𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒍𝒚 (𝑲𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒂𝒌𝒊) 𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 »« 𝙱𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷/ᴋɴʏ

xii.

    "If they find out, I'm so dead! If Unohana-taichō..." Yamada Hanatarō rapidly shakes his head, standing in front of the entrance to the 13th Division barracks. "I don't–I don't know what's in the message... I've got to do this, for Rukia-san."

  The rolled message written in blood weighed heavier with each tense and terrifying second that passed. Hanatarō swallows back the saliva welling in his mouth and steps into the barracks. His shaking hands make the tray of medicine tremor and clink loudly in the unnervingly empty barracks.

  This is the most terrifying thing he has ever done for someone; a person he's mostly only heard of from others until this past month. Nothing will be as terrifying as this, and it goes against everything everyone knows about Hanatarō, including his own opinion of himself.

  Why did Rukia have to ask him to do it? Why couldn't he have said no? This was too scary! This was–

  "Yamada-kun? What are you doing here?" Hanatarō screeches at the sudden voice behind him, holding up the tray of medicine above his head. He looks over his shoulder with wide eyes and sees familiar grey eyes.

  "K-Kotetsu-san! I–I didn't see you there!" Hanatarō speaks nervously before laughing. He lowers the medicine tray and turns around, forcing a smile on his pale face.

  "I-I'm here to give Ukitake-taichō his medicine..." He holds up the tray to show Kotetsu Kiyone, younger sister of his lieutenant Kotetsu Isane. Kiyone stares at him for a few seconds before grinning with a scheming glint in her eyes.

  She takes a step forward while holding out her hands. "Why don't I give Ukitake-taichō it for you? You must be really busy! I promise to make sure he drinks it all!"

  Hanatarō laughs nervously as he tightens his grip around the tray. Everyone knows about Kiyone's and her co-seat's... devotion towards their captain. Oh, why did he have to be caught by her of all people?

  "A-ah... it's okay, Kotetsu-san. I-if Unohana-taichō finds out that I didn't supervise Ukitake-taichō..." Hanatarō trails off while turning paler at the thought.

  Kiyone winces heavily at the implication and snaps back her hands like Hanatarō had burned her. She nods and smiles again, anxiously this time.

  "Ahahaha... you're right. Well, at least let me escort you to Ukitake-taichō! He's talking with Kyōraku-taichō right now!" Hanatarō yelps loudly when Kiyone grabs his arm and starts to drag him through the winding halls.

  He looks down at his covered arm, where Rukia's message sat hidden, and swallows back his sudden dread. Oh no... how can he give Ukitake-taichō the message without anyone knowing?

  Kyōraku-taichō probably won't think anything of it... but it is still a message from a prisoner. And Rukia never talked about him. Hanatarō doesn't know if she trusts the captain or not.

  She said something was going on–that someone had framed her, which–it made an unnerving amount of sense when Hanatarō took a moment to think about it. There was no talking of a trial for the noblewoman–not even a mention or a rumor. Rukia was the younger sister of Kuchiki-taichō. Even more, Kuchiki-taichō is also the Head of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans. Even if all of the evidence pointed towards the most heinous of actions, Rukia still would have been given a trial–to at least save some face.

  That meant... that meant a lot of things that Hanatarō would immediately get hunted down from both sides if he even thought about investigating. The Central 46... someone had to tell them about Rukia's crime for them to even know enough about it to sentence her execution. Someone in an incredibly high position of power. And that someone somehow knew what transpired and knew all along what was happening while Rukia was missing.