Omnikutsido (Kuro)

After having done his daily training, Ezrachek decided to go for a 8 mile run to keep his athleticism high. On this run, he began to think about his job, about his role in the soul society. Aside from a few weak missions, he never really did much other than his patrol. He wanted a change, he wanted to become a part of something bigger. Way bigger. He wanted to join an elite group of fighters, where he could truly put his skills to the test. He wanted to join the Omnikutsido! He had spent the whole 8 mile run hyping himself up for the possibility. It wasn't until the end of the run when he thought about the possibility of there not being a possibility. He eventually shook the thoughts off, finding himself in the courtyard of the squad 2 barracks.

Ezrachek sat on a bench, laying down to rest his feet. It still had yet to break noon, and was fairly early. Everyone else was getting done with their daily errands and what not. Ezrachek felt his eyes becoming heavy, watching his eye lids slowly shut. He knew that he was done with all of his duties for the day, so a little nap wouldn't hurt. His mind shut down, and his conscious removed itself, allowing a deep slumber to come over him.

"Hey!!! What are ya doing here!?" Ezrachek awoke to the aroma of a very sweet smelling perfume. He wiped his eyes and looked up to see a very beautiful lady, not far from his own age, looking quite concerned. "Oh.. hmm I must have dosed off a little while ago when i rested. Tell me, what time is it?" The girl gave a smile as he spoke, waiting politely for him to finish. She informed him that the clock had just struck 2 in the afternoon and that he must have missed lunch, pointing and giggling at his stomach which was growling like an angry animal. Ezrachek laughed and admitted that he did indeed miss lunch. She smiled and offered him some extra food that she had brought along with her. They spoke and enjoyed each others company for the time being. Before departing, Ezrachek said his goodbyes and noticed her being from the 4th squad. He had hoped he would see her again sometime and assumed she was sent over to check on him, probably as a prank from his friends in the 2nd squad.

Ezrachek turned the corner, disappearing from her sight, as he made his way towards Captain Kuro's office. He knocked twice and awaited approval for entering.

Kuro was past the days of trying to act like he'd been busy. He lazily picked himself up from behind his desk in response to the knock at his door. Walking to the door, he stretched as he crossed the space from his seat. He opened his door to find the promising new squad member he'd gone to the Rukongai with before. "Ezrachek-kun. Nice to see you again." Kuro walked back to his desk and gestured for Ezrachek to join him. He flopped back into his seat and pointed at one of the two seats on the other side of his desk, indicating that Ezrachek could sit there.

Kuro's gaze wandered around the room for a while, giving Ezrachek a chance to get comfortable. When many moments had passed he brought his eyes back to his visitor and adopted a serious look of conversation. "So how have you been enjoying your time in our squad? I'd imagine nothing as glamorous as the mission we went on before, but we do what we have to."

Ezrachek was looking down at his feet as he waited for the door to be opened, so he jumped a little when the door was suddenly opened. He walked in, bowing politely to the captain, and took the seat. He moved around in the seat, getting comfortable before looking up the desk towards Kuro. He laughed as Kuro exclaimed his opinions on their previous mission together. With a smirk, Ezrachek opened his mouth.

"Glamor? Hardly! You almost blew me up when I was saving those kids..." He paused for a moment;half for dramatic effect and half to reminisce back to the mission. "It was one hell of a mission though!" He laughed out thinking back to the hellish pain that he went through during it. He shuddered the memory off. This wasn't why he came here.

He took the next few minutes explaining to Kuro his situation about wanting to be a part of something bigger, and that he had this feeling that he had a reason for wanting to join the Omnikutsido. Something along the lines of Fate, although Ezrachek didn't believe in Fate, it was the closest comparison that he could think of to explain his feeling. He sat up in the seat, and a look of complete seriousness came across his face. He looked Kuro directly in the eyes, choosing his next words carefully. "I wish to join the Omnikutsido to better our reputation as the 2nd Squad! This isn't a resignation, but rather an expansion of my duties! I will still and always serve under you Captain! I am just here to ask you about the next steps that I must take in order to join."

Kuro thinly grinned at Ezrachek's reminiscence of their mission. It had been quite an exciting one to take a new recruit on, but no doubt it had and would continue to help him in his growth with the experience it had given him. But all traces of joy disappeared from Kuro's face the moment that the secret forces were mentioned. His grin turned into a distasteful grimace while his eyes filled with disbelief and bits of rage. The onmitsukido was, of course, a sore subject for him these days. He slammed his fist down on his desk in frustration as the thoughts of the situation surfaced again, with him being able to do little while one of his good men continued to have to hide from the Gotei's forces. A few moments later, he realized he still had company; and the uncontrolled outburst he'd demonstrated was sure to not be a comforting show.

"I apologize. I lost control there for a moment. I don't think you're well informed about our relationship with the onmitsukido right now. I need to know, how strongly do you feel about joining them and furthering your service to our squad?" An idea was starting to form in Kuro's mind, but it was dangerous. Only if Ezrachek showed a strong enough dedication could he make his decision to go through with it.

Ezrachek jumped back in his seat at the sound of a smashing fist coming down hard onto the desk. Ezrachek was completely dumbfounded as to why Kuro was showing just a fit of rage. He listened closely to the words spoken by the captain of the second squad, feeling the bitterness in the words. Ezrachek could imagine that whatever happened between the 2nd squad and the omnikutsido must have shed blood. Ezrachek could since a bit of sinister in his voice when he asked about his dedication and he knew the answer with little time for thinking. The answer had been in his head all day.

"My complete loyalty is to you and the second squad and that's all. I only wish to join the omnikutsido to better myself, and in doing so, bettering the 2nd squad, and am completely willing to step into any and all dangers that I must face!" Ezrachek could feel an excitement come into his body as he noticed that he was no longer sitting comfortably in his chair, but rather standing, towering above the desk. He checked himself and bowed apologetically, sitting down immediately afterwards

"I'm glad to hear that you feel that way." Kuro replied, his voice regaining some of its former composure. "Because danger is exactly what you will face if you wish to join the onmitsukido under its present leadership. While it is true that I have a degree of command over them as the captain of squad 2, the majority of their movements and actions stem from their commander who reports directly to the higher authorities of the Shihoin noble family and to the Central 46." Kuro paused for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. This was a lot of information to give all at once. "But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Maybe it's best if you tell me what you know. It's a big subject around the Seireitei these days, and especially within our squad; How much have you heard about Tatsuya Okibi and the charges currently on him?"

Ezrachek froze when he heard the name. Tatsuya Ezrachek couldn't pinpoint that name, but he recognized it. He rubbed his hand across his cheek as he thought to remember where he heard that name. He felt some scruffy hairs growing on his face. He needed to shave. He thought back to the time in the academy when he didnt have to shave. That was a good time, his times with his friends, Auryuu, that peculiar character Tenma, and Shakaku. He then thought about the battle just outside the hot springs. The man who had saved his can when he was badly injured. Tatsuya! That was the name that he recognized! "Tatsuya! I remember him saving me during a battle outside of the hot springs! Can't say I remember much about him or that day for that matter. I was badly injured and could only retain certain memories of that night after the 4th squad patched me up. As far as the squad relations, I only know that there is an extreme distrust between the 2nd squad and the rest of the squads. I have heard rumors about the omnikutsido being behind this distrust. I would like to know more about this, assuming that you have more information on this matter judged by the tone in your voice. with all due respect cap'n"

Kuro nodded solemnly, understanding where they stood currently. "Alright. Just pay attention, because this is a lot of information of events that have been unfolding for years." Kuro turned his head sideways to lazily stare out the window and watch the afternoon sunlight shine on the grounds. The light cast a serene effect on the room and Kuro's face relaxed as he accounted his tale, his mouth spinning the story while his mind floated away in his memories, reliving every event he explained.

"The current commander of the Onmitsukido is a man named Raiden. He's not part of the Shihoin family, but of a near noble lineage that is right beneath them. I'm sure your aware of the superiority complex that such noble individuals can have. He feels that we shinigami who originate from the peasant areas of the Rukongai should know our place and remain subservient to our betters." Kuro spoke the last word with sarcasm and disgust. He was not a fan of bloodlines and categorizing people on such grounds. He had made that known to all through his actions as captain. "It enraged Raiden to see a lower individual like me rise through the ranks and succeed the seat of the former captain. It only makes things worse that I was a petty thief and murderer from the Zaraki district before coming here. He thinks that I'm a stain on the second squad's honor." Kuro took a break from his speaking as he organized what he should say next. His mind had lots of free time in the meantime to delve further into his memory. It was true that he'd been a murderer in the Rukongai, but he'd never attacked the innocent. Murderer was such an ugly label that made any individual who got stuck with it appear heartless and cruel. Kuro had killed only out of necessity to survive, and even then, he had only killed evil people like bandits. He smirked at the hilarity he saw in the situation and continued his story. He kept his voice low at this point, to avoid being overheard by any prying ears.

"Raiden is determined to discredit those who come from the Rukongai, especially the rougher districts. To that end, he framed Tatsuya for the murder of the head Shihoin elder, who was a good friend and ally of mine. Tatsuya, who was showing promise in the ranks of our squad as his strength and talent became more apparent, was the perfect scapegoat for Raiden to use to further his plans while also removing the elder. The elder sided with me in the true meaning of honor and skill, not tied down by the old fashioned ideas of nobility. Therefore, he had to be gotten rid of. Raiden disguised himself as the elder to lure Tatsuya in and show everyone that Tatsuya was the obvious murderer, seen by eye witnesses. Even I was almost fooled by the charade. But I let Tatsuya escape when he insisted on his innocence. He's been running ever since. That you met him is a huge coincidence, but I'm sure the experience has shown you what kind of person he is. Not a murderer like everyone claims."

Kuro took a sip from a tea cup on his desk to wet his mouth which was growing dry from the long explanation. "I have few allies in my efforts to prove Tatsuya's innocence, and my enemy is a man who has a lot of influence with the higher authorities. Now I fear that Raiden has even spread his influence into the Central 46 itself and is using them for his twisted plans. They even had the woman who was with you and me on that mission, Mika, sent on a dangerous mission a while ago. I haven't heard from her since. I still hold onto hope that she's alive, but if she is, she can't get back to me. With her and Tatsuya separated from me and these new members of the Onmitsukido all around the Seireitei, my options are few and greatly limited. All I can do is bide my time until my allies increase their strength and can return to help defeat Raiden and expose his evil."

Kuro felt this was a sizable enough explanation. He stopped at this point and waited for any likely questions from Ezrachek.

Ezrachek listened in horror as he discovered the truth behind the omnikutsido. It was to the point that Ezrachek considered no longer joining, however he decided to continue, for he could prove more use as an ally to Kuro. He waited for Kuro to pause in his explanations, feeling that they weren't over. However, he did have some pressing matters on his mind. "Well if the omnikutsido is so bad, then why didn't you shun me away from joining in the first place. And i couldnt imagine that you couldnt defeat Raiden now if you wanted to. Vengeance is a powerful force Cap'n." Ezrachek paused a moment, clearing his throat before speaking again.

"With all due respect, I assume that you have only limited intel on the omnikutsido and Raiden. My proposal is that I retrieve the intel at your request during my time serving in the omnikutsido. I am well aware, especially now, of the dangers I will face. It is my way of the warrior; to walk confidently into danger, knowing that you may die, but being Damn sure that you will complete your task." Ezrachek said with a sullen frown upon his face. He knew that this could very well Mark the beginning of the end for him, but he felt that it was his duty to right the wrongs that had been done and restore the names of Tatsuya and the 2nd squad. He looked to Kuro for further instructions.

"Yes," Kuro agreed with Ezrachek's remark. "...I could probably defeat Raiden easily in personal combat. But this is much more involved politically. If I were to just storm in and kill him now, there would be no way of convincing everyone that he was the elder's killer instead of Tatsuya. I need undeniable proof to rub in his face before me and Tatsuya deliver him his justice."

Kuro stood up and began to pace behind his desk. He was still uncomfortable with what he was considering doing, even though Ezrachek was beginning to show desire to do so on his own accord. "Your proposal actually answers your first question of why I didn't outright tell you to stay away from them. If you feel like doing so, I would appreciate you joining their ranks and just keeping yourself aware of their actions. You are, like a lot of us, a native of the Rukongai and therefore would not be well received, promoted, or trusted in their ranks. But you can still keep an eye on them and find a way to warn us of any sudden moves they choose to make." Kuro stopped pacing and stared directly at Ezrachek while making his next comment. "But I do NOT want you to actively spy on Raiden. The Onmitsukido is crafty and the chance that you would be discovered doing such a thing is astronomical. I don't want you dying due to impatience on my part. We will do this carefully. You only have to keep your ears open for any bits of info that you come across, be they actual orders or the least founded rumors."

Ezrachek watched calmly as Kuro began to pace around the room. He felt uneasy about the captain seeming so stressed about such a thing... It was unnerving for him to see the captain like this. Kuro had always been calm and cool on the surface around Ezrachek, so to see him pacing made Ezrachek nervous. He froze when Kuro began speaking to him, staring directly at him. Ezrachek could barely hear the words over the sound of his own heartbeat pumping so heavily in his chest. He did, however, hear the words and he could hear the level of importance in Kuro's voice as he spoke. At first, Ezrachek couldn't fathom a response, so he nodded his head nervously.

Coming over his recent nervous fit, Ezrachek cleared his throat, along with any sense of fear left in him. "I have only one question left to ask Cap'n. When do I start?" A confident smirk came across his face as he now looked towards Kuro once more.

Kuro smiled in response to Ezrachek's confidence. "I like your spirit on this matter. But we have to plan things properly. If I were to just register you or recommend you to the onmitsukido, they would be suspicious of us and refuse you altogether or even kill you. We have to present you to them without giving any clue about our motives. I'll get back to you when I have the plan formed. But for now, I need to give you a few reminders of how to act when you're around them. First, you have to remember to not show off your skill too much. Remember that Raiden doesn't like highly skilled Rukongai people. Just try and downplay your skill level a bit and avoid his temper. Next, you can't act like your loyalty to me and our squad is high. Raiden is cautious of me and my efforts to expose him these days, and he wouldn't like anybody loyal to me or our squad hanging around him. Let me see...what else? Just make sure that he thinks that you're loyal to his cause and know "your place" and you should be fine. If needed, be sure to praise him and the other nobles."

Kuro finished and sat back down in his chair. The whole meeting had him excited yet drained. If things worked out, he'd finally have a way to keep an eye on Raiden and maybe find a way to expose him one day. "For now, just go about your business as usual. It's better that we wait for a while instead of you rushing off to join the onmitsukido right after meeting with me. If anyone caught wind of this discussion and put two and two together, things would not go well for you. I'll send my message when I have the plan for how you should join. Any more questions?"

Ezrachek nodded, having an understanding as to what he needed to do. " No further questions Cap'n." Ezrachek said happily. With a respectful bow, Ezrachek left the office to return to his barracks. He thought that he might want to stroll down to the 4th squad area and chance seeing that beautiful broad again.