Chapter 49: Grudges Gone Awry

"Snnn~cck~! *Ptui* The one and only. Now, are you crazy bastards starting or not?"

Shigyō Nobutsuna's incitement was met with silence and hesitation. The forces of the two main factions surveyed each other again, realizing neither wished to participate in a bloodbath. Still, this fact didn't discourage their defensive posturing. Asauchis and Zanpakutōs lowered enough to see the friction decrease. 

But one man lit the fuse once again.

"Shigyō Nobutsuna! You thoughtless fool! Inciting war?! Nothing can satisfy your whims!"

Ryōdoji Ganryū's furious face preceded the verbal scolding he gave Nobutsuna. The latter turned his head away from the center of the hill to look at Ryōdoji.

With a straight face, Nobutsuna ruthlessly fired back.

"Your mother can satisfy my whims…"

"…"

*BWA-SHUUU*

Ryōdoji's Reiatsu spilled out like a tsunami. His silent rage was immeasurable as it caused many average-class Shinigami to kneel. Unbothered by the surging storm of pressure, Nobutsuna remained seated, digging out earwax with his pinky finger. 

Ryōdoji's subordinates rushed to his side, placating the man and reasoning with him. Luckily, the white-haired captain brushed the insult off quickly. However, the grudge wouldn't leave as evidenced by his glare toward Nobutsuna. 

Blowing the earwax off his finger, Nobutsuna clicked his tongue in annoyance before leaning further into his 'throne'. His sneer flipped into a disgruntled frown.

"Tsk~. Pansies, the lot of you. So much for a good time. But man~… those two chicks got my blood pumping though. Haven't seen real lieutenants fight in a while. Phew~! Hey?! Why can't you shmucks be like them? Oi!?"

""WE'RE ASHAMED OF OUR UNWORTHINESS, SHIGYŌ-SAMA!""

Every 'piece' of Nobutsuna's throne erupted in a coordinated chorus. Their thunderous roar while impressive, added an unexpected sense of relief to the tense atmosphere. 

"Damn nitwits, this is why you gotta train and stay healthy, so you can kick ass! They don't teach you that kinda stuff in those fancy schools, we'll be doubling the training after this. Those chicks'll pass you by before you'll get to remove the bib from your dribbling chins. Oi!?"

""YES! SHIGYŌ-SAMA!""

"Perfect. Snnn~cck~! *Ptui* Nobutada!"

Nobutsuna's 'ottoman' rolled itself from underneath his legs. With a smooth somersault, a young boy, no older than 13, kneeled before Nobutsuna. His small, skinny teenage frame neared 158 cm in height. The texture of his bristly black hair was similar to Nobutsuna's, but instead of being spiked up, it was styled into a helmet-shaped bowl cut. Thick-framed black glasses rested on his nose, amplifying his twinkling greyish eyes that looked at Nobutsuna in admiration. Lacking any facial hair, a lively smile spread on the young lad's face. 

His pubescent voice had yet to deepen.

"Yes! Aniki!"

*SMACK*

A swift hammer fist to the top of the head shattered the young lad's enthusiasm. 

"ACK! Aniki?"

"Keep talking like that and nobody's gonna believe we were part of the Imperial Family! [Japanese Imperials] Who calls their uncle, Aniki?! We're not thugs! Get it straight! What am I even talking about? Haah~. Never mind, forget all that."

Nobutsuna rubbed his forehead, grumbling about his misfortune before slipping his hand into his white haori. Pinching two small slips of paper between his fingers, Nobutsuna handed the two cards over to Nobutada. 

"Here Nobutada. I need you to take these two slips of paper to that messy Onee-san over there. You see her?"

Nobutsuna pointed at Yachiru, who was still engaged in a staring contest with Chigiri. Nobutada's squinting eyes followed, finding the wild-looking woman. 

"Yes, Ani-… Oji-san!"

Nobutada's bright eyes and happy smile blinded his uncle. Unable to see past the dazzling rays of enthusiasm, Nobutsuna grimaced and conceded with a flippant wave of his hand.

"Better, I guess. Now go. Come back when you're done, my feet are falling asleep."

Nobutada gave an upright salute, puffing his chest out to enhance his 'strong' appearance. Holding his breath, Nobutada marched from the neutral territory to the center of the hill where the messy girl stood alongside six other 'strong-looking' people. Shuffling his feet, he landed in front of Yachiru, interrupting her fierce staring contest. 

After another disciplined salute, Nobutada handed the slips of paper to her. Yachiru respectfully received it with two hands while Nobutada stood at attention, awaiting her response. 

She unfolded the first card, looking over the paper. Two minutes passed in silence. Everyone was wondering what was so important on the paper that it would take so much time.

Knowing the issue, Furoufushi facepalmed and elbowed Batsu in the side. She leaned over and whispered in Batsu's ear. Hearing the details, a spark of realization shone on Batsu's face as her lips pursed. 

After learning about the situation, Batsu tapped Yachiru on the shoulder. The latter peered over, her eyes glowing with a certain emotion. Batsu gave a small smile as she saddled closer to Yachiru and started to read for the stumped, disheveled girl.

Word for word, Batsu quietly recited the contents of the first card to Yachiru. By the end, Batsu's lips couldn't help but twitch.

'Congratulations, the venerable Shigyō Nobutsuna has invited you to join the 'Imperial Crew'. The Imperial Crew operates as an organization that specializes in bounty hunting and countless combat contingencies. Further details can be discussed in person at another time.'

Yachiru and Batsu wordlessly looked at one another, their thoughts only known to them. Yachiru quickly answered once she saw Nobutada's purple face. He'd been holding his breath the entire time. 

"I'll have to reject the offer. I already have plans."

*Gasp* "U-under…*gasp* understood!" *Gasp*

Wheezing and light-headed, Nobutada stumbled in place, trying to lock his legs. A shout came from Nobutsuna, little to no urgency in his voice. He completely ignored his nephew's dire state. 

"What about the second slip!"

Furoufushi snuck up on the two girls, tiptoeing to see over their shoulders. Batsu unfolded the second slip and began to read once more.

'300,000 Kan.'

The three girls were slightly confused by the figure. Furoufushi spun her head to look at Nobutsuna, her violet eye narrowing in suspicion. She voiced her doubts, earning everyone's curiosity.

"What the hell is this?"

"The price for slaughtering a certain Shijima Matriarch… got some unfinished business with the two-faced bitch."

""…""

The hilltop transformed into a graveyard, an eerie stillness held everyone in anxiety and trepidation. His arrogant, vulgar words were taken seriously. Tensions flared once again. This time, the forces of the Centralist side were ready to tear into the lanky, laid-back man. Yet Nobutsuna was indifferent, kicking his feet up for the incoming 'Nobutada Ottoman'. 

Crossing his feet on the comfortable furniture, Nobutsuna glanced toward the Centralists' territory. He soon met the gaze of Shijima Inoue; their clashing gazes did not erupt in sparks. Instead, their glares spoke of a mortal threat, a desire to expunge the other's existence from Soul Society. Hundreds of Reiatsu ruptures started to soak into the earth, faintly shaking the hilltop. 

Fortunately, a saintly voice calmed the masses. 

"I will have to refuse that as well, Shigyō-san. I only intend to challenge Shijima Chigiri. If you'd be so kind, I'd like to request a duel at a later date."

Yachiru bowed in his direction, apologizing for not instigating a war. 

"Tsk~. Forget it. Dueling's good and all, that's fine. I'm not like those money-grubbing mercenary bastards. Need to show my men, who's who. Just let me know when."

Slivers of yellowing teeth indicated Nobutsuna's small scowl. Folding his hands over his chest, he made no effort to goad them further. Ending the exchange, Yachiru changed her course of interest. 

Chigiri's hand had been lowered some time ago. He didn't plan to act on his threats. In reality, a show of force was needed to reset the balance of power.

Shijima Inoue's intervention during his conversation with Furoufushi had damaged their reputation. Chigiri knew this perfectly well, even prior to Nobutsuna's incitements. There were plenty of vultures circling the hill. Radicals, neutralists, centralists: every camp had loose cannons that could quickly upset the balance. 

The unseen hands had been silently observing the developments, allowing the youthful blood to dictate the direction. For the ignorant, the lack of mediation was nothing to worry about. However, to those with savvy minds, the captains' lack of involvement was unsettling. 

Nothing is more concerning than when opposing sides agree on something. In all honesty, Chigiri was expecting more captains to plunge themselves into the political cesspool. His vision wandered to Yamamoto Shigekuni, a man with an insufferable temper. The man's inaction troubled Chigiri the most. 

Catching a faint sensation, Yamamoto let his instincts track down the cause. His beady red eyes narrowed upon seeing Chigiri's listless eyes staring back. A telling smirk grew under his rich mustache. 

With no outward change, uneasiness soaked Chigiri's heart. He simply couldn't understand why most of the captains remained quiet. Shijima Inoue would be pressing political maneuvers by this point, but she wasn't. A few savage captains of the neutral doctrine were studying the ongoing affair. The situation was baffling. 

Chigiri's half-lidded eyes masked the turbulence and turmoil he felt. Breaking off from Yamamoto's stare, Chigiri sought some information. 

His attentive mind was engrossed with Yachiru. 

"Your name?"

"Yachiru. Ju-… My name is Yachiru."

"I see, I'll remember that. It's too bad…"

Chigiri's final response signaled a shift in the tides. Sasakibe Choujirou's voice boomed over the hill, informing the Shinigami of the circumstances.

"The time is now 1 o'clock! Sanctioned duels are now closed! We'll be opening the floor for discussions!"

Although it ended in a peculiar manner, many Shinigami felt relief knowing their lives were safe. All camps sheathed their weapons, setting aside their bloodlust. Yachiru held her new sword in dissatisfaction. Her narrowed eyes switched to Yamamoto's figure. Unblinking, she glared at him. 

Off to the side, Furoufushi nodded in appreciation to Chika. He shrugged his hulking shoulders in understanding and spun around, leaving on his own. She then looked at the three heirs, parting her lips to speak.

"Thank you. I'm sure we'll speak later. For now, we should head back."

The three heirs all nodded in agreement and flickered away, returning to their respective clans.

**Whish**

Heaving a weary sigh, Furoufushi turned to face Batsu and Yachiru. Both were still preoccupied with their thoughts. She pinched Batsu first, eliciting a yelp of pain and annoyance. Batsu fixed her glasses, revealing a steely glare. Ignoring the sulking princess, Furoufushi slapped Yachiru on the back. 

*Smack*

"You can get it later. Let's go. I'm still tired as hell."

The one-eyed woman soothed the untidy girl and dragged her back to the right side of the hill. Batsu trailing closely behind. A wry smile formed while she watched Furoufushi yank Yachiru back to Kenji. 

"Nee-san, I'm pretty sure she can walk just fine."

"Should I pull you two by the ears then?"

"…"

No further words were needed. The two trailed behind Furoufushi as she guided them to safety.