Communism as possible in the form of other countries. The Berlin Wall was another example - hundreds had tried to escape only to be shot down. No resources, an inefficient justice system based on 'fairness' and unhappy people. They'd torn down the wall eventually and conformed to their old ways, despite being modern and having a life span ten to fifty times shorter.

However, these facts Yue kept to herself, quietly thinking the situation over. Arguments with the man were pointless. It only caused her headaches and made her waste energy on trying to convince Osamu. That wasn't how she normally worked. She was so used to peace and not getting herself involved that arguing didn't appeal to her anymore. "I see your point but it is unlikely unless you goad them, like I said. If you think this cycle is so bad, then why hasn't it collapsed even once in the past several thousand years? Nevertheless, be careful. I'm not threatening you, just a good-natured warning. Be careful at who you stir up and who you put down. I'd think you were intentionally rallying a revolution if I didn't know any better."

Had Osamu been aware of Yue’s internal machinations and her opinions on communism he would likely have challenged them, and blamed failures more on internal mismanagement and ideologically motivated aggressive foreign policy, which simply was not a concern for the soul society. But since she did not voice her thoughts he could not respond to them. Her voiced concerns however, he did respond to. “Our history is patchy at best, we don’t know there were not attempted uprisings. Even if there weren’t there is a first time for everything. I won’t say I hope you are right. For people to want to stay like that seems wrong on every level, from self-interest and morality to plausibility. If you are right and they want to stay squatting in the filth then I might leave them there. It would grieve me to do so. I know I can help. I’ve been designing it for decades. But if leaving them there helps stop a civil war I may inadvertently spark then so be it. It’s against almost every moral fiber of my being but peace is worth a lot. Even if I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. But I’m not convinced you are right. I believe we are being presented with a unique set of circumstances and I have been keeping track of the Rukongai and its inhabitants for a very long time. I have never heard dissatisfaction on this level nor have I read of it in historical accounts. Why not set things in motion to ease things just in case?” Osamu gave a sigh. “As for your warning. I’ll take it as being as good natured as you claim rather than a veiled threat. It plays to my ego to think you might actually quite like to keep me alive.” He cracked an odd sort of smile at her before he continued. “I’d like to see a revolution, or rather the society that would follow a successful one. But I am not treasonous enough to cause one intentionally.” Part of him wondered if it was because he wasn’t brave enough instead but he couldn’t afford to dwell too much on that now. There was time for hating himself later. 

Again, Monty returned and Osamu took the stick. This time however, he did not throw it for his hound to chase. Instead he tossed it up and down in his hand a few times before saying to Yue in an offhand manner. “Catch.” He tossed it to her with a gentle under arm throw, the dog going after it. “Throw it about a bit, he likes you.” From the great wet panting of the shaggy beast it seemed Osamu was right, then again only Osamu really understood that dog. 

Yue caught the stick with a small movement and the dog raced after it - namely, towards her. It really did look like it was doing to chomp up her small hand accidentally or deliberately so making sure there was enough space between the dog and herself, she hurled the stick much farther than Osamu originally had in order to keep to dog chasing and busy. It would be a while before it came back. 
 
Pacing around slightly Osamu continued to explain his actions and motivations. “I want to stop that civil war and so far as I can see there are two ways to do it. One is both morally abhorrent and entirely impracticable and that is to slaughter the Rukongai, every district except a select few at the top. Every man, woman and child would have to be put to the sword. Our infrastructure would then collapse and we all die anyway. Plus you can never exterminate a whole population. People have an annoying habit of surviving. The second option is to give them at least some of what they want and hope it calms the mob. That is what I am doing and what I intend to do. Of course I am doing many other things as well, like trying to win a war and make sure things are run as well as humanly possible but I get the feeling this is what you’re really worried about.” 

"They have what they need. That's why there's barely been a revolution, unless there was one individual looking to stir them up. I'm sure they didn't do it intentionally but they did it." Yue replied, still keeping much of her opinions to herself. She'd already started subconsciously altering her outer ideals to suit Osamu more, if only to avoid conflict. There was no point arguing with him, nor giving out her true opinion as it was kept getting rebutted back again and again.. "As to your previous statement, I never said they were content. I said they were used to it. All that filth can be taken away simply by cleaning up the area and renovating houses that need to be." It was simple logic, really, and Yue didn't know why Osamu hadn't considered it. It would be much more effective and safer to improve the Rukongai resident's lives by increasing their standard of living with logical measures rather than overthrowing the entire system and building a new one, with possibly only one man standing on top of it all. Kuroda would've never allowed it, let alone the Central 46 and the Soul King.

"Once you break that cycle it spins out of control. Building hospitals and schools is all fine and I would support such a movement but rallying for equality is not a smart move. Public hospitals with good resources after the war as well as schools is an honorable deed but I really do wish you wait until the war is over and even then, leave everything like social status as is. Once they're educated and kept healthy and clean it's more than enough. You could even set up open markets and shops and setting them onto even the smallest of jobs so that they can earn their keep and while some won't take kindly to it it might work as long as you don't change too much, like social standing and family dealings." With that, Yue paused, and could hear the dog coming back. Hopefully it'd run up to Osamu and not her. "A civil war is worst kind of war. Believe me, nothing good will happen out of it. If you do goad them enough and they start an uprising, you might just swallow your words when most of them die in the act."

Osamu gave a little shrug and began pacing about again in almost every direction, though he was slowly getting closer and closer to Yue by a very indirect route. “Of course, I can’t give them what they want yet. I don’t have those resources at my disposal quite yet, but I will once the occupation is done. I can give them proper sanitation at last, create and enforce building codes, build schools and hospitals for all create a system where I guarantee everyone food and emergency shelter. Bring law and justice to the streets, build good and fair courts for the plebs. You claim you climbed up out of the shit. Good, I’m glad for you. But remember what it was like and if by some chance you did well out of it remember it’s every victim. You are not a cruel woman, callus at time perhaps but not evil. We have the power and the opportunity to do something about it. How can we not stop our fellow man from suffering when the means are at our disposal? Even if that doesn’t motivate you it might stop a war and that’s reason enough.” 

Yue sighed, already tiring. But her lack of opposition was already paying off as she sensed he was close to dropping the subject. "That's all very noble and honorable but like I said, don't mess with social status, the law and justice. You'd have to be a high-ranking individual and even the Soul King himself in order to change laws like you want to and I seriously advise you against it. It's not me nor my personal opinion but everything and everyone else. Do something that benefits them but not change their way of life. Good and fair courts means more legal battles than you can imagine. That'll only disregard equality and allow revenge and such things to blossom. But as far as I'm concerned, schools, hospitals and shelter are good points I'm sure all four Noble houses would stand for." As long as he didn't go too far Yue didn't see the problem with it. But that was the issue - he did plan on going too far, he did want too much. And there was nothing Yue could say or do to dissuade him.

He could have ended things there. It was a powerful argument, or so he thought. He had intentionally omitted his third reason for doing the things he had described but he did not think that would sway Yue so he remained silent. It wasn’t anything to do with power, ambition, pride or revenge. It was something far purer yet far more terrifying than any of that. But that was a thought no one else in the whole world was privy to and he had mastered hiding it long ago. Still. He needed to tell Yue a few other things, to be fair to her. He respected her too much to omit it.

Looking at her he locked eyes with her for a few moments, clearly making an assessment of some description before saying slowly but confidently. “I know Yukihiro and Ichigawa do not see eye to eye on a great many topics. I also know you are engaged to Ichigawa Ryuusei. I don’t know why, I can guess but I don’t know and it’s not particularly my affair to know.” He sounded a little sad when he said that but he didn’t draw any attention to it and kept the conversation moving. He meanwhile, had drawn quite close by now and was speaking more quietly, standing still a little way off to her side. “I bring this up because I might be about to tread on some toes but I respect you too much to shield you from it. I need you too much as well. You have seen what I have done to the Ichigawa, what I am doing and what I have to keep on doing. I’m replacing them. Reducing their house to an irrelevance and no one even wants to stop me. Soon they will be powerless, a foot note in the history books. It’s all quite legal. I employ more lawyers than anyone else now and they have kept me on the right side of things. It has to be done. They are the single house that is most responsible for the looming war, millennia of neglect brought us here and they were the ones doing the neglecting. Even if they were to try and fix it now, it’s too late for them. They lack the skills, experience, resources and respect. A kind, good and selfless man could come from that house but as long as he has that name the people will not listen. Their house is not only useless it is dangerous. You should hear how people talk about them. I am able to do their job, for now. But I will not live forever. When I die a system must be in place in order to replace me, maybe even replace me before I die.”

Stepping away slightly, Yue drew herself farther from Osamu but turned to face him. His mention of her engagement didn't bring back pleasant memories - no, far from it. She'd only spoken to Ryuusei several times over the years and never in private, so she feared the implications of marriage. Her long sleeves weren't just for decor; they hid the symbol of the unwanted commitment that was rarely, if ever, seen by others. However, that ring symbolised much more than that. It stood for the Ichigawa's triumphant victory, the proof of their subtle yet effortlessly effective sabotage. Ryuusei might not have been a fighter but he had a much more dangerous weapon at his disposal. Yue normally wouldn't attribute traits and skills as genetic but the way it surfaced in each and every Ichigawa member, especially the with the Head's family was frankly, quite alarming. 

Yue smile changed to a slightly more amused one, yet one could still see the sadness behind it if they looked closely enough. "I'm not the right person you should be telling this to, Iwakura-san, though my father would likely treat you to tea or something. Like you said, I'm engaged and therefore, in 200 years, I'm going to be a part of that family as an Ichigawa. There's no escaping it, really, but that's not something I want to talk about. But I want to ask you a question. How do you think Kazuhiro got my father to marry me to his son?" The Ichigawa and Yukihiro naturally hated each other and didn't even bother hiding it. There was nothing noble in their actions, only hate that was gladly reciprocated. The engagement had come off as such as surprise that people had immediately dismissed it as a rumor, started by one party in order to humiliate the other. However, though Yue knew the true motives of the two Houses, it had little to no effect rendering the agreement practically useless.

Osamu’s answer to her question was relatively flat and matter of fact. “He’s smart and ambitious. I don’t have the spies in noble houses I would like, so facts about the intricacies of your arrangements elude me. But the grudge between your families is legendary. I doubt he threatened or intimidate your father into it. That seems like a game your father is more likely to win.” Osamu was tempted to call the man her adopted father but opted not to, again that seemed like a pointless antagonism for now. “I doubt it was for the promise of peace. Your father and family don’t seem like the types to be interested in that. Which leaves two alternatives. Profit and blackmail. Every family has something they can be blackmailed over but if I knew what that thing was for your family then it wouldn’t be of any value as a blackmail weapon. Profit, whilst plausible, seems unlikely. I doubt your father would essentially sell off one of his own for a profit. He seems to have too much pride for that and, love him or hate him, he does seem to look out for the well-being of your family as a whole. What is clear is the Ichigawa have been clever. But I think I know where you are going with this. Your warning me of the Ichigawa ability to which my response is, I don’t care. I know I’m able, I know I’m clever and I’m determined. What’s more I am right. I’m winning and I’m going to keep on winning. They can’t be allowed to do their job anymore and I’m not going to let them stand. By hook or by crook they are going to lose their importance. They’ve been too busy focusing on you Yukihiro they never saw me coming out of left field.” 

In response, Yue laughed softly, shaking her head. For what, he probably wouldn't discern. Amusement? Pity? Disagreement? Perhaps a combination of all of those, more or less. "You're off by a mile, Iwakura-san, and I don't blame you. Profit and blackmail are viable options and indeed are integrated into the agreement to an extent. But it's insignificant as compared to what the Ichigawa have done. It blows any ulterior motives my father has out of proportion by a long shot. I admire and even respect your confidence and if I hadn't known any better, I would have wagered on you."

"But," The word stalled and held the tension until Yue was sure Osamu was itching for her to continue. "If the Ichigawa are as useless as they are, why are they still in the top spot? Surely they would've been knocked out at some point, right? I suspect one thing and I personally am not happy with it: they're letting you win. They're simply biding their time because I know they're clever. Some much more than you and I combined. Furthermore, they have the Central 46 wrapped around their finger. They're [i]diplomats[/i]. And while there are many diplomats out there, the Ichigawa are at the top for a [i]reason[/i]. Do you know how many revolutions they have prevented? How many times they've convinced the Central 46 of changing laws and statuses, often for the better? If they let you edge them out, they can come crashing back with full force. You aren't going to have the Central 46 on your side, are you? Nor 3 Noble houses? When push comes to shove, my family are most likely going to support the Ichigawa because of this engagement." At this point, she was skirting around the real ability of the Ichigawa, unrivaled by even the most talented speaker. 

"Further more, you can't erase an entire clan that has been around for tens of thousands of years, nor can you overlook their numerous other duties such as managing the Academy, acting as lawyers, passing laws and their position in the government. I doubt you're going to want to do all that and on top of that, no matter how good you are or can be in the next five thousand years, they have one dangerous thing over you: they're as persuasive as can be. They have stopped countless civil conflicts, wars and revolutions merely with words. They're capable of causing great damage, whether political or social and even personal, if they wish and I doubt you want them on your back. I don't support them but this is another warning. Don't underestimate them. How do you think Kazuhiro got his worst enemy hand over his only daughter and heir over to them, thereby ending the current family line? Yes, another from a different branch of the family can take over but with me married off, it ends there. So does his pride. Otou-sama is an extremely stubborn man, Iwakura-san. How do you think that happened?"

He sighed and summoned himself, he knew this was going to be the part Yue was going to have the most difficulty swallowing but it was for that very reason he had to bring it up. He both wanted and needed to be honest with her. If he concealed things now and then they came to light latter her wrath would, he believed, be both inevitable and mighty. “The Ichigawa brought the system into such disrepute it might not survive. If I can calm the people with a notable increase in their living standards, security and social guarantees then good. We will have peace and order and we can end it there. It will not be truly fair or just but it will be peace and that’s the most important thing. But I’m not confident the people will stop there. They might want to rule themselves to some degree. If a revolution comes they will want to go the whole way, kill the noble families, put an end to inherited responsibility, get rid of the central 46, establish their own government and make every man, including shinigami, subject to it. It does not particularly matter if you think this is good or bad, impossible or possible. They will push for it as hard as they can if it erupts into a full-fledged war. In order to prevent this war it may be necessary to surrender some powers to the people. Particularly the powers held by the Ichigawa and some legislative authority held by the central 46.” He let the point sink in for a few moments, his tone was serious and he had a face to match. He clearly did not relish this. His was not the face of an idealistic, firebrand rebel. Some young man with dreams of justice, it was far too heavy for that. True he would not mourn the death of any part of the old order but you could tell that was not his motive. 
 
“I hope it does not come to that as it will be a tremendous task and I fear the central 46 might be even more stubborn than you.” Clearly a little bit of levity had crept back in after he had made his main point. He even smiled slightly again. “It would be a mad, uphill struggle and I will do everything in my power to make the masses happy with what I can give them. It would not be real justice but I want to stop a war even more than I want to build a fair world and pressuring the central 46 is liable to be a spark for the civil war I fear. But if the people calmer it must be done. We are looking into the future at an event I will move mountains to prevent but I would not be being truly honest with you if I did not share with you the plan for this highly undesirable contingency.” 

Walking away from her, back turned in a subtle but profound gesture of trust he held his arms open slightly and gave a great shrug before letting them flop to his side. “You can’t blame them really, if they do chose to go that far. Born in the gutter you’re fated to die in the gutter for most of them, no matter what their skills and soul. Men aren’t allowed to climb up. Even the very rare few who become shinigami run against prejudice their whole lives and should they manage to become captain commander by some insane miracle they still don’t have any real power. No legislative authority, no ability to alter society. They have no voice. This exclusion applies to everyone of almost every class aside form a very select few. A very select few who were chosen because some absent king picked their ancestors long ago and ever since then we have been ruled by virtue of who squirted who into who’s womb more than by skill and character. True some are picked.” He said gesturing to Yue casually. “But they are only picked by men and women born into their positions. True, the system occasionally produces good results but it produces bad ones more often. Just look at the mess the Ichigawa made of it all. Sex and birth are no basis on which to run the world and these people enjoy insane levels of legal protection and privilege. I’m amazed the masses haven’t chopped everyone’s head off already.” 
 
Turning to face her he sighed but smiled and said. “But that’s a revolution I am trying to stop, as I have already explained. I appreciate the morality of it all but like you my edge is tempered by life and reality. Things become far more nuanced. I hope you can see that I’m not some mad dog rebel out to overthrow the whole order. Nor am I out for myself or my own power. I don’t serve a family, a noble house, the central 46, the king. I don’t even really serve the common man though I do hold them close to my heart. I serve the soul society. With all the paranoia, the bickering, the fear, greed, love and hate people seem to have forgotten about her. I serve the realm. Someone has to.” 

Yue accepted it well enough, nodding slightly in response every few seconds. It was the way things had always been, though. Too much equality often brought injustice despite the logical rationality of it not being so when the plan was originally drafted. There were too many examples of that in human history for Yue to ignore the possibility which in turn was already high, up to 95 percent. "I see your point but it has always been like this. People have learned to live with it. Social status is more than just a name and something that isn't as easily earned as you'd think. Yes, birth dictates your potential in life but you shouldn't think people of higher standing have it easier. Those who are born and have everything given to them on a silver platter but don't work hard for it are not only judged and ostracized by not only the rest but their own families too but are often cast away. You have to work for it. Our duty has been dictated for such a long time that sacrifices are often necessary. Sacrificies that will probably ruin [i]your[/i] life but improve others'. Arranged marriages, constant training, manners, formality, events, occasions, burials, everything. It's so tiring that sometimes I can't even stand it. I don't want to marry Ryuusei as I prefer another and I can't change the agreement nor my feelings. But it's my duty as a part of the Yukihiro clan and I can't change it. Nor can others."

"That brings me to my last point. I agree with you on social prejudice and the unfortunate reality of where you're born that you can't control. It's not fair, but nothing is fair. As long as you work hard enough, you can achieve anything. I've come across so many people with personal obstacles that they've overcome with sheer willpower. It's all in your head and it can become reality if you work hard enough for it." To many it seemed she had gotten the golden ticket out of Rukongai but it wasn't so. If she hadn't worked hard and dedicated the rest of her life to training, no doubt she'd have been cast out. It was thanks to people like Akimoto and his son, Kouta, that she had managed to succeed. If they hadn't pushed her past her breaking point, the chance that she would've been standing there having a chat with Osamu would be slim to none.