A Line in the Sand(Kaoru)

[Hirato Murano]

Again. That was the only thought existed in his mind, consciously willing his body to continue the arduous physical exertion begun several hours earlier, early enough to witness the sun rising in the east and breaking through the twilight. He was young and his body had entered its prime, but more than four hours of advanced level fitness training took a toll on anyone who worked through it, no matter how fit. Hirato breathed heavily and slowly opened his cerulean eyes to take in the scene around him, a custom-made obstacle course and fitness regimen created by the noble to test his limits and push his body to continuously greater heights of strength, speed, agility, and stamina. The regimen laid in wait for him for several days while he investigated Takashi Yukimura to the best of his ability, using formal methods, informal methods, and underground methods to achieve one purpose: learning everything there is to know about the icy man. Since Takashi was involved with Enigma in some way, one of the most reliable pathways for information was permanently closed off, to his displeasure.

The agility portion of his physical training regimen was next, easily his least favorite component of the rigorous regimen, yet one that was essential to expanding and maintaining balanced physical prowess. Both of his arms were folded behind his back and he traversed a pit full of long poles mimicking bamboo that sent a moderate electric shock into his feet if they remained on one pole for longer than a few seconds. As expected, the crimson haired man winced as the electrical shock coursed through his leg, immediately hopping to another pole and another, unwilling to risk experiencing more unpleasant electric shocks. When the muscular man finally crossed to the other side of the poles and landed roughly, mutterings of curses escaped from his mouth and the pain in his legs exploded, causing him to stumble and fall while gritting his teeth to keep the pain at bay. The pain was a reminder, a message to him not to become complacent or he would have to face the consequences of his decision.

The cerulean eyed man stood with his bare back to the main entrance to the Murano manor, running his hand across the scar that rose from the left side of his hip to just below his right shoulder and smiled slightly at the nostalgia he felt when recalling one of the crucial battles of his life and an even more crucial lesson of combat. No matter how powerful you are, you can still lose a battle if you underestimate your opponent for a second. The words sounded natural to him now, an obvious piece of wisdom overlooked by the noble for too long until it was literally beat into his body and soul by the fateful clash that threatened to take the lives of the entire Shinigami team. Hirato walked to the main bathroom of his manor and took a very quick shower, preparing himself to appear presentable to Kaoru-san, whom he had invited to the manor passed down from generation to generation in the Murano family. Erisawa, the youngest of the family pledged to serve the Murano clan, had departed some hours prior to ensure Kaoru-san arrived on time and did not lose her way in the admittedly expansive collection of noble residences. The crimson haired Captain donned some less formal robes, a sleeveless shirt and pants of a brilliant crimson that matched his hair perfectly; his cerulean eyes concentrated on the entrance as he awaited the arrival of his guest with patience.

[Kaoru Murano]

The day was a wonderful sunny one that held a bright blue sky overhead. Her injuries were healed now and she was feeling better than ever. Her thoughts were turned inwards as she followed her escort towards her new teacher's manor house. The one that was escorting her had said his name was Erisawa and that he was part of the Murano house. When she had received the invitation, she really had no idea where his manor was, much less where any of the nobles had their manor houses, really. Kaoru was not a person that was invited to such places and the only other noble that Kaoru knew of was Byakuya Kuchiki, but she rather didn't like him all that well, much less to hold a civil conversation with the man. So when Erisawa had come to get her, she was relieved to have someone escort her. Since this didn't seem like a physical training request, she had dressed in her normal blue kimono that had a black and white obi belt going around her waist. She wore socks with her sandles for this, but normally she wouldn't since she doesn't exactly like to wear so many things on her feet. Her rukongai roots showed in this aspect of herself since she went barefoot for the early part of her childhood until she came to the seireitei with Kyouya. The blue complimented her eyes and was one of her brother's favorites out of all the kimono he had made for her. While her brother was not a noble, his parents were indeed wealthy and well to-do within the first district. As such, she always had clothes on her back and was well taken care of by her adoptive parents and her big brother. Her hair was down, but had a small crimson crescent moon clip in her hair to hold her hair back to the side. Around her neck, Kaoru tied the red ribbons that held her hair bells; this hair accessory had also doubled as a neckless. She rarely went anywhere without them since they were a gift from her late mother.

Another thing that made her thoughts turn dark was the feeling of something holding her back, of something blocking her. Since she had left her zanpakto back in her barracks, her thoughts were her own now, but she wished that she had her zanpakto's quick wisdom to give her or some acute insight that Kaoru had missed. However, when Kaoru was recovering, she had quickly went into her inner world to see her masked zanpakto, to only get silence that held so many held back emotions that Kaoru couldn't help but feel clearly without the small child speaking. There was anger, an odd feeling of betrayal, confusion, and a painful understanding going through her her zanpakto's mind, though the girl never turned to talk to her. Kaoru tried several times to talk to her, but the girl would merely turn to stare silently at her and then disappear into the shadows of her world covered in darkness and red moonlight. Her brother didn't make things any better as she instantly felt unease and worry permeating his spiritual pressure. It was all different from his normal kind and gentle aura he normally gave off. He spoke to her about little things. Mostly it was about how she should take a trip to go see their parents, perhaps go see her grave with him, take a walk, go get tea, but never did he explain why he felt so different. His face, though anyone else wouldn't have caught it, but Kaoru knew him enough to notice the slight worry that still came upon his face when he glanced at her even though he quickly hid it.

Onii-chan, what are you hiding? Kaoru thought with a sigh, and soon her thoughts were running rampant again as her confusion grew over why she felt so different since her fight with captain Murano. It felt as if her power was suppressed to the point of non-existence. While she knew she still had enough to get through a fight, she could not feel the amount she had when she fought the captain. Though, even then she suspected that there was more power within her than she knew about. She wanted answers, but the man who could give them to her was keeping his hand close to his chest. Kyouya, even though Kaoru knew him better than most, had an iron clad way of keeping his thoughts hidden from those around him. It's what made him dangerous, though the man was kind and gentle. Kaoru knew that even Kyouya had his secrets and shadows, but it saddened her that he held things back from even her since over the years since they first met they became close as real siblings would.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Kaoru had followed behind Erisawa to come upon the Murano manor. Kaoru wasn't used to such grand buildings, so her blue eyes roamed more than they should have at the area surrounding her. Finally, her blue gaze rested upon the crimson-haired man she saw when she had walked through the entrance to the manor. Her nerves at being invited to a nobles home had skyrocketed, but did not show upon her face nor did she show it with her body. Her hands were folded politely in front of her as she walked and soon she was in front of the man she now called teacher. "Hello, Murano-sensei," Kaoru bowed politely as she gave him a small smile. Her blue eyes glanced at his cerulean ones before she averted her eyes towards her surroundings. She wasn't used to such formal settings, mostly the formal attitudes of the seireitei, which were admittedly different than than those of the nobles. She also was more used to the rukongai districts, but knew better than to think upon their formalities, or lack thereof. Kaoru's gaze returned to the captain and soon she gave another smile, but time it was more genuine than the one she gave before. Her mask was only half on her face right now, but still she held on to it very tightly in case. "Thank you for the invitation, sir." Her hand absently went to her neck and touched the bells around her neck. It was a gesture she picked up over the years that she did unconsciously. It was a calming gesture for her.

[Hirato Murano]

The muscular man's sharp features were plagued by a slight frown when he examined the reiatsu signature of his new apprentice, a black haired woman named Kaoru-san who seemed to wonder what secrets Kyouya-san was concealing from her, a thought shared by her new teacher. Behind those green eyes was a myriad of mysteries, a veritable treasury of information regarding the icy man and his designs surrounding Kaoru-san. Hirato desired that information, not only to better equip himself for the eventual conflict against Takashi, but so that he could understand that particular piece of the war and his position in it to protect his apprentice with everything he has. He was naturally a cautious person and prided himself on withholding his complete trust from more than a handful of individuals who had proven their trustworthiness time and time again. The crimson haired man deduced that Kyouya-san was somewhat involved in suppressing Kaoru-san's true power, perhaps responsible for the creation of the doors referenced by the woman during the pressure of battle. Of course, Kyouya-san would never admit the truth or falsehood of such accusations and for the cerulean eyed man; he didn't have to, regardless of the evidence.

A sigh escaped his form, exhausted from the arduous physical training he had just endured and mentally exhausted from what was akin to dancing around regulations simply to obtain some relevant information from the other Captains, making him comprehend exactly why his former teacher had retired so long ago and now led a simple life of drinking tea and the occasional spot of sparring. At times Hirato almost envied Daichi and wondered what would have happened if their roles were reversed; would Hirato have taught Daichi so well and shattered his arrogance so elegantly, leaving him to realize that he was nothing more than a child with a stick facing a true master of the sword? He didn't know, but somehow doubted that the person he was 250 years ago could have managed such a feat, especially for a wise man like Daichi. Now Daichi was, in his words, "a retired old man who drinks tea and sometimes chases brats off his yard", the characterization both amusing and unconvincing, for the noble accepted and realized what a war hawk his former master was and always would be, no matter his age.

Cerulean eyes opened slowly and his perception took in the signatures of Kaoru-san and Erisawa-kun, both welcome to his formal place of residence and both crucial allies in the war, in their own ways. The crimson haired man acknowledged her respectful bow with a slight incline of his head and took in her blue kimono, noticing a gleam in her eyes (or was that his imagination?) as a result of the combination of colors and hues in addition to a completely different impression radiating from her than when she was clothed in the traditional black garb of the Shinigami. "Hello, Kaoru-san," echoed Hirato, giving her a momentary smile that disappeared quickly under the guise of composure and serenity. Her anxiety was obvious to someone like the Captain of the 9th, who had developed extremely acute senses in regards to a Shinigami's reiatsu signature and could readily interpret his findings to determine the emotional state of the subject in question. It was not a conscious effort on his part to do so and existed as a subconscious perception, something similar to a "sixth sense" yet also further away from that ridiculous human concept than anything else.

Kaoru-san thanked him for the invitation and maintained all proper appearances for the meeting well, despite the fact that their encounter here was much more mandatory than it was a hospitable invite; however, he did not mind inviting her to the manor passed down to him by his parents and wished for the black haired woman to make herself comfortable in the rather large mansion which now housed her. Words of welcoming uttered forth from the noble's mouth and his eyes caught sight of the red bells always present around her neck, unable to recall a single time he had seen her without them. Hirato gave Erisawa-kun a knowing glance and he hurried off to make some tea for the only member of the Murano clan and his guest, aware that their meeting would take quite some time and they would certainly require refreshment for the lengthy conversation ahead. Taking a seat in one of the luxurious chairs surrounding an elegant table near the main entrance of the manor, he motioned for Kaoru-san to follow suit and waited a moment for her to comply before beginning the conversation at the logical starting point. "You wished to know what I would like your assistance in protecting the Seireitei from, did you not?" said the composed man quietly, speaking clearly with a tone of mild interest. She had posed the question to him at the end of their time training in the 9th Division training grounds and he had put it off, more concerned with proper medical care for his injured apprentice than other matters. "It is a lengthy story, one that begins with my time in the Shinigami academy many years ago," added the head of the Murano clan, speaking clearly in a mildly interested tone with some nostalgia seeping into his voice. As much as he didn't like to admit it, he and Enigma had known each other for quite some time, even reaching back to his time in the Academy and through to his current days leading the 9th Division following the betrayal of Tousen and Hisagi-san's short tenure filling his former teacher's position. Knowing their past was essential to figuring out what plots Enigma had for the future and how to prevent them from succeeding so that victory would be his.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru touched the bells around her neck gently as she calmed her already spiked nerves. Being around nobles was such a new experience for Kaoru recently, since she never had met any other than Byakuya Kuchiki and now her teacher, Hirato Murano. Kyouya often took Kaoru on walks around the seireitei, but avoided the area where the nobles lived altogether since Kaoru was a bit wild and they had strict formalities around this area. The bells had jingled softly as the wind moved them. Thoughts of her childhood came rushing back to her as she remembered the good memories that came along with the sound. Her thoughts then turned to her brother, the man that had changed her life forever that one fateful night. She knew that her brother was gentle and kind to all he met, but even she knew that there lay a deeper self that Kyouya hid, if he even tried since his nature prevented him from holding a grudge or getting enraged over some situation or person. Kaoru could always cling to Kyouya to make her feel better after a long and tiring day. Often times she would walk into his office and just sit behind his desk against his chair and listen as he talked with people coming to see him or as he did his paper (he did actually do it from time to time without hassle. Kaoru loved to sit in quiet places and enjoy the peaceful feeling she gained from it. It was rare that Kaoru gained such peace in her daily activities, so she would seek out the one man she knew could turn all her shadows into light, at least for a few blissful hours. Though with the recent change she sensed in her brother, she wondered if her peace would be compromised as well. That thought made Kaoru sad every time she thought on it.

Kaoru had felt more at ease as she saw the 9th captain's smile towards her when he had greeted her. She found that she liked to see him smile and had a slight blush on her face when he flashed her it. Luckily, she had bowed with her greeting and her hair had fallen in front of her face to hide the blush. She quickly regained herself as she straightened back up and then gave him a genuine smile as she thanked him for the invitation, though deep down she knew that there was a deeper purpose for this visit. She had moved her hair back behind her ear that had fallen. Her blue eyes moved towards Erisawa as the captain had seemed to dismiss him with a look. She wondered how many people Hirato had within his family. Kaoru admitted silently to herself that she really didn't know anything about this man and yet she seemed to trust him more and more. After all, he had seen a fraction of her darker side and he didn't seem to find her to be a freak or a demon as others have called her. She had listened as he had welcomed her and she gave him another smile. Her blue eyes had glanced at his cerulean ones as she smiled. She glanced over the man in front of her quickly with her blue eyes and found his arms had made her quite curious. Her eyes followed the design down his arms as she noticed they were dragons. Kaoru had to admit that she did like the design. Her eyes did travel up the captain's figure. He had strong, broad shoulders and a good figure that Kaoru found quite pleasing. Her gaze traveled up towards his face; Kaoru had thought that he was quite handsome and she did love his red-hair. Suddenly, as if realizing what she was doing was obvious, she had looked away quickly and hid her slightly flushed face with her averted blue eyes. She followed behind him quickly as he had moved.

She had followed him into a room with a large table and comfy looking chairs. He had sat down in one of the chairs and saw him motion for her to follow suit. She had sat down in one closest to him and had sat with her hands folded lightly on her lap. Her back was straight and she was sitting very politely. In all honesty, she wasn't sure what to do in this sort of situation. She was used to sitting very informally within the barracks and the seireitei since she didn't feel the need for such formalities. Kaoru would also often lay down upon the porch of her squad's barracks like it wasn't a big deal and take naps in her off times. Kaoru indeed was a child of a rukongai districts with her attitude towards formalities. Listening again to his words, she nodded when he had asked if she wished to know what he wanted help with in protecting the seireitei from. She was indeed curious about it all from the very moment he had posed the question to her. He had said that it was a lengthy story, but Kaoru wasn't worried about it since she had the entire day off from her duties. The moment that Erisawa had left, Kaoru's mask had completely fallen off since she felt she didn't need to hide around this man anymore. After all, he had already called her out on her mask from the very beginning. Kaoru had given him a smile as her blue eyes seemed to have a certain understanding within them. "Well, I've got all the time in the world, Sensei," Kaoru said as she made herself comfortable in her chair and sat back as she prepared to listen to Hirato talk. Kaoru knew that this captain had lived far longer than she did and she was excited to hear what he had to say. Though, she did understand that this was a serious sort of talk, and had composed her face to a calm and neutral expression.

[Hirato Murano]

Hirato raised an eyebrow when he sensed the sudden rush of emotion, of pleasure into the reiatsu of the black haired woman invited into his home and he watched her straighten up from her bow, understanding the reason behind it quickly. With effort, he maintained his composed expression and escorted her further into his place of dwelling, reasonably satisfied that everything was in order and seats were prepared for his guest. His eyes caught sight of her raven hair and he noticed it was down, thinking that it looked excellent that way before turning his head around to concentrate on his surroundings, one that he knew extremely well and could navigate in any condition. Erisawa-kun moved away to make the two of them plenty of tea and the noble witnessed Kaoru-san's mask leaving her completely, relishing in the sight of her true emotional self and all that accompanied it. The Captain saw another smile and obliged Kaoru-san with one of his own that lasted longer this time, but disappeared under the composed expression nonetheless.

Kaoru-san then did something that completely caught him off guard, something that he did not expect at all from her, yet did not entirely dislike or disapprove of, although his position made it inappropriate for him to approve of such an action. She openly admired him and the muscular man was certain she had enjoyed, struggling to compose himself during the obvious activity and ultimately failing, instead deciding to respond in kind to it. "If you admire me so much, perhaps I should do you a favor and just take off my shirt," said the crimson haired man quietly, with a tone of seriousness mixed with pleasure at being admired so ardently and the faintest traces of a smirk on his face. Hirato smiled openly when Kaoru-san recognized the obviousness of her admiration and glanced away, a slight blush on her face from the admiration she so intensely bestowed upon her new teacher. Kaoru-san hopefully knew how to be subtle and followed that concept sometimes, but if she looked at him like that every time they met, it would be difficult to complete the training he had in mind, particularly when it concerned mental discipline. That was a crucial skill for a Shinigami to master and that was especially true when one's opponent was an expert in psychological warfare.

The noble led Kaoru-san to the chairs and watched her nod with interest when she recalled his earlier question, one that was as mysterious as it was relevant. He listened to her words and took in the sight of her smile, wondering how exactly to begin his rather lengthy tale of the past of Enigma, or at least the portion of his past that had involved Hirato in some way, pleasant or otherwise. She seemed to have made herself comfortable and Hirato did the same, appearing as relaxed as he could when discussing past events involving someone he disdained so heartily. "The two of us entered the Shinigami Academy in the same year and we both excelled in our respective areas," the head of the Murano clan began with nostalgia, prevented from frowning by the rush of emotions that are associated with one's past. He hadn't disliked Enigma from the first time he saw him, not exactly, but he had experienced a feeling of caution and sensed a sort of dishonest aura about him, disliking that sensation quite a bit and vocally expressing his sentiments to Enigma. "He excelled in Kido and I in Zanjutsu, although they were equals in hand-to-hand combat, which I found unusual for a Kido expert," continued the cerulean eyed man eventually, a tone of nostalgia mingled with some surprise like he had just sparred with Enigma yesterday. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant memory and the nostalgia was an enjoyable feeling, yet he felt he didn't have to explain himself, not to the raven haired woman who now sat across him from and listened closely. No, she could understand him well enough for him to continue on with the tale, one of a man that would change everything for Hirato.

[Kaoru Murano]

Again this man has called me out on something, Kaoru thought with a slight scowl. She was sitting in the chair he had directed her towards and her mind went back to what he had said. They were walking, Erisawa now gone at the look of the captain, and soon her mask had fallen. This was both a good thing and a bad thing for Kaoru. Without it, she had limit to what she felt or showed to others emotional wise. She had been walking and had caught herself admiring him. He had noticed as well, and soon called her out on it, just like the first time they had met, but then it was when he had called her out on her mask. Both times unnerved her, but this time was the most embarrassing out of the two events. With Erisawa gone, Kaoru let her mask down. She had hoped that her admiring of this man would go unnoticed, but it would seem that he was a tad more observant than Kaoru and thought before. I bet I cannot get away with anything while under his apprenticeship, Kaoru thought with a scowl she did not bother to hide from her teacher. A blush still lit her face.

What threw her for another loop was when he had spoken in regards to her admiring eyes. Her scowl deepened as she blushed and turned her head away. Her black hair had lifted slightly with the sudden movement of her head and soon settled back upon her back. Her hair had reached all the way down her back and the sun reflected off her crescent moon clip, causing it to flash as if with her irritation. Her face still held the blush that was caused when she realized what she was doing. Her blue eyes glanced at him for a moment before they returned to the side. At first she couldn't speak, hardly able to form the right words or even know what to say to such a statement. "T-That won't be necessary, Sensei," Kaoru muttered as she followed him into the manor with her eyes narrowed slightly in her embarrassment. "I was merely just looking at my new teacher and wondered what the future holds for my growth in power. Nothing more," Kaoru's voice was soft (slightly rough, even), but edged with some embarrassment. Of course she was lying, but she had hoped that he wouldn't pick up on that. Kaoru had to keep strict control over herself while in front of this man, it would seem, else her thoughts and eyes may wander on their own towards things she knew she must not ever think upon. He's a noble and I am a commoner; do not think upon things like this, Kaoru! Kaoru snapped at herself in her head. Kaoru's face lost it's scowl and in it's place was a neutral expression. She remained like this until he had led her to a room filled with chairs and a large table.

She had settled into the chair she had sat in and soon waited for her teacher to begin his tale. She knew that it would be rather long, considering how much information she didn't know about this man to begin with. Her blue eyes seemed to hold nothing within them, no emotion or feeling, but that was not true. She held back for just a moment to see if she could keep control over herself while here, but found that to be too troublesome since he might call her out on it again, and that made Kaoru want to scowl again at having this man foil her attempts to hide every time they came up. Her mask, the one that she had just barely put her on face a moment ago to compose herself. She closed her eyes for a moment to release such a mask from herself, to separate herself from her past self, her chained self. I suppose I cannot hide from Hirato Murano, Kaoru thought with a mix of both annoyance and happiness. The annoyance was because she did not want to be so easy to read with others, and happy because someone actually looked at her and saw her, not some demon or emotionless shinigami that most see at first glance.

She had listened to him start his tale. Her eyes turned curious as he talked, and soon her curiosity grew the more he talked. He seemed nostalgic over such memories he was relaying to her, and that made Kaoru's face soften just a bit. Memories hold more power than one may think, I should know, Kaoru thought to herself as she cast her eyes down while she listened. They knew each other, then, his man and her teacher. She supposed that he had caused a bit of trouble for the captain. Kaoru listened on, completely silent in her actions and sounds. She brought her eyes back up to meet his while he talked. Whoever this man was, he seemed to make her teacher worried. Kaoru could only guess that this man had something to do with what she was to help defend the seireitei from. Kaoru nodded slightly, but said nothing, clearly intent on having the captain finish before she would say anything.

[Hirato Murano]

The smile widened for a moment before vanishing from the face of the man who had now assumed the position of master for the young and promising 9th Seat of the 5th Division, Kaoru Takahata-san, whom he knew was genuinely irritated at being read so easily. It was simply one of his skills and experience had improved his aptitude in it, allowing him to test out his capabilities against all varieties of individuals in all sorts of situations and interpret their emotions, which led to him drawing a reasonable conclusion from his findings. There was something else, too, but he did not know what it might be or how it contributed to her emotional state in this circumstance. Her flustered face made it difficult for him to fight off a smile and the irritation mixed in with the embarrassment compounded that greatly, yet somehow the noble managed to maintain a neutral expression and continue to lead Kaoru-san into the room where they would have their meeting. "Did everything exceed your assessment's expectations, Kaoru-san? I certainly hope so," responded the cerulean eyed man with a slightly skeptical expression on his face and a composed tone of voice, keeping his amusement regarding her blush hidden for the time being.

She was lying, of course, and in a different situation Hirato might consider exposing her untruth and further embarrassing her in his home, but recent events and her reaction to them had persuaded him to abandon that course of action and instead play along with her lie to the utmost of his ability. His eyes noticed her change in expression to a neutral gaze and he surmised Kaoru-san had decided to conceal her sentiments deep within, lest they be discovered by her new teacher. The raven haired woman sat down and awaited the beginning of his lengthy tale, outlining the portions stained by interaction with the man named Enigma and the tragedy brought into his life as a result of meeting the unreadable leader of the Rogues. Kaoru-san listened patiently, holding her comments until he was finished, and the noble sensed an unusual mix of joy and irritation from her, accepting without question as he continued his tale. Cerulean orbs met their blue counterparts and looked past them into her heart, finding what was there and turning away to conceal his reaction.

Erisawa-kun returned at that moment, hopefully distracting Kaoru-san sufficiently to avoid her detection of Hirato's unintentional journey into the core of her emotions and immediately discovering what he searched for in her heart, something that pleased and amused him. The servant set a cup full of warm tea near Hirato and another near Kaoru-san, bowing deeply before leaving again to prepare more for the long conversation. Cerulean eyes looked into Kaoru-san's blue orbs and he paused for a moment, deciding which portion of his extremely long journey with Enigma to recall next and which portion to leave until later when it was most relevant to the condition at hand. "He entered the 2nd Division while I joined the ranks of the 7th and it would be quite some time before we would see each other again" recalled the Zanjutsu expert with nostalgia, taking a sip of the tea and nodding approvingly in response to its excellent taste. Erisawa-kun certainly could make excellent tea and excellent meals, but the real appeal of him and the rest of his family was that they would serve in whatever way their master deemed necessary without suspicion.

Unpleasant as some of the memories undoubtedly were, the crimson haired man had to admit that reminiscing about his younger days made him appreciate their relative peace and solace compared to the current time when Enigma gathered his pieces to make war with the Gotei 13, really more with Hirato himself than the organization. He shook the situation out of his mind and placed his hands together on the table, facing Kaoru-san with the composure characteristic of the Captain of the 9th Division and her teacher. "By the time I laid eyes on him again, he had already deserted the Gotei 13 and killed three of his fellow Shinigami, including his own Lieutenant," Hirato said with disgust, unable to keep himself from frowning deeply and speaking with disdain concerning the traitorous and dishonorable actions of the man who turned his back on the Gotei. Breathing deeply and closing his eyes for a moment before opening them, the cerulean eyed man regained his composure and now watched the noirette sitting in front of him carefully. She definitely wondered what purpose these recollections served and why he was disclosing them to her in his private residence, although they were more crucial to unraveling the mystery of Enigma than words could express.

[Kaoru Murano]

I cannot seem to hide from this man, Kaoru thought with irritation. She was used to others ignoring her, not even looking at her fully. However, the moment this man seemed to lay his eyes on her, he seem to see right through her. He had said to her the moment they first met that it would seem she was suffering underneath that smile. He couldn't have been any closer to the truth at that moment. Kaoru had the bad habit of faking most of her smiles (and emotions in general) to suit the situation regardless of whether she actually felt them truthfully or not. Kyouya noticed her mask every time, but decided to not say anything on the subject, instead keeping his thoughts to himself. Kaoru didn't mind that Kyouya chose to keep his silence, though he did call her out on it from time to time, making Kaoru shut down emotionally and ignore him. It hurt her to see a pained expression of sorrow cross her brothers face, but she wasn't sure how to deal with it all. If she let go of everything, bad things tended to happen, if she kept it all hidden away, she was safe, but trapped within herself. Shaking herself out of her sudden thoughts, Kaoru returned to the conversation at hand as her face remained both flustered and held a scowl over having been found out with her admiring.

Kaoru admired the captain in front of her, but not just because he was a handsome man. No, she admired him for being able to keep such a composed expression and over himself. She wished she had such control instead of the random losses of control she seemed to be experiencing lately. First she lost her temper at Byakuya Kuchiki, then she lost her control in her fight against Hirato Murano, and then she had nearly severely injured Archie in their sparring session a few days ago. She desired to gain more power and strength to reign back the beast that lies deep within her soul, hidden deep, the darkness within. He was strong as well as well balanced in all areas of fighting, so she really did want to learn from him all that he knew. However, her other thoughts concerning this man did come into her mind from time to time, making it hard to concentrate on what she was supposed to do. Though, she worked hard to suppress such thoughts every time they came up...well, not every time, but at such times when other things required her full attention. When he had spoken again, they were in a room with chairs and a large table. Kaoru averted her blue eyes away again with her scowl still present on her face. "Erm....yes, sensei," Kaoru said, she was too embarrassed to say much else.

The captain and her and sat down at the table. She had sat back and made herself comfy for the tale he was going to tell, she was sure it was going to be a lengthy one. As she listened to him start, she had taken the time to pull off her mask again since she put it up to conceal her less than wholesome thoughts and hide her emotions for just a moment to let her compose herself. She listened with interest, anything to tell her about what he needed her assistance in protecting the seireitei from was welcome and she wished to know since this place was now her home and she did not want that taken from her. Growing up in the rukongai districts had taught Kaoru to value what you have before it is taken from you and to cherish every good thing that happens to you, regardless of anything else. Erisawa had come back in with tea, Kaoru automatically put up her mask out of pure habit. She smiled politely at him and nodded her thanks, and soon she was looking back at the captain to hear the rest of his tale. However, she caught the last brief look that he seemed to give her that reminded her that he could see past her mask with ease. She glanced away as she continued to listen.

Kaoru found it interesting that the man he was explaining about was in the 2nd division. She didn't think about too much what the other divisions were like, other than her brothers (which she visited regularly), and had also found it interesting that Hirato was once in the 7th division. At least I know a bit more about him now, Kaoru thought to herself. She sipped her tea quietly as she listened. It tasted wonderful to her; better than she had at her barracks and the tea shops when Kyouya would drag her there with him. Her blue eyes gazed at him as she watched his movements and expressions. This man seems to weigh heavily upon Sensei's mind, Kaoru thought with a solemn expression. She watched as he had turned to her fully at the table and put his hands together in front of him, looking dignified and composed, like one would expect a teacher and/or captain be like. His next words chilled her to the bone. This man had killed his vice-captain and three other shinigami. Kaoru couldn't help but let her emotions run themselves with her mask down, so the flash of fear and worry crossed her face as she listened. Struggling to compose herself again, she bit her lip and sipped her tea quietly. To her, he already sounded dangerous, and if he made her teacher worry, then he must be even more so than she thinks.

She watched him breath deeply and close his eyes at what she could only guess was a memory he wished not to see. Kaoru's eyes softened as she regarded her teacher, wanting to reach over and place her hand upon his to tell him it's alright, but she stopped herself from doing such actions. Now was not the time to do such things. Her eyes tightened for a moment as she looked down, wringing her hands in themselves to stop them from reaching towards him, to comfort him. Gaining some bit of her composure back, her face became serious, but still held a bit of her soft composure as well. She looked back up at the man and soon she had found her voice. "I see, this man sounds terrifying," Kaoru said, she didn't care that it may sound redundant after he had told her what he did. "Did no one go after him?" Kaoru had asked quietly, still not sure what to say. She merely listened.

[Hirato Murano]

Maintaining his composure when listening to her response was certainly challenging, but he managed to do so nonetheless, if only for the centuries of experience he possessed in the area of controlling one's emotions and harnessing their positive effects while discarding their negative consequences. Kaoru-san did not meet his gaze (or could not), but the noble decided to forgive her the falsehood and move on to considerably more vital matters that required their immediate attention. They had exchanged comments about her earlier behavior and Kaoru-san was still obviously flustered in regards to that, yet the crimson haired man would no longer address the subject any further and led Kaoru-san to the room where they would recline for the indefinite future. The black haired woman seemed very interested in his past and how it connected him to Enigma, an appropriate response to the recollections that Hirato had filed through in his mind countless times in a vain effort to discover some weakness, some flaw in the man who controlled everything in the shadows.

The youngest of his servants returned to bring them tea and his eyes took in the sight of her mask accompanying his return, inwardly sighing in response to the sight. Her mask did not truly anger him, as he had originally believed to be the case due to his interpretation of the emotions coursing through his body at the facade; instead, it deeply saddened him, not only because Kaoru-san was imprisoning her feelings inside of herself and concealing them from others, but because of the suffering caused by such an action, suffering he had seen when first they had met on that fateful night. She looked away while she listened, an expected choice since he could see through her mask without much effort at all, and he continued on, unruffled by her decision. The last of the Murano savored the taste of the tea, reminded again of Erisawa-kun's prodigious skill in the art of making tea and smiling softly as he recalled how many times the tea had comforted him in times of distress.

Hirato faced her fully now, hands clasped in front of him in an attempt to appear dignified, although the mere thought of his former Shinigami Academy student disgusted him as much as it disturbed him. His traitorous crimes also seemed to greatly worry and frighten her and the noble's displeasure only increased, his red maned head turning away due to an inability to meet her blue eyes now and to lessen her discomfort, if such a thing was possible. Discussing Enigma's past bothered him enough on its own, yet now Kaoru-san's reaction to it augmented his sense of displeasure that much more. The crimson haired man would have liked nothing more than to comfort Kaoru-san and assure her that Enigma would not harm her as long as he still drew breath, meaning every word with the entirety of his soul and heart. His expression softened and he raised his cup of tea to drink, partially because he was thirsty and partially because it was a typical action that could also serve to conceal his facial expression.

Cerulean orbs opened again to see the soft composure of Kaoru-san and watch her struggle presumably to prevent herself from comforting him, his composure taking the place of the empathic expression while he smiled inwardly at the compassionate gesture of his student. Whatever others imagined about her, her core consisted of a trustworthy and caring young woman who desired nothing less than to bring good into others' lives. Hirato nodded lightly to accept her words, although he was too focused on foiling the man's plots to find them intimidating and dwell on that, yet he could understand how someone without that concentration might be frightened by him. "Some have attempted to, but they always fail and typically the entire team sent after him disappears without a trace," answered the cerulean eyed man lightly, reciting the fact with more than a little concern at the mystery of the disappearances of the task forces. Discussing them contained a personal element and he did not prefer to do so, the subject nearing another that was central to the person he was today and how he had weathered the sorrow and disappointment experienced during his four and a half centuries of existence. "My father, Jitei Murano, organized one of the task forces to capture or eliminate Enigma and that was most likely related to his mysterious death," added Hirato lightly, his tone a mixture of sorrow and fondness at the mention of his father, yet his expression was unreadable and demonstrated neither of the emotions he was feeling clearly. He had loved and respected his father, of course, but only after many years had he comprehended the extent of his father's legacy to him and what it would mean, the complex swirl of emotions surging in the cerulean depths Hirato had inherited from Jitei.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru sipped her tea as she listened to the captain talk about his past. She found it all interesting, yet she couldn't help but feel fear for a man she had never met. Her hand gripped her cup tighter as she pressed it to her lips. Normally she could keep her fear hidden well behind her wall, her mask, but since she decided to keep her mask off around Hirato, she was having a hard time hiding herself away. Fear ran itself through her body as he talked, but she kept herself calm on the outside. No doubt he can see right through me, though, Kaoru thought with some annoyance, but soon she stamped it down to put on a more neutral face. Yes, it was a facade, but one she felt she could hold down better than what she was really feeling. She had put up her mask when Erisawa returned, but it was merely out of habit. However, she had glanced over at her teacher and soon saw something, but she didn't catch it. She wanted to know what Hirato Murano thought behind his own expressions and actions. Normally she didn't care what others thought of her, but for some reason she wanted to know what the captain thought of her.

His inability to meet her eyes when she had flashed some of her fear and unease his way had made her own expression fall a bit, but she had noticed that his own expression had softened for a moment before the expression was hidden behind his cup of tea. Her eyes had lowered for a moment before she had closed them slightly as she took a sip of her own tea. Mentally shaking off her thoughts, she returned to the conversation when he had answered her. She wished to comfort him, but she knew that to do so would be inappropriate between teacher and student and the situation in general right now. However, the lighter part of herself urged herself on, but Kaoru had wrung her hands together to stop herself anyway. Kaoru was many things, but heartless and emotionless were not part of them, though many people would beg to differ on the subject of Kaoru. Kaoru hid herself away, but perhaps there would be someone who could open the jar she so tries to keep closed in the near future.

The next words that came out of the captain's mouth had chilled her to the bone when she had asked him if anyone had gone after him. Flashes of her memory came back to light as she remembered one other shinigami that had gone rouge just like the man Hirato was talking about. This man was different, though, since it would seem he was made out of ice. Kaoru knew his name, but dared not think it for fear that he might actually show up. Kaoru gripped her hand within her lap, out of sight of her teacher's piercing and all-seeing gaze. Fear laced itself through her body, though she tried to stop it. Without her mask, she had found it hard to keep herself under her normal strict control. Takashi Yukimura had driven Kaoru's heart nearly to ice once before, but Kyouya had fended him off once the man's intentions were found to be malicious. Both men fought constantly over the well-being of Kaoru; however, she found herself drawn to the lighter man instead of the darker one. Kaoru was terrified of the man, and it would only serve to terrify her more should she find out that he was now working for the same man her teacher was talking about. Taking a harder grip on her emotions, Kaoru wrangled them down till her terror over the thought of a certain man had waned and she was better at responding now.

"I-I see..." Kaoru merely responded, unnerved and uneasy about the response she was given to her question. She reached up and tucked a piece of her hair that had fallen back behind her ear and soon she was gripping her hand tightly again under the table. Fear of this new threat and fear of Takashi had more than turned Kaoru over to helping Hirato. Anything to stop a threat. It is my duty as a shinigami, Kaoru thought with a stern expression crossing her face. She knew it was her duty to protect soul society and take down hollows and arrancar. Hirato went on; Kaoru listened patiently. She finally found out the man's name was Enigma. Part of her was slightly relieved that it wasn't Takashi. Though of course that means he's still out there, Kaoru thought with some worry, but suppressed her emotions again as she listened to the conversation more. He had talked about his father and how he had organized a task force for taking down Enigma and how that was probably related to his mysterious death. Kaoru's eyes softened as he talked about his father since she could tell that he had loved him very much judging by the tone he took when he spoke of him. Kaoru thought of her own parent, her mother named Yuki Takahata. Kaoru took another big drink of her tea to smother any feelings that may have showed, namely her own sorrow over her death and the fondness over the memories she held of the woman. "From what you have told me, Sensei, it would seem there is a great looming danger indeed," Kaoru said calmly, her fear forgotten as her feelings of protectiveness took over. Her blue eyes reflected her stubborn nature and her strong will she possessed within. "My sword is yours to command, Murano Sensei, so do with it what you will. I would do anything to protect the place that has become my home for a century and a decade....the place that has expanded my world everyday," Kaoru smiled, a true one, at her teacher and soon she had inclined her head slightly in a sort of bow to him from her sitting position. "Though I do wonder, sir, why did you not ask for the other captains help? Surely they would. I know for certain my brother would lend a hand to help a fellow captain. And....why me? I am nothing more than a regular shinigami that happened to stumble upon a gathering of captains one night," Kaoru let her questioning blue gaze fall upon the captain. Her crescent moon hair clip had flashed with the sun hitting it. "To be honest, my sword is just like any other shinigami's, and my actions in the past have proved to many that I do not have the skills to do much but get hurt and cause trouble. What I meant to say, Sensei, is that I do not see how I can be of help against such an opponent,"

Kaoru's mind flashed quickly to the mission she was sent on to a couple of escaped hollows from the 12th division labs. She had hesitated in releasing her zanpakto out of fear for her loss of control. It then flashed again to the punishment she recieved because of her actions, though they were harshly given. She thought again upon her actions and remembered her losing her temper at a captain, how she had lost her control in just a sparring session with Archie, and how she barely held on as her first seal snapped like a twig. She didn't have much control over herself these days, and that scared her. Kaoru gave a slight uneasey grimace as she then took another drink of her tea to hide the expression.

[Hirato Murano]

As he continued, he could sense the fear of his new apprentice increase and plodded through nonetheless, determined to finish answering her question. Enigma was a master of the darkness and those who had ventured into it to capture had disappeared within its murky depths, not a single piece of evidence to be found relating to the failure of their mission and the fate of the Shinigami. The Gotei 13 had deemed it too dangerous to pursue him further and written him off as a danger long ago, but the crimson haired Captain knew the truth and realized that the Gotei 13 still had no inkling about how dangerous the Rogue leader truly was. Hirato did not think Kaoru-san's fear applied to Enigma himself and instead wondered who then it might apply to, considering the man of ice he had encountered a few days ago and recalling that he seemed to know the black haired woman. Kaoru-san was doing her utmost to conceal her fear, yet he could still sense it clearly, regardless of her attempts to hide it outwardly. Enigma did not frighten the cerulean eyed man as much as he worried him, the schemes and plots hatched by the traitor still completely unknown even though the last of the Murano suspected Enigma was close to making his move.

Hirato listened to the uncertain tone of the 9th Seat and wished to reassure her, but merely settled to drink from his cup of tea and rested his hands on the table that separated master from apprentice in the home he had inherited from his parents. He witnessed a resolute expression crossing the face of Kaoru-san and smiled slightly, pleased that his new student was prepared to stand with him and defend the Seireitei against the threat of Enigma. The crimson haired man spoke of his father with love in his voice and saw the blue orbs of the 5th division member soften in response to his tone, watching her attempt to conceal her own emotions by taking a large gulp of her tea, emulating what he himself had done previously. Listening to her words, he nodded in response to her description of the threat, finding it adequate, and his deep tones echoed out in the Murano mansion. "Indeed, Kaoru-san," agreed the Captain with composure, accepting her words with a resolute expression on his face. At the sight of another one of her true smiles, Hirato found he could not prevent himself from smiling in return, liking the genuine smile of the black haired woman too much to respond in any other fashion.

The muscular man acknowledged her bow by inclining his head and heard the question she must ask, one he had been expecting ever since extending the offer to learn under him as his student and one he had posed to himself many times. His expression became composed and he took a sip of tea before returning his gaze to his student. "I cannot have anyone interfere with my work, not even fellow Captains, Kaoru-san. It is too vital," the leader of the 9th Division replied, providing the same answer to her that he had given to himself so many times and declaring it adequate. "No, you have considerable potential and I think you will become a valuable ally in this war, one I require if I am to have any hope of winning it." Hirato disagreed with his apprentice calmly, honestly praising her and stating the truth regarding the war fought in the shadows of the courts blessed by the light. The crimson haired man sipped his tea and regarded Kaoru-san with interest, wondering the reason for her apparent lack of self-confidence, even though she was gifted and certainly more powerful than she first appeared. He leaned back in his chair for a moment, before speaking again to his new apprentice. "I disagree. You're already gifted and with some training and experience, there's no telling what heights you could reach, Kaoru-san," commented the cerulean eyed man honestly, simply expressing his opinion of his apprentice without any hint of flattery and speaking with an approving tone of the woman he had chosen to instruct. Taking another sip of his tea, the crimson haired man resolved that he would protect Kaoru-san from Takashi and Enigma, never again allowing someone he cared for to be harmed, no matter the consequences.

[Kaoru Murano]

Her emotions still lingered slightly on her fear towards both the coming threat and the man from her past who had eyes like ice. Her fear stemmed from his personality and how he treated others. Takashi told her more than one occasion that they were alike; that they were both being held back from their true potential. Kaoru, in her more wilder and more expressive younger years in the seireitei, had shyed away from him, yet couldn't help but feel that he was right in some way. Deep down, Kaoru knows that she is capable of much more, but chooses to hold back. She fears her own power and the delightfully enticing words of Takashi Yukimura and his shadowed games. Deep down, she hopes that the man of ice from her past is not going to show up. Little did she know, that her worst fears would soon come true in the all too near future. She did not know who this man named Enigma was, but she was sure that if her teacher needed her assistance in dealing with this, then she would try her hardest to do whatever she could; despite her feeling like she couldn't do much in comparison to the man in front of her. Fear was the one main emotion present within Kaoru that drove her to hide herself away from others. It's also what holds her back from trusting others fully, though that has not mattered in two instances within her life.

Quickly, her emotions changed to hide, to continue to change as her thoughts wandered with the processing of new information. Without her mask, her emotions could change fairly quickly and without warning (as well as to varying levels of degree), though as she got older, it became less and less haphazardness to others and to herself. She became resolute in her actions and her new found loyalty. If Kaoru was anything, it was loyal. She was never one to leave another to their shadows if she could do something to help them. The conversation went on and she had offered him one of her true smiles, and he had smiled back at her. When he had smiled back at her, she felt her breath catch slightly, but made no other motion as to how that smile effected her. She rather liked to see such an expression come from him and wished to see more, but she knew that it was probably fleeting.

Kaoru had listened as he had explained that any assistance from the other captains was basically out of the question. After he had said such, she then wondered why since any of the other captains would have enough power under their belts to help him in whatever he needed. Sighing, she nodded in reply. "I understand, sir," Indeed she did, but still thought that another captain might give him more support than she ever could. She had went on to say that she didn't understand why he would choose her, why ask her to stay by his side in his shadow games. Kaoru didn't think much about her own power; her lack of self-confidence was merely show for others, another wall between her and the rest of the world. She knew the power she possessed, at least part of it since the rest of it was sealed away behind three doors. She swallowed hard and tried her hardest to give him a smile of confidence. "Thank you for your words, sensei, but I just don't see much of myself as others seem to." Kaoru stopped for a moment as she bit her lip and wrung her hands as she then continued and gazed up at him with her blue eyes that were filled with conflicting emotions. While she did like that her teacher thought so highly of her, she wasn't sure why such praise made her nervous. It was probably the fact that she didn't want to know that she was able to reach greater heights, to lose even more of her control and of herself with each step forward.

However, she decided to put that part of the conversation quickly behind her. She didn't want to tell him that the reason for her lack of self-confidence stemmed from fear over her power. Kaoru also made it her business to avoid the attention of anyone within the seireitei. She had went years without gaining much attention (practically none) from her superiors and even gained a reputation for causing trouble instead of her talents. She even went so far as to not take any seated positions so that she could stay out of sight. The teachers within the academy still remember Kaoru to this day and often refer to their trouble students as "Takas" in reference to her. Kaoru learned that gaining too much attention to herself brought on unwanted attention towards her power. Kyouya kept her under the radar and often told Kaoru to keep her head down and out of trouble while she was in the seireitei. When she was younger she didn't understand, but she understood more and more down the road the reasons for her brother's actions; most of them, anyway. "In any case, sir, my sword is yours to command. I shall do whatever I can to assist you." Kaoru's blue eyes seemed to mirror her stubborn nature and even had a solemn look to them. Her hands still clutched each other in her lap, but otherwise she gave nothing of her thoughts away to him.

[Hirato Murano]

His hands still firmly clasped in front of him, the crimson haired man accepted her words and heard her sigh, realizing that she might consider another Captain a more reliable ally than herself and wondered why he didn't rely on their assistance. While the Captains possessed great power, the greatest of all in the Seireitei, the war in the shadows was not about power and the Captains would likely disapprove of him developing countermeasures to incapacitate them in case they turned against the Gotei 13. Hirato trusted his fellow Captains, but protecting the Seireitei required that any and all threats could be neutralized, including former allies with considerable strength. His cerulean eyes looked up and saw Kaoru-san struggle to give him a reassuring look, taking in the expression instantly before he sipped his tea and rested his hands on the table once again to face his new apprentice. The tall man opened his mouth for a moment to speak, yet decided against it and concentrated on the figure of the black haired woman before him with his perceptive gaze. Kaoru-san was clearly uneasy about increasing her power and he understood at least a portion of the reason for that apprehension, but her power had to be greater than it was currently for her to survive the coming war.

He sensed a change in her reiatsu signature, the apprehension and uncertainty leaving her form while resoluteness and determination took their place to solidify her reiatsu and emanate a sort of tenacious energy, a fitting feel for the reiatsu of his apprentice. This brought a smile to his face as he listened to her words, nodding in approval. "For now, I must ask that you listen intently to the rest of my tale," replied the cerulean eyed man politely, taking another sip from his cup of tea and closing his eyes momentarily before digging into his memory to continue the story of Enigma, easily the most dangerous foe he had ever faced. An involuntary frown appeared on his face as it always did when he discussed the vile traitor who now threatened the peace and security of the Seireitei to achieve his own mysterious goals. "I learned much later than when Enigma defected from the Gotei 13, he wasn't fleeing to a fledgling organization as I had first believed," continued the crimson haired man solemnly, divulging a piece of information vital to constructing a timeline of the past of the Rogue leader which could provide crucial insight to his plans or a method to defeat him. Hirato sipped his tea slowly and placed his hands in front of him, completely composed even while discussing such a dangerous target who commanded a massive organization. "Enigma had built up the organization steadily and quietly since his Academy days, so when he escaped, the organization was already considerable." he added, speaking in a composed tone mixed with some surprise that Enigma had managed to create an organization of such size and scope without the Gotei 13 noticing anything. It was definitely a feat to not only organize and recruit for the organization while attending the Academy, but concealing it from the Gotei 13 was an even more impressive feat, considering the vast information network of the protectors of Soul Society.

Enigma's organization was powerful and large, yet Hirato knew that if the leader was eliminated, it would collapse under its own weight, as empires did without a strong leader ruling it wisely. Kaoru-san would be of much assistance in battling the forces of the shadows and that would only increase as her powers did, but actually taking out Enigma would certainly prove extremely difficult, due to his own power and the tactical information in his possession. A sigh escaped him and he sipped his tea, pondering this war that was only beginning against the Rogue leader and the legions under his control. His cerulean eyes focused on Kaoru-san once more and he gazed at her intently, attempting to discern whether or not she was trustworthy enough to learn this valuable information he had discovered only days ago. "I masqueraded as the rightful recipient of some extremely valuable information regarding Enigma's preparations for war," said the crimson haired man, solemnly speaking with some pride at his accomplishment. "He's trained members of his personal guard to battle specific Captains and they are certainly powerful enough to match their targets," added the noble with an uneasy tone, realizing the obvious danger of a group of individuals with power comparable to that of the Captains. He sipped his tea again and awaited Kaoru-san's response to his discoveries, expecting unease similar to what he experienced when considering a Captain level force was under the control of the most dangerous enemy of the Gotei 13 since Aizen. Enigma was a difficult opponent yet Hirato was determined to foil his plans and defeat him, casting away the malevolent shadows that would otherwise consume them all.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru listened as her teacher talked. Her hands, no longer wringing themselves in her unease and fear. Thoughts of Takashi Yukimura were pushed from her mind and fear of the power she held no longer gripped her. What kept her grounded was knowing that she was protected by her brother and could count on him to keep the shadows from her. Though, now she had two people to lean on it would seem. The shadows could not reach her now that two strong people stood in their paths. Kaoru sat with her hands folded on her lap and her back straight as she sat back against her seat. The 9th division captain was not done with what he had to tell her about the man named Enigma. From what she understood of what he said, this man was extremely dangerous and had a wide connection outside of the seireitei. Kaoru looked down and narrowed her eyes. Ice began to creep back into her heart with just even the thought of the ice man from her past. Takashi would have joined up with him, no doubt, Kaoru thought with some slight unease, but had pushed it away at the last second.

She listened further, her mood changing to a more determined mood and resolute in her actions. She once again witnessed him smiling, and ended up giving one to him in return. As she listened, she understood that he had an organization already under his belt when he had defected from the 13 Court Guard Squads. This new bit of information intrigued Kaoru since she wondered how such a prosperous rouge organization could sit right beneath the seireitei's nose without them knowing. Kaoru couldn't help but notice the slight frown form on his face. Her blue eyes merely gazed at the man that was her teacher calmly and let him talk without comment. This was his tale to tell, and she wouldn't interrupt him again. She ran a thumb over her folded hands, a calming gesture, and soon she touched the bells around her neck, another calming gesture. Both she did unconsciously and without her own knowledge. He had put his hands on the table again, and she entertained the idea to reach out to him, but quickly pushed the thought away. Other things took priority at the moment. Kaoru filed the information away in her mind as she heard it from him, taking note of everything he was saying and putting it in a special room in her 'memory palace' that was only reserved for important information. It was a room that was dark, and filled with dozens upon dozens of candles, each one a piece of information that is important for Kaoru to know. Each candle had two runes written on it that only Kaoru understood that both categorized it, and told what it stood for (what information it held).

Deep down she had hoped to gain more power. For if she was to battle the shadows her teacher was talking about, she was to be strong in order to survive it all. Kaoru's face remained blank, calm, and composed while she listened further. Her eyes had become downcast as she spoke. She was trying to process the information he was telling her. When she had looked up again, he was looking at her intently. Her eyes had widened slightly with his look, but otherwise she kept herself in check this time. Her blue eyes gazed back at his, returning his gaze without any of her earlier flustered reaction. He had begun to talk again; Kaoru looked up at him from her seat. He had said that he had intercepted some information. He had seemed proud of his accomplishment, and Kaoru was pleased to hear that she had such an experienced teacher. Information collecting seemed to be within his realm of abilities, and Kaoru was honestly pleased to know that since she had the same. Being in the 5th division meant that she was often sent on missions that required her to go undercover or listen in on others conversations or information hunting and gathering; mostly the missions were for other divisions captains, and the 5th division was often counted on to carry them out.

Kaoru had just barely pulled herself out of her inner thoughts on the current information she was being told to hear that the man named Enigma had trained certain people to combat each of the captains. This caused unease, worry, and fear to work it's way back into her emotional field and her body would be as honest about it as possible since her mask was off. Her blue eyes widened. Her hands gripped each other in her lap as she leaned forward, her crescent moon clip flashing in the light, highlighting her fear and worry. All thoughts turned towards the welfare of her brother, the Captain of squad 13. While she knew he was indeed powerful, she knew that he would also be preoccupied with trying to protect everyone else rather than worry about his own safety. Should he get into a situation where he was going to to overtaken, Kaoru had no doubt in her mind that she would throw herself in front to save him the blow, regardless of what would happen to her in the process. "So Kyouya is in danger as well," Kaoru murmured more for herself than the captain in front of her. Glancing back at her teacher with her blue eyes, now darkened slightly by this new wave of information, Kaoru had given him a nod with as much of a composed and calm face that her mind would allow her to give. "If he seems so powerful, sensei, then how is there any hope to find a means to stop him?" Kaoru asked, plainly curious as to what the crimson-haired man in front of her had planned and plotted against this man of the shadows.

[Hirato Murano]

Kaoru-san's resolve was heartening and the smile she gave in return to his own regarding the determination now clearly present in the form of the black haired woman lifted his spirits somewhat, which were slightly dampened from discussing all of this unpleasant business. He did appreciate the gesture but unfortunately could not express his gratefulness verbally to his apprentice, hoping she would notice it simply from his reiatsu signature. Sipping his tea, the crimson haired man continued with his tale concerning the greatest danger facing the Seireitei and the shadows that followed in his wake, drowning everything they touched in darkness. Enigma had already made some major war preparations, training members of his personal guard to take on specific Captains, although Hirato knew that he was the man's primary target and figured the personal guard would only serve to occupy the other Captains' attention while Enigma focused on his red haired adversary. Kaoru-san seemed to regain her composure and listen to his story, taking in everything intently despite her unease.

His apprentice met his gaze evenly, her reiatsu signature emanating composure and her expression remaining calm while her blue eyes gazed into his, their depths swirling together. Kaoru-san appeared very interested in the information he had managed to obtain from one of Enigma's subordinates, taking a large amount of measures to ensure that his disguise as the proper buyer of the knowledge was complete and impossible to see through by anyone. Information gathering was not a common activity of his, but he was sufficiently accomplished at it to warrant including it in his list of abilities usable against the forces of the man in the shadows. Daichi had taught him the ways of deception and subterfuge in addition to sharpening his blade to a razor edge and vastly increasing his Zanjutsu and Hakuda abilities, a skill he had mocked at the time but later found to be extremely useful in advancing his agenda. They could work together in that, as members of the 5th Division often went on missions involving such capabilities in their duty to support the other divisions.

Naturally, his apprentice became worried upon hearing of Enigma's plots, an expected reaction since one of the people closest to her was a Captain of the Gotei 13, leading the 13th Division. Hirato was certain that one of Enigma's personal guards had trained to defeat Kyouya-san and it was likely that individual possessed the power to do so, as only the elite of the Rogue organization were chosen to protect their leader whenever the need arose. His sharp eyes picked up on her mutterings about her brother, realizing that she was speaking more to herself than to him but deciding to address her fears nonetheless. "Well, yes, I suppose so. I wouldn't worry too much about Kyouya-san," amended the crimson haired man reassuringly, accepting the danger that hung over all those who wore the white cloak while asserting that they were in far less danger than one of their comrades. Enigma simply wanted them out of the way so his plans could move forward toward whatever end, but the Rogue leader seemed determined to eliminate the 9th Captain by any means necessary as a critical part of his plots. "Of course, I'm Enigma's primary target and he'll no doubt actively attempt to eliminate at every opportunity," the cerulean eyed man added with a hint of nonchalance mixed into his solemn tone. The threat of Enigma was something he had accepted long ago and death at his hands was a possible end of his tale, but if that was meant to be, he would take Enigma with him down to oblivion.

Hirato glanced up in Kaoru-san's direction and his gaze was thoughtful, analytically weighing the drawbacks and advantages to properly answering the question of the black haired woman who now sat before him in opposition to the darkness. The muscular man sipped his tea slowly and his eyes wandered, glancing here and there without any purpose in an attempt to find the answer to the question that now plagued him. "Well, I know at least one of his objectives and he'll have an extremely difficult time achieving it," responded the 9th Captain confidently, aware of the many defenses that surrounded his residence and the additional defenses surrounding the object of Enigma's desire hidden deep beneath his home. It was much too dangerous to place it in the hands of another and even too dangerous for any of the secure vaults of the Gotei 13 that were guarded by powerful defenses and monitored by alert members of the 12th Division. Even if it cost his life, he had to keep that away from the Rogue or the entire Soul Society would fall before the master of the shadows. Hirato knew he was a sword, not a shield, just like the noirette who sat across from him and he had made himself a sharp sword, one that would banish the darkness and cut down its vile master.