Ties of Blood

a/n: At last! I have updated this! I'll bet you all thought I had forgotten it, ne? And now, I'm devoting myself to finishing this beast, so hopefully, updates will come much, much quicker.

Thanks to everyone who's reading and enjoying! Much love to my reviewers: Ranna and Kuromei, who enjoy this despite the fact there's no porn, little slash, and all plot. -grins-

Oh, and much love to Azar-sama, my beta. Not only did she edit this, but she also wrote half of it when I had a serious case of writer's block. So be sure to give her some love, too!


Ties of Blood
Part Three

Yoruichi kept her promise. The next time she came to visit Kisuke, she brought her two friends with her. A very loud girl with a firecracker grin and a smaller girl who looked almost dainty and liked to argue a lot. Just as his sister said, they were very interesting people.

She introduced them as Kisuke stared in wonder. He knew Kuukaku a bit already since she came to his dad's candy shop sometimes, always sneaking around as though she were trying to hide from someone. She clapped him firmly on the shoulder as she usually did, loudly declaring how good it was to see him again and asking what game they should play.

Sometimes, Kisuke was a bit afraid of her. But he would never admit that aloud. And somehow, seeing her with his sister was a bit daunting. Yoruichi could be scary, too.

He'd never met Byakuya before though, and the girl who was nearly the same height as him looked him over, eyes stoically assessing. She was rather pretty in a dangerous sort of way, and Kisuke liked her long black hair. He wondered if it was soft, which bothered him immensely.

“He doesn't look interesting at all,” Byakuya said loudly, turning to scowl up at Yoruichi and crossing her arms over her chest. “He's just a runt.”

Kisuke sniffed. “You're not any bigger than I am,” he pointed out with a firm glare at the pretty girl. Where did she get off picking on his size anyway? She was just a girl!

“Now, now, children.” Yoruichi stepped between them. “How about we all play a game to get to know each other better, hmm?”

“A game?” Byakuya repeated skeptically and with a lot of suspicion. “What kind of game? And is he really going to play, too?” She didn’t need to point to show who she meant.

Kuukaku chuckled, slapping the long-haired girl across the back. “Oh, come on, Bya-bo. Does it really matter? We're here to have fun!” One fist pumped into the air as though to cheer on the idea.

She wasn't alone. Yoruichi cheered, too. And the two slapped their palms together with twin grins stretching their faces in a manner that vaguely frightened Kisuke. It must’ve frightened Byakuya too since she was suddenly closer to him.

“Aw… Don’t be that way, Bya-bo,” Yoruichi inserted with a pout. “You know that you love us. Why else would you always come play with us?” She snuggled up to the shorter girl, grabbed her for a fierce hug, swung her around, and then promptly released her back in the exact same position as before. All in one motion. All in less than a minute.

Byakuya staggered around next to Kisuke, who reached out automatically to steady her. She must have been very dizzy since she didn’t even shrug off his hand.

“And if ya don’t want to play with Kisuke, then you can just play with us yourself,” Kuukaku cut in, and her grin was a devious and terrifying thing. “We all know how much you like playing house with us. How much you just love being the mother.”

She cackled then, and Yoruichi was right there with her. Both of them looked rather manic. And Kisuke had the suddenly feeling that this was some sort of joke he just didn’t get. He cast a glance at Byakuya, who was still beside him. Only to see that her little chin was lifted, hands clenched into angry but trembling fists.

After a moment, Yoruichi shrugged and wiped her moist eyes with her sleeve. “But nah… We’ll save that for later. I actually had something else in mind.” She patted Byakuya on the head before snagging Kuukaku’s arm. “Come along, children. This way.”

With that, they both turned and started off. But they noticed the other two weren’t following after a few steps.

“Forward march,” Yoruichi ordered over her shoulder. “You too, Kisuke. Don’t make us have to carry you.”

Kisuke blinked at them, taking a moment to sort that out. But before he could even move, a hand reached out to snag his sleeve.

“Don’t leave me with them,” Byakuya whispered from beside him.

Kisuke glanced at her in utter surprise. She’d insulted him and now wanted his help?

But her big grey eyes were beseeching. Wide and impossibly large and really very pretty. Kisuke found himself agreeing before he’d even thought it through.

“Alright. I’ll stay.” Kisuke gave a shrug and trailed after the two older girls, Byakuya right beside him. “I mean, it can’t be that bad. Right?”

Byakuya just shuddered and clutched tighter.

Three hours later, he had his answer.

“What… was… that?” Kisuke panted.

Beside him, Byakuya was breathing hard, too. Both hands were on her knees as she leaned on them, gasping for air. Her face was a fascinating shade of red that spread across her nose and into her cheeks.

“That,” Yoruichi stated from behind them, barely even winded, “was playtime. And jeez… You two act like it was hard or something.”

“Play?” Kisuke wheezed. “It was… a workout! I’ve never… run so hard in my life.”

He watched as Byakuya gave up all pretense of dignity and collapsed on the ground. He was more than tempted to join her.

“Oh, suck it up,” Kuukaku retorted from nearby. “It wasn’t actually that bad. We went easy today. Just wait until next time. We’ll really show you then.”

She pumped a first in the air with enough enthusiasm that Kisuke was surprised flames didn’t shoot out. Either way, he was convinced that she was really a demon in disguise. That was the only explanation.

A few moments passed in silence. Kuukaku had wandered over to inspect the nearby signpost, while Yoruichi was picking at her fingernails. Kisuke and Byakuya were still trying to remember how to breathe.

“Ready for round two?” Kuukaku questioned as she turned back to them. Once more, she presented a demonic aura.

Kisuke groaned. So did Byakuya.

“Will you take no for an answer?” the youngest girl asked rhetorically. She’d finally regained her breath only a minute ago, and her face was still that cute shade of red.

Yoruichi pulled Byakuya to her feet by way of answer and watched her stumble. “Nope.” She grinned then, but it faltered suddenly. “It looks like that’ll have to wait for later though. Your escort has arrived.” She pointed at two people who were standing just a few feet away, watching them with interest.

Byakuya abruptly perked up. As if sensing salvation. But she deflated just as instantly when one of the people, a very tall man with a scruffy face waltzed over.

Yoruichi waved at him and whirled to grab Kisuke by his arm. She dragged him over to the stranger.

“Hey, there. Didn’t expect to see you so soon. I just wanted you to meet him real fast before you guys take off.” She shoved her brother in front of her. “This is Urahara Kisuke,” Yoruichi introduced for him. “He’s my very special friend.”

The man’s eyebrows lifted to his hairline. “Special friend… Right.”

His gaze flickered to Kisuke then, as if inspecting him. Kisuke took the chance to return the favor, studying his dark hair and eyes and the shihakushou. He also couldn’t help but noticed the placard on his arm, and he knew enough about Shinigami to recognize what it meant. A lieutenant. And judging by the kanji symbol, he’d guess the man belonged to the eighth division.

“Kuchiki Isshin. Nice to meet ya,” the man introduced, not bowing and instead slapping Kisuke on the back so hard that he nearly planted into the dirt. “I’m here for my cousin.”

“Um… Okay,” Kisuke murmured, not knowing what else to say as he found his footing again.

Judging by the man’s appearance and boisterousness, he was probably here for Kuukaku. And Kisuke actually did a double-take when he went for Byakuya instead, walking right up to the girl and slinging an arm around her thin shoulders.

“Come on, my boy,” Kuchiki-fukutaichou greeted with a nudge. “Time to get you home.”

Time froze. At least for Kisuke.

“Boy!?” he repeated in a wide-eyed mutter that no one else seemed to hear.

Kisuke gawked at Byakuya, who so didn’t look like a boy at all. Not with his long hair. Or his doe eyes and girly pout. Or the way he put his hand on his hip and tilted his chin up.

Boy? Were they sure about that one? Had anyone actually checked? And why wasn’t anyone else surprised?

But nobody else was even bothered by that statement or the implications. Nor had they noticed Kisuke’s mental meltdown. In fact, the conversation just continued on around him.

“I’m not your boy,” Byakuya stated then with a too high voice. “I am Kuchiki Byakuya. Heir to the Kuchiki clan and future head. I will one day be a taichou of the Gotei 13. You are just fukutaichou. You will respect me.”

That only made Kuchiki-fukutaichou laugh and ruffle his hair. Byakuya spluttered at that.

“In your dreams, Bya-bo. In your dreams.” He started to steer them both away but not before glancing over his shoulder. “Nice to meet ya, Ki-kun. Undoubtedly, you’ll be seeing more of us in the future.”

Kisuke just waved at him in bemusement before Yoruichi elbowed him at the second person approaching them. He was a male, too. Not really a child but not quite a man yet either. Just stuck somewhere in between. His name was Shiba Kaien, and apparently, he was Kuukaku’s older brother. Kisuke could see the resemblance in their coloration and the curves of their faces. But really, Kaien was too nice seeming to be related to the monster that was Kuukaku.

Of course even as Kisuke was thinking that, another part of him was waiting to be told that Kuukaku was really a boy, too. He could easily believe that one.

But Kaien made no mention of it. He simply smiled at the group, grabbed his sister, and was off. That just left Kisuke and Yoruichi. He half-expected someone to magically appear and whisk her off, too. And when no one came, he glanced at her in surprise.

“I’m the head of the family,” Yoruichi informed him, as if reading his thoughts. “They know better than to try to send someone.” She walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulders just as Isshin had done with Byakuya, only less violently. “Besides, I’m having dinner with you and your dad tonight.”

“Really? Why?” Kisuke questioned, and it was a legitimate one.

She rarely stayed that long. In fact, the only time she’d ever had dinner with them was the night he’d met her.

Yoruichi shrugged beside him as they walked. “I’ll be starting the academy soon. Maybe in a year or two. I want to get as much time with you as I can. You’re important to me. And for some strange reason, I like you.”

He just chuckled at that. “I like you, too. Sometimes,” he added wickedly.

She swatted at him. And pinched his cheek for good measure.

“I’m your sister. You have to like me,” she said loftily and pulled him in tighter. “It’s a requirement.”

“Whatever,” Kisuke shot back, but there was no heat to it. He just snuggled into her warmth and allowed her to lead them both home.

- - -

A year later, Yoruichi didn’t have quite as much time to visit him. She was in the academy now, and while it wasn’t difficult for her, she still had to attend classes. Not to mention run her family. Kisuke knew that she was skipping things, important things, just to be with him. And he really appreciated it, even if he couldn’t quite find the words to tell her.

He was also visited every now and then by Kuukaku and Byakuya, who was really and truly a boy – Kisuke had seen the evidence when they went swimming one day. They came by about as often as his sister did. Sometimes with her. Sometimes on their own. Just to run around and play for awhile, which was apparently not something they got to do much at home. Inevitably, Kuukaku’s brother and Kuchiki-fukutaichou or some retainer would come to fetch them though. Only for the two to reappear a few days later. Rinse and repeat.

A year passed that way. And then two. Three. Yoruichi filled her visits with stories of her exploits. Of all the wonderful and interesting and downright boring things she learned at the Academy. Of all the people she’d met but hadn’t quite been able to befriend. Her family and personal status prevented most from being comfortable around her. Prevented them from realizing just what an awesome if wicked person she could be. But that was their loss; it only meant more time for Kisuke to spend with her.

Not that he got much more even after she graduated. Yoruichi was now the second in command of the Onmitsukidoh, being groomed to take over once the head felt she was completely ready. The old man was all set for retirement and was only the nominal leader now anyway. Yoruichi basically ran things, just as she had since her father’s death. The Onmitsukidoh was traditionally run by her family, and they were just waiting for her to gain some experience.

But that wasn’t Yoruichi’s only position either. She’d actually been talented enough in the Academy that the current second division captain had taken notice. The woman had been so impressed that she’d invited Yoruichi to come serve as her third-seat. A position that Yoruichi had accepted happily. In all truth, it was the only one that she felt she’d actually earned, and she was grateful for the chance to prove herself. From what his dad had told him, Yoruichi hoped to earn the captaincy of the second division one day, and it looked like she would.

Of course, Yoruichi wasn’t the only one who had grown. Kisuke was a whole five inches taller now. Almost even with his sister. He was stronger, too. Reiatsu blossoming under the exercises his dad and Yoruichi had taught him. She claimed that Kisuke was already on par with a seated officer, and that if he kept it up, he’d be as strong or stronger than his dad.

Kisuke wasn’t sure about that last part. He liked the idea of being a Shinigami like them, but he didn’t know what exactly he’d do with it. He could join a division, he supposed. But probably not the eleventh, which specialized in combat. He could be in the fourth maybe. Yoruichi said his kidoh was good enough for it or to even join the Kidoushuu. Kisuke didn’t really like either of those options, however. He didn’t want to be a healer, didn’t have the temperament for it, and the Kidoushuu sounded boring. What he really wanted to do was tinker, work on his inventions, and create a few more of them. But none of the divisions did anything like that. They had a few groups who researched or made stuff, but they were usually small and worked on a project by project basis, dissolved once they were finished with their current task.

Nonetheless, that was a thought and decision for another time. They had another task at hand currently.

“Where are we going?” Kisuke questioned and trotted along after his older sister with curiosity in his every movement.

She grinned at him, gold eyes twinkling. “You want to go to the Academy, right?” Yoruichi watched as her brother practically vibrated with energy.

“You really think I can?”

“Of course I do,” Yoruichi responded, turning to sweep her gaze over the paths in front of her. “That's why I'm bringing you here. To meet someone very important. Since you’re from Rukongai, it’ll help you to have a sponsor.”

“Oh.” Kisuke bit his lip. “Who is it then?”

She paused to reach back and grab his hand, squeezing it warmly. “His name is Ukitake Jyuushiro, and he's a good friend of mine. We can trust him.”

Kisuke rolled the name around in his head. Ukitake was a nice name. He wondered if the man his sister wanted him to meet was nice as well. His eyes fell to his hand, where she clasped his warmly. They looked so different. Sometimes, it was hard for him to remember that they actually were related. Though it was better that way, his father had explained, since it was supposed to be a secret and everything.

“Why can’t you do it?” he asked after awhile. “I mean, why can’t you sponsor me? Anyone can once they’ve graduated, right?”

She glanced at him. Quiet for so long that he didn’t think she’d answer.

“I… You know how we have to keep our real relationship a secret?” she questioned in return and waited for his nod. “Well, that’s because it might be dangerous if people knew. If people realized that our mom… well, that she had you with the man who wasn’t her husband.”

Kisuke digested that. “Will they start to wonder if she had you by someone else, too? Will they wonder if you’re a real Shihouin and make you give up your inheritance?”

“Yeah… Something like that,” Yoruichi answered in a murmur. “Anyway, it’ll look better if Ukitake-san sponsors you. He’s a really important guy, and they’ll listen to him. Even above me. He’s been in the Gotei for a long time. Since before I was born.”

“If you say so.” Kisuke considered and shrugged. “I trust you to do what’s best.”

Yoruichi smiled at that and squeezed his hand as they walked. He fell silent, trailing along after Yoruichi with his own grin. Of course, the only reason Kisuke remained quiet was because his attention was dominated by the sights around him. He lived in the safer parts of Rukongai, but still, Seireitei was so different. And it was the first time Kisuke had ever been on this side of the gate. The sight of the huge guardian – Jidanbou – had left him wide-eyed with wonder.

He'd nearly been crushed by the massive hand as Jidanbou patted him on the shoulder, laughing jovially. Yoruichi had hurried him along, even though Kisuke had wanted to linger and talk a bit more. Jidanbou seemed like an interesting person.

Inside the gate, however, Kisuke was even more enraptured. Everything looked so different. Busy and important, especially the Shinigami, running around in their black uniforms. Some had zanpakutou and others just had plain swords that weren’t anything special. And everyone had the same subtle feeling like Yoruichi, though the strength varied.

Kisuke's head kept turning this way and that, trying to take in everything at once. And more than one time, Yoruichi had to pull him along and stop him from gaping at a practice session or someone performing magic or a few passing Shinigami who looked strange.

“What's that?” Kisuke pointed to a tall, white tower in the distance. It was huge, looming over all the other buildings and standing next to a massive, flat-topped building.

Her eyes followed his finger. “The Shrine of Penitence,” she answered, voice vaguely haunted.

Kisuke didn’t seem to notice. “What's it for?”

“Bad children who don't obey their sisters,” Yoruichi teased with a squeeze of his fingers. “Now, let's hurry. It's a bad impression to be late.”

Kisuke pouted but listened to his sister anyway. She knew better than him, at least in some things. Though he wouldn't say that aloud.

Not long after, Kisuke found himself standing in front of a quiet building. The sound of people practicing swordplay echoed from an inner courtyard. And as Yoruichi knocked on a set of double doors, boisterous laughter could be heard from inside. Kisuke's senses tingled with the feel of something wise and powerful in the air.

“Come in!” someone called out cheerfully.

Kisuke liked his voice. He sounded like a nice person.

Yoruichi grinned down at him. “Let's go, Ki-chan!” she said and pushed open the doors, only to thrust Kisuke inside ahead of her without so much as an apology.

He yelped out of surprise and stumbled inside, blinking at the abrupt change in lighting. The feeling of power lapped gently at Kisuke's skin – far stronger than his sister's though very similar in some ways. He rubbed at his eyes to clear away the dancing spots.

“Oh? What have we here?” a male voice asked, hearty with amusement.

Kisuke had the feeling that he was being appraised, eyes raking over his appearance. As the spots cleared, he was finally able to see the occupants of the room. A beautiful man with long white hair pulled back into a ponytail sat behind a desk stacked with papers. Another man in a captain's robe sat to his right, also with long hair though brown this time and under the wide brim of a strange hat. Kisuke only recognized the third man. It was Kuchiki-fukutaichou, the one who picked up Byakuya all the time.

The big man lifted a hand in greeting, wide smile stretching his lips.

Part of Kisuke's hesitance was eased by the familiar face. Still, he felt somewhat intimated in the face of these three obviously powerful men. More so since he didn't know two of them. But when he felt his sister's presence at his back, Kisuke found the courage to straighten his shoulders. Emboldened, he proudly introduced himself.

“Urahara Kisuke!” he announced with a short bow.

There was a moment of pause.

“Urahara, is it?” the man with long brown hair asked, peering at Kisuke from beneath his hat. There was something to his tone of voice, something impossible to discern.

Kisuke was suddenly less certain of himself. “Hai.”

But the man just smiled then. So did the white-haired one beside him.

“No need to worry there, Urahara-kun,” the second man said with a smile as he brushed back a stray strand of hair. “We know your father. He’s a good man. We used to work together.”

“And I do believe that I knew your mother,” the guy with the hat commented, one hand fiddling with the edge of his pink haori that sat over his captain’s one. “Though not as well as I would’ve liked. You look rather like her. The hair. Your chin. The nose. Definitely that last one.” He nodded. “Very much like Kaori-sama.”

He and the white-haired man traded a glance. But Kisuke, bolstered by this new information, perked up.

“Really?” he questioned with a bright twinkle in his eyes. “You know my parents?”

“Oh, yes?” Kuchiki-fukutaichou cut in. “I dare saw we know exactly who your parents are.”

Kisuke just blinked at them and put a finger to his chin in confusion. He scrunched his nose at the implications and put his free hand on his elbow.

“Ano…”

Another pause. Then as one, the three men's faces split into identical, goofy grins.

“Yoru-chan, he's adorable!” the big man with the hat and haori cooed, his hazel eyes gentle.

Behind Kisuke, Yoruichi clucked her tongue, and from the corner of Kisuke's eyes, he saw her place her hands on her hips. A look of chastisement, he knew.

“What happened to discretion?”

The man behind the desk laughed and gave a halfhearted shrug. “You know I have no secrets from my best friend. And I know that Urahara-kun already had the pleasure of meeting Kuchiki-fukutaichou. I trust these men, Shihouin-sama.”

Yoruichi waved a hand through the air, dismissing the formality as she always did. “And you know you don't have to call me that, Ukitake-taichou.”

“Old habits, my dear,” Ukitake-taichou – now identified – returned. “So come and introduce us officially. Some of us are still in the dark.”

“What happened to no secrets?” Yoruichi countered, but she lifted her hands and placed them on Kisuke's shoulders, squeezing noticeably. “Kisuke, this is Kyouraku Shunsui, head of the eighth division. And that’s Ukitake-taichou of the thirteenth. And you already know Isshin. He’s the fukutaichou of the eighth, remember?”

“Nice to meet you.” Dragging up every bit of formality that his sister had drilled into him, Kisuke bowed again.

Kyouraku-taichou made a noise of amusement. “None of that now, Ki-kun. We’re all friends here. You can call me Shunsui. Just about everyone else does. Or Shun-kun if you want.”

“Ano…” Kisuke blinked at him and glanced at Yoruichi, but she just smiled. “Okay, Shunsui-san.”

Ukitake-taichou laughed outright. “He’s got you there, Shun. So much more formal than Yoruichi-san. Are you absolutely certain he’s an Urahara? He sounds much more like Byakuya-bo.”

“I’m sure,” Yoruichi replied with a grin. “He’s just nervous. Aren’t you?” She elbowed her brother in the back and bumped him forward a step.

“Maybe…” Kisuke admitted, not looking at anyone in particular.

That earned him another round of chortles, and Ukitake-taichou came around his desk to stand in front of him. He peered down at Kisuke with a smile and put a hand on his arm.

“How about some tea, ne? And you can tell me about yourself.” He stared to steer Kisuke to a low table in the corner. “Yoruichi-san has been surprisingly sparing in the details. I think she was afraid of bragging too much.”

Kisuke’s grey eyes widened. “She brags about me?”

“Every time your name is so much as mentioned,” Ukitake-taichou told him, gesturing for the boy to take the seat next to him. “Though I have to admit it isn’t as much as either she or I would like.”

Kisuke felt himself flush at that, at the man’s kind tone. He shifted awkwardly as the captain continued to beam at him.

Kisuke blinked up with surprise when Isshin-san set down a tray and tea set on the table. He hadn’t even seen the man leave to fetch it. But Isshin-san just grinned at him and started setting out cups and plates, settling in the seat opposite Ukitake-taichou while Shunsui-san sat on his right. That left Yoruichi to slip in next to Kisuke himself, sharing his fourth of the table. She found his hand beneath the table and laced their fingers together.

“So tell me about yourself,” Ukitake-taichou gently ordered and filled up a plate with something that vaguely resembled a cracker only bigger. He pushed it towards Kisuke with a lifted brow. “What sort of things do you like?”

That was probably a bad conversation-starter. Or perhaps a very good one depending on the perspective.

Either way, Kisuke’s eyes took on a particular gleam. And he launched into a description of his inventions. Of their designs, purposes, and tendency to explode. He even brought out one of them, a prototype, to show. It worked beautiful for all of a minute before letting out a puff of smoke in Shunsui-san’s face. His eyebrows were scorched, but he tugged his hat further on his head and to safety.

“I’m sorry! I’m still working on it,” Kisuke admitted sheepishly and cringed when the man looked at him.

Shunsui-san just laughed, a deep belly laugh that resounded around the room. “None of that now. I’m not mad. But it takes guts to blow up something in the face of a captain.” He beamed at Kisuke. “I like you. You’ve got spirit.” He was still chuckling as he studied Kisuke with eyes that were all too knowing. “I think that we’ll keep him. Eh, Jyuu?”

“I think that’s a splendid idea. He’s much too cute to give back.” Ukitake-taichou winked at Kisuke and smiled when that earned him a blush.

There was silence for a minute as they sipped their tea and ate their snacks. Kisuke was helping himself to a few more when Yoruichi nudged him, and he glanced up to see Shunsui-san inspecting him from across the table again. But it wasn’t a bad look. Just contemplative.

“You want to go to the Academy, right?” the man questioned then, taking Kisuke’s cup to pour him more tea.

“Hai.”

“Well, I think that I can help you with that,” Shunsui-san said brightly. “I’d very much like to sponsor you. You’ve got spunk. The Academy and Gotei 13 need more of that.”

Kisuke started and stared that the man. He honestly didn’t know what to say. He’d thought that Ukitake-taichou was supposed to sponsor him, and now, Shunsui-san wanted to instead?

“I… Thank you.”

He nearly jumped to his feet to give a little bow, but Yoruichi’s hand on his leg kept him in place. Kisuke had to settle for dipping his head in gratitude.

“Oh, don’t thank us just yet,” Ukitake-taichou inserted and reached over to touch him on the shoulder with a hand that was warm even through the fabric. “The Academy is hard work. The Gotei 13, too. But I think that you’ll make it.”

He grinned then. Boyish and open and so wonderfully honest. Kisuke couldn’t help but grin back.

* * * *

a/n: And a bit more background is filled in. Little by little, these snapshots will hopefully fill in some of the missing blanks in The Butterfly Effect.

I do hope you are enjoying this speculation on my part. Even the part where I'm taking a wild stab at making Isshin a Kuchiki. I couldn't resist.

*Grins* See you next time!