Eye Spy [Urahara, Kanae]

Truth be told, Kisuke had been looking for an excuse to bother the new Combat Division Captain for quite some time. An allegedly rehabilitated criminal, freshly released from prison, had almost immediately challenged the previous Captain and seized control of one of the more militaristic elements of the Gotei. It was a situation that had turned even the most absentminded of heads, and he was certainly just a little more invested than that. But trawling through the archives had only revealed so much, and observing from afar was not going to create an entirely complete picture either.

It wasn't like she was a character of particular controversy compared to her peers, both current and previous, but she was an unknown in the modern age. And Kisuke had no interest in letting those remain in his sphere for too long. Admittedly, he had not expected to find his reason for a chance meeting from an innocent turn of phrase spoken by a rogue Shinigami. It was funny how things worked like that.

So, here he was at the Fourth Division barracks. Sat patiently on a bench waiting for Captain Kanae to show up. It wasn't like he was in a rush, anything to keep him out of the office for a few more minutes.

If Nagoshi Kanae had her way, she would never have to deal or interact with other Gotei Captains until she wanted to. In her time they were all monsters in their own right, but had eventually become complacent. They weren't concerned with each other scheming or plotting against anyone as they had all accepted the world as-is. Now, she was an extreme outlier among her peers. An ex-convict from a bygone era oft considered one far more brutal than modern times. This reputation made her potentially dangerous to them, and for those seeking peace this meant they must stay on their toes around her. All of this made her own scheming and plotting more vulnerable.

Within her squad, the Fightin' Fourth Division, she was becoming seen as a competent, if rigid, leader. Defeating her predecessor in combat had proven her fighting skill, and her initial speeches and the promotions she had given to various members proved her leadership ability. Now, as she walked through the barracks, her subordinates respectfully parted and saluted their commander. She cared little what they actually thought though as her Zanpakuto whispered endlessly about painting the hallways with their blood.

Without warning a low-ranking seated officer ran up to his Captain and alerted her to the presence of another like herself: Kisuke Urahara, Captain of the Third. At this she frowned. For no good reason could he be here. As she made her way to the man's reported location, Kanae ruminated on what she had learned of him; Kisuke Urahara, a man once persecuted and banished from Soul Society after fleeing a potential death sentence, who's innocence was eventually proven and he made his way back to the Gotei. If Kanae could be disappointed about one thing in particular, it was that he was actually innocent.

Eventually Kanae reached Kisuke sitting on a bench within the barracks. At first glance he seemed harmless enough, but something felt...off about him. It took Kanae until she had walked all the way up to him that she realized why she and Tosatsusha felt unnerved by him: He, out of all others in Soul Society, reminded her most of herself. A lurking threat hidden behind a mask.

"Welcome to my barracks, Kisuke Urahara. What can the Death Division do for you?"

A mask or a bucket hat, they were really one and the same when it came to concealing one's true intentions. Kisuke wore both with a certainly impressive adeptness and so a polite smile came easily to his features at Kanae's approach. Pushing himself to his feet, that smile soon twisted into an almost nervous-sounding laugh as she made her introduction.

"I did hear that you were giving the Fourth that old moniker. A little macabre for my taste, but it is only a name."

The Research Captain straightened himself out a little, his usually slouched posture offering him little in apparent comfort as he tried to draw blood from this stone. He certainly wanted to seem rather meek and unimpressive, that was key to his own personal strategy because coming off too strong right out of the gate might give her a little too much to work with. This was a private inquiry, after all.

"I was just wondering if you could speak on your division's activities down on Earth, perhaps enlighten me on a couple of things I heard."

And there was the cutting edge. That cold gaze as his eyes peered out from just under the rim of his hat and met her with an intensity that the rest of his expression belied. He still wore that smile, but there was something more beneath that. It wasn't all that far from the surface really.

"Surely those with the arrogance to call themselves Death Gods should not shy away from acknowledging the reality that comes with such a title? After all, death comes for you all. The Fourth is for those who accept their own eventual demise while committing fully to the role of doling it out to others."

Kanae's frozen gaze followed every movement and motion Kisuke made, observing to discern any possible or perceived weakness in the man. Though she did this with all those who may threaten her plans, something about this person made even Tosatsusha practice some patient examination. And like that, they both understood why. With a jolt, Tosatsusha invaded Kanae's conscious and issued demands to its partner Kill him. Drip acid into his prying eyes and make wish for death, Kanae. I want to lavish in this weasel's screams!

Instead of jumping to murder, or at least attempting to, a blank look overtook Kanae's face as the thin veneer protecting her plans and others from her wrath threatened to shatter. Then, as if she rebooted like a computer, the Captain returned to life and a sinister smile spread across her face and her head tilted slightly, her violet eyes trained on Kisuke's own. Pure, unadulterated scorn and killing intent radiated off her like an aura as she responded to his inquiry.

"Why, I just don't know what you mean. Kisuke Urahara. If you'd like to be more specific, I'm sure I could provide any information you need from within my office."

You all.

What an interesting choice of phrase, to choose to put herself in a category separate from everyone else. Not to mention the rest of that austere worldview. They were gods of death, certainly, but the Combat Division could at least try to look at themselves as something more than tools. But that was what she had grown up with so how could she be expected to view it differently? Kanae wanted to be a coldhearted killer, she was practically screaming it at him, so who was he to deny her that satisfaction?

"I can't imagine the Captain-Commander approves of what it will do for Division PR, but we can't expect everyone to wear cheery smiles as they march into battle."

Her initial response to his actual reason for bothering her was something a little more perturbing though. It certainly seemed like he had struck a little too close to home, but that simply meant that he would have to swing again and be a little bit more precise. Getting at her behind closed doors was a small victory, though. It would be quite awkward if they were overheard and a message passed along before they had a chance to deal with this cleanly.

"Of course, this is a matter best handled privately. We would not wish to make a scene so, please, lead on. I cannot say I am overly familiar with your barrack's layout."

Underneath a veneer of civility Kanae was an avatar of wrath. Every inch of her soul screamed in rage at this man and his apparent subtle threats. Yet she somehow found it in herself to hold it together and, with a forced smile, agreed to bring the Third's Captain to her office. It was just a short walk down this hallway, a quick right into the officers' office section, and all the way at the end of this hallway was an unadorned door except for a simplistic brass Captain nameplate on it. Kanae reached for the handle and swung the door open gently and gestured for Urahara to enter, whereupon she then followed him in and softly closed the door; subtly locking it as she did. Throughout this journey she fought a battle with herself to resist reaching for her partner hanging on her hip.

As one might expect from a woman with no worldly possessions, the interior of Kanae's office was plain. No pictures or paintings hung on the walls, her desk had a handful of work-related papers stacked neatly in one corner, and that was about it; except for what seemed to be a living cactus in a small planter in the left-hand corner behind her desk. Not a single other unique item called the room its home.

Still not looking at Urahara, Kanae made her way around the plain wooden desk in the center of the room and silently pulled the simple chair out before placing herself upon it. Now she turned her violet gaze to the man sitting across from her. After a rather long and awkward silence during which not a single feature on her face or part of her body shifted, Kanae spoke again.

"Kisuke Urahara. Kis. Uke. Ur. A. Har. A. Captain of the Third Division. Such a quaint little squad you've got over there, with your tinkering and toys. I'm sure you all believe you're really contributing to Soul Society. How nice. Now, young man, what is it exactly you've come here for?"

Following Kanae through the barracks, Kisuke did wonder what her office would look like. Were he to put money on it, it would put his own to shame with how barren it was. Of course, that hardly felt like a deduction to be particularly proud of given how hard this woman was trying to make herself entirely unrelatable. He was quickly proven right, too, as the spartan layout of his fellow Captain's quarters came as little surprise or comfort. Yet still, the man wore a pleasant smile and shied away from her gaze politely.

He did not sit yet, as she did, an eye cautiously appraising the simple chair whilst wondering if it would be better for him just to send over a suite of more ergonomic styles and save her from this suffering. But a laugh soon followed as she carefully explored every syllable of his name, her quite pointed threat bouncing off him as if he were made of a rubber that she could not cut. Kisuke's intention was not necessarily to provoke her further, though such a response would hardly placate her, he just found the bluntness of it all rather humorous. Oh, how defensive she was getting.

"My reason for bothering you today, Captain Nagoshi... Well, I was made aware of a security risk within your division. Someone whose lips are a little too loose, it seems, so I decided to inform you so that you could decide how to handle it."

A moment's pause, just enough to gauge if it was relief or concern that likely danced behind those malicious eyes.

"One Officer Tento Zefa has apparently been disclosing information regarding the hole in Africa to a rogue Shinigami. I took the time to peruse the recorded visits your Division has been making recently to Earth and noticed that this Officer Zefa has been making more than a few. Perhaps a sign of his zealous devotion to the Death Division, but quite a pairing with this additional information."

He lies, Kanae. Why would he come to you about something so minor? That infant being a loud-mouthed idiot is hardly news.
It doesn't matter. This little creep hasn't alerted anyone yet, we'd know by now if he had. Clearly he wants something, Tosatsusha.

At first Kanae remained still as a statue, not outwardly responding to this "revelation" by Urahara in any significant way. Then, clearly forced, she feigned shock by bringing her left hand in front of her mouth as her eyes widened. "Tenth Seated officer Tento Zefa? Surely you're mistaken! He's such an...integral part of the division, Kisuke Urahara." Try as she might, not even in the face of potential danger to herself or her plans could Kanae compliment one of her subordinates even somewhat-believably. Her disdain for the man Urahara was supposedly warning her about was all-too apparent.

More importantly than Tento's loose lips was Urahara's subtle revelation of having perused the travel records of the entire Fourth Squad. Including, presumably, her own. But Kanae did not intend on breaking the obvious facade quite yet, not with a man like this. "He will be swiftly dealt with. Perhaps a revisit to Living Realm travel guidelines ought to send a clear message through the Division. Only on official missions, like Hollow Hunts, and in emergencies. After all, why else would any of us visit that place?" Kanae waited to see if Urahara would hint further at his knowledge of her extracurricular activities with this final question.

Absorbing all the information that she was providing him, Kisuke was quite amused with how deep that pit of disdain seemed to run. Kanae was not the first Captain to want to hold her division to a much higher standard than most of its staff were capable of, nor would she be the last, but that alone was only half the story. She had been in prison for a thousand years, which would hardly make someone a more endearing person, but after that long kept in isolation it was almost impressive that she was still this functional. She was a walking testament to fortitude that old Yamamoto had drilled into his original cronies.

"Of course, it is a shame to hear such news concerning any member of the Gotei. Let alone one of your dear officers. We can only hope that his actions came from negligence rather than ill intent, lest greater transgressions take place. Not to mention that all of this comes in the aftermath of that terrible incident at the Second Division. I would not wish for the Sixth Division to get wind of this and turn this place upside down."

He was speaking purely of the dealings of Tento, of course, and he had no inclination that he or this rogue Shinigami had any hand in the alleged bombing, but there was always a string of coincidences that could be painted into a different picture from the truth. A finger traced along the brim of his hat, that eerily pleasant smile having finally grown a little more hollow as he spoke of the attack.

"I will leave the details to you. But I trust you will ensure that Officer Tento is not caught up in anything else."

This Kisuke was a hard person to read, even for a woman as careful and experienced as Kanae. Was he meaning to threaten? Or warn? Or both, to humble her? His true intention remained unclear to the Fourth's Captain who was beginning to see him as one of the greater potential threats to her in the Gotei. Tosatsusha would surely tell her the easiest way to deal with threats is to just deal with them, but not every Captain can be blown up. An unfortunate truth learned by Captain Hisakawa's rapid recovery from an almost point-blank explosion.

In every failure, a lesson to be learned. That's what Kanae was telling herself, somewhat disappointingly, about the failed assassination attempt. Unfortunately, failures often come with an aftermath that must be dealt with and there was the potential she would find herself in that sort of situation because of it. The possibility of scapegoating poor little Tento was an appealing idea to her, but she knew to be suspicious of it if Kisuke had meant to plant it in her mind. That at least was her takeaway from the timing of him bringing it up.

Through raucous laughter in her mind from Tosatsusha, Kanae managed a response about the whole Yuuto situation "Yes, what a shame about that. Such a shame. It appears Soul Society is rife with danger these days, Kisuke Urahara. If even a Captain is at risk, no one is safe. No matter what powers or toys we have at our disposal." Kanae knew a sharp man like this would understand the meaning of her words. Even if he didn't know about or the truth of her own dealings on Earth, it was never a bad idea, in her eyes, to ensure even Captains know their place.

"As for little Tenth Seat Zefa, if there is more to the peculiar timing of his travels and actions...I will find out. Though I'm sure he's innocent of anything nefarious, he is blemished by that corruption in his soul. Something, as I understand it, you are intimately familiar with?"