Wind's Calling

Grandfather

The string attached to Soi Feng was thin but it held the woman down as she tried to use shunko to get out of (Y/n)'s hold. "Your rotation is fluctuating," she called.
"It's not," Soi Feng yelled.
"Even the smallest difference makes it weaker," (Y/n) detached the strings and Soi Feng grunted as her body went slack. She cut off the technique, glaring at (Y/n) as she walked closer. "Sorry, it's just how it works."
"My precision isn't lacking," she sniffed.
"It's not but the output fluctuations effects rotation," (Y/n) sat next to her, leaning back and picking at the kimono she wore.
"It's not smart to put out all or nothing," Soi Feng snorted. "I don't have seemingly endless reserves like you."
"They aren't reserves of everyone can sense where I am during a fight," (Y/n) groaned.
"I guess that's one thing you have going for you though," Soi Feng shrugged. "You're harder to pin in the thick of it you're that intense." (Y/n) shook her head and separated the blades of her zanpakuto, staring at them. "Do you have bankai yet?"
"Why," (Y/n) watched the members of squad two train, scowling at how slow they seemed to her.
"They're looking for captains," Soi Feng shrugged. (Y/n) scowled and practically glared at the woman, getting a confused look in return.
"I'm not ready to be a captain and I don't want that responsibility," she stated.
"So you do have a bankai," Soi Feng's eyes were wide as she leaned a bit closer, the rings on her pigtails dragging on the stone under them. "What is it like?"
"Captain, as far as everyone is concerned I am just another third seat," (Y/n) held her hands up in surrender.
"If you have it why not use it," she asked quickly. "Train with it with me. We need to be ready for Aizen."
"As soon as you know, your whole divisions knows," (Y/n) held a blade out to Soi Feng, still watching the rest of her division. "And when your division knows, word spreads and everyone finds out. When my grandfather hears of it I'll have no choice and, like I said, I don't want that responsibility. It's bad enough a majority of the seretei doesn't trust me but in that kind of position the whole of the guard squads looks bad."
"I trust you," Soi Feng stated. (Y/n) finally looked at her, shoulders falling at the empathetic look in her eyes. "I know Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake trust you. The humans there trust you as well even though they aren't directly involved with us. Who else would you need?"
"Tell me, how am I supposed to lead a division if," (Y/n) stopped short, her eyes stinging. Her grandfather was always on about work, always in about how the 13 Court Guard Squads needed to be presented, and his behavior made sense in that moment. The only reason he put her back in her position when she returned was because he wanted them to trust her, even if the situation was sketchy. It was easier to criticize someone of higher rank for their decisions and maybe that's why he did it. More people questioned her since she was demoted, more people kept their eyes up to see what movements she would make. "Isn't that a mind blower."
"A what," Soi Feng scowled, confused by the long pause no doubt.
(Y/n) gave a small laugh and shook her head, "I need to stay in the position I'm in right now because I'm still a hot subject. I need to prove I'm not a traitor after everything that's happened." Soi Feng went a bit quiet, taking the blade that was still stretched out to her and looking it over.
"I thought he placed you there to monitor you," she confessed. "When I confronted him about why he did it instead of imprisoning you he said 'every seed gets blown away eventually, it's how it grows where it lands that matters'."
"So he hit you with cryptic noise before making me your shadow," (Y/n) sniffed. "That definitely sounds like him."
Soi Feng chuckled softly, "I wonder if he was like you when he was younger sometimes."
"Ew, don't do that," (Y/n) huffed.

The report hit the table in front of (Y/n)'s grandfather, her eyes catching only a glimpse before he picked it up. "They've launched an attack," we're the first things he said and something felt off about it. "Give Captain Hitsugaya and the soul reapers with him permission. Find out why they're attacking so early."
"Early," (Y/n) asked.
"The Hogyoku that Aizen stole is still not ready. Winter was the projected time frame," he explained. (Y/n) scowled while she stared at him and then looked to his tea that sat at the edge of the table. "Do you think they're after something else?" She jerked as he waved his hands while giving a few orders, biting her tongue as they left the two there.
"Why are you asking me," she questioned.
"You were in Hueco Mundo until a few years ago," he noted. "You know better than even the research division about hollow behavior." (Y/n) wanted to curse him out as her grip tightened on her cup.
"Hollows are individuals traditionally," she started. "Yes, I ran into groups that worked as a team but there was always some form of infighting if there was no hollow that could easily decimate the others."
"So you think this is typical behavior," he asked.
"They're organized to the best they can be," (Y/n) stated. It took her a moment to piece bits together in her mind, a hand falling to the hilts of her zanpakuto. If it was a preemptive strike it was one thing but they had a mastermind behind them so it couldn't be to prod their capabilities. "They're after something."
Captain Yamamoto stared silently before giving a nod, "They won't get it, whatever it is."
"We don't know what they want," (Y/n) said quickly. "What you said earlier about the key makes sense but they're also not ready. They probably have some way of measuring out Karakura Town like we do from Hueco Mundo so there would be no reason to go to the world of the living yet." He stayed quiet as (Y/n) glared at him, his gaze moving down to the horizon of the table that blocked his view of her other hand. She pulled it up quickly, tapping at the table instead.
"You say they act as individuals," he sighed.
"The attack from Grimmjow and his goons was to sate his curiosity about Ichigo, how much more proof of that behavior is needed," she asked.
"Your hollow was the same then," he sipped from his cup as (Y/n) grimaced from the question.
"She only wanted the rush of a fight," (Y/n) muttered. "From what I remember, most of the hollow she attacked for that rush were strong and alone."
"So then we'll take the appearances as they come," he nodded slowly. "We can spare a small game of tug of war, it'll only lead the divisions to get stronger and smarter." (Y/n)'s fingers stopped as she studied him, the tension in her shoulders falling away slowly. "Can you give findings to the research division about Hueco Mundo?"
"That'll put suspicion on me and only a few know where I was," (Y/n) frowned as he stood up, walking for the door after setting his cup on the tea tray.
"If the opportunity for us to strike a blow arises, your guidance will become invaluable," he informed her. "It's better to sip water when you're overheated than to guzzle it all down at once."