Kisuke Urahara was a very pragmatic person. Yes, he skirted the lines between dos and don'ts more than a few times and all of those times were because of pragmatic reasons.
He prided himself on two things; being logical and being a genius. But there are a few times where he would do away with pragmatism and logical standpoints just to see how original things could flail. And at other times his response would be a stark opposite of what he professed.
This was one of those times. Having spent the time that he had in studying Soul Society and its rules and history, he could almost say he could almost predict the tides and turns when the rules entangled with those it guarded. In simpler words, no one knew the taboos as much as he did. He could almost smell it in everything he did after all.
And then there were times like these; ones where he had to just sit back and watch people grapple at straws as they tried to wade through the murky seas that were the rules.
He wasn't apathetic. That would be the blight on his genius. In fact, he was highly sympathetic. After all, he more than most understood. And that was why he was always ready to give his help, mostly for free. And if he ended up leaning something along the way, well then it was rightful recompense.
Now there was a new situation with Itachi and his students and then with Byakuya and his wife. He gave little help to the former, and then the former name-dropped him to the latter.
And if he ended up gleaning up something useful or tastefully taboo between these two scenarios, well like he said, it was rightful recompense.
So now, here he was, in Lord Byakuya Kuchiki's estate, and said man was glaring at the back of his head with a calm look that only high nobles like him could have, while poor Kisuke Urahara checked on the poorer woman, his would-be patient – if he was able to help in anyway that is.
Honestly, if he didn't know how the Kuchikis behaved he would have thought they were trying to force his hand into agreeing with their demands with the way Byakuya and Ginrei stood behind him. All tense and tout.
"What is your diagnosis, Captain Urahara?"
Oh right, the woman. Well her problem was made known with the initial glance and all he had been doing all this time was prod here and there for any more exciting issues. Alas his luck was not the best. His recompense for hanging around a black cat for centuries.
"I'm sure Captain Retsu already told you this, as well as you already know, but her constitution is weak. The weakest I've seen so far, and that's saying something since I witnessed the abomination that was Mayuri's first Nemu— yeah, I'll shut up now."
Annnnnd the glare intensifies. Honestly, and it was a bit of an acquired taste, but he almost appreciated Mayuri's presence to that of the Kuchikis. Almost….well in this case almost was the same as admitting it.
And wasn't that a scary thought.
"We know. We didn't call you here to state the obvious." Byakuya spat out frostily.
Sheesh. No poking the Kuchiki-bear, got it.
"Is there a way to help her?" Old man Kuchiki asked. Kisuke noted the look in his eyes. He had the eye of someone who already knew the answer to the question he asked but was waiting for you to say it out yourself.
Scary, poor Kisuke Urahara shivered in his boots.
Kisuke scratched his chin as he came under the tight-lock scrutiny of the two Captains. Now how was he supposed to go about this?
He could play it passive, a little nudge here and a little nudge there, and watch them figure out the rest of it themselves.
He wasn't one to waddle in murky waters, unless he had something sinking.
And even if he didn't, he wasn't some heartless monster. Yes, Hisana wasn't that interesting of a test subject but he also didn't have it in him to stand in the way of young love.
Ah, the look in Byakuya's eyes. The same one that said he was one step away from his darkest days. There was no way he would want to be held responsible for snuffing that out.
"Well I didn't say there wasn't—"
"You haven't said if there is," Ginrei cut him off. "I'll appreciate it if you didn't waste our time, Captain Urahara."
Upright like always, not that he was surprised. And maybe it is about time he stopped wasting theirs. They have been accommodating so far.
"As for the matter of strengthening her constitution, it's possible—"
"What's the cost?" Byakuya asked impatiently.
"It's not a matter of cost per se, but more of what she can handle. Like it or not, she's still a fragile soul. Toeing along natural lines, there's little we can do; buy her more time, patch up the leaky works, but that's all. If she's lucky it might buy her a few decades, maybe a century if she's heavenly favored."
"You said 'toeing the natural lines', are there other unorthodox methods?" Oh, what is this? Is the Kuchiki patriarch curious? Unfortunately it was not a curiosity Kisuke was comfortable sating.
"We may or might not go against a few laws. But whatever, am I right?"
"There will not be any breaking of laws. And you as well, Captain Urahara. It will do you good to mind the words you say."
Classic threats. To be fair, he probably had himself to blame for that.
"Hear you." He took his patient-to-be arms and injected his Reiatsu into it for the confirmation of his diagnosis. "She doesn't have much longer. Not at all, so whatever it is that I can do, I'll have to get to it as soon as possible."
This got frowns from the two gentlemen in front of him. Well now that can't be good.
"Is it necessary to take her with you? Can't you render your treatment here?"
Ah. Suspicion. Another classic.
Now how should he go about with this? Did he need her in his lab? Yes. Not for any reason other than it'll make it easier for him. Was his reason equal to the suspicion of the nobles in front of him? Well, the answer was obvious, wasn't it?
"Other than the fact that I'll have to make numerous journeys to and fro, and the road, hehe, the road trip can get a bit long at times…"
Two deadpans were his response. Tough crowd. Was Soul Society this constipated? He'll have to do something about it.
"You'll treat her here then, Captain Urahara. You have my thanks for your consideration." Really? 'Consideration'. "And I'll owe you a favor if you truly help her."
"Byakuya."
Oh? A favor, now this was the kind of waters Kisuke Urahara liked diving in. The old man wasn't happy about it but the younger one looked resolute. His wife's life was the one on the line, so figures.
Kisuke, like the opportunistic genius he was, immediately latched onto the favor rope… or at least he would have if not for this pesky thing called conscience. You know, the one thing Aizen (and probably Mayuri) never had?
"Better listen to your grandfather, Byakuya-boyo." He said, the bleeding edge of seriousness creeping into his voice even as the young lord stared hard at him.
"She's my wife." That was all he said, not even addressing the part where Kisuke had called him a young boy.
"I see then." Young love. Truly a beautiful thing.
He left Hisana's side and addressed the two nobles. "I'll be going back now to get a few things. I'll be back in the evening. See you later, Kuchiki."
He didn't wait for their response before he left, already halfway across the estate by the very next second.
The whole meeting with the Kuchiki was not something he planned for. Heck, he didn't even know something was up with Byakuya's wife. He'd found out on his arrival.
'Itachi.' Honestly he wasn't all too fond of the implications but then again that was Itachi's job. To be in the know, especially when it came to the Noble Families. Yoruichi had done a good job but anyone who knew her for more than ten minutes would know that she was clearly biased towards the Noble Families, at least in her own way. Itachi on the other hand was a perfect neutral balance. Loyal to the Seireitei but not blind devotion, perfect buffer between the Families and the Court Guards – that was why the Head Captain let him have the free reign he had, Kisuke was sure.
"I'm going to have a word with him after this. He owes me, whether he likes it or not."
.
...…
.
After Kisuke was gone, Ginrei only traded a silent look with Byakuya before leaving the estranged couple to themselves.
"My lord…" Her voice was frail, so frail that it hurt Byakuya's heart just hearing it.
He was by her side in an instant. "I'm here, Hisana."
Even her smile and laugh was frail. It wasn't the soft jingle he had quickly grown used to in the small time they'd been together. It had lost its vibrancy and all it told Byakuya was that he'd failed somehow as her husband. No matter how many apologies she might offer, he'd never failed to see it as his fault, in whatever way it might have been.
"I'm so s-sorry—"
"Not this again, Hisana. I don't want to hear it, not from you." If he let her get a word in then it'll devolve into a contest of who could juggle the most guilt. They were both pathetic in that regard.
"…. Have you put thought to my request, my lord?" She asked after a moment of silence.
Byakuya nodded. "I have. I'll look for her soon. My comrade said he could make you better so you have to hold on." He held her hands close in his.
She smiled. It was still a weak one but it tugged at his heart with the same intensity. "Is that your command, my lord?"
He kissed her hand, pouring all his emotions into it as he softly muttered. "Yes. Yes it is."
––––––
Patreøn*com/QuackVader
––––––