Keiko was much younger and much farther behind any of her brothers in terms of power. She had very little authority when it came to family matters, although her name alone granted her nobility status everywhere else. She hated it. She hated her family and despised everything her father stood for. He was cruel and callous. The only nice thing he had done for her recently was chastise her elder brother when he decided to raise a hand to her face. Now, she was stuck with a red cheek and an ugly swollen lump. Of course, she was told to lie and say she had just been a clumsy little girl. Couldn’t have her father’s reputation tarnished in broad daylight. She was supposed to hold an air of elegance and she could never speak out against him so harshly. However, he hardly paid her any mind and she could complain all she wanted to Jinnosuke. He was her only true brother anyway. He was much nicer than the others, but she didn’t quite get how. How could he be so kind after living with them for all these years? It was never ending.

So, Keiko sat on the steps leading up to the Squad 8 barracks waiting for her brother’s return. She nursed her cheek with a bag of ice and a fiercely pouting lip. Where did he go? Why was it taking so long to come back? Keiko would groan, hum, and moan as she turned her eyes to the sky. It was bright. It was sunny. It was just a normal day, but it felt like the worst. It felt lonely and irritating. Would anyone even believe her story? Well, she was young. They probably just assumed she was clumsy and falling into the corner of the wall was a feasible answer. Whatever. Jinno would believe her… right?

Jinno was… conflicted to say the least. Recent events had shaken him no doubt, but the boon granted was beyond expectations. Onimaru had chosen him at the moment of his brother’s death. He clutched the ancient zanpakuto tightly as he rushed towards the 8th Division Barracks. Certain that the fallout from this would reach there eventually, he needed to warn Captain Shiba and check up on Keiko. The others couldn’t know who the blade ended up with, and as unlikely as it was the others were certain to beeline there, just in case.

It had been a long time since the wielder had been chosen by the blade, more often it passed through familial bloodshed and violence. Jinnosuke could feel this violence emanate from the weapon, unbound as it was.

He crossed the threshold and guards with a swift wave, reassured that his little sister was alright. Fortunately, the girl had taken to sitting on the stairs leading into the building itself. “Keiko!” He seemed relieved.

Though she wouldn’t have to ask, every Moriyama knew that blade. Keiko was a clever girl; she would know what it meant that it was in his possession. It was unlikely that Jinno would have taken on Shinsuke himself, but their oldest brother was no longer with them. “Are you alright? Have you seen any of them?”

He frowned when he noticed the wound. “Keiko, who was it?” Jinno felt an unusual welling of anger, that he did well to suppress. The worry on his face was clear enough though. “Let’s get inside, quickly. We’ll get that looked at." His concern for Keiko outweighed some stupid sword. He could deal with that later.

She could hear his voice and he was much more excited to see her than she had anticipated, but she wasn’t so sure excited was the word. He seemed a bit on edge or perhaps, relieved about something. Why was he so worried about her? What was he doing while he was away? The girl would stand from her seat on the steps as he came closer to her. Her mind and heart stopped when she felt a familiar presence. Her eyes lingered to the blade Jinnosuke was carrying. How did he get that? He must have gotten it from Shinsuke, but that couldn’t have been possible… unless. Her eyes drifted from the blade to her only true brother, but why would he do that? Keiko hated their family as much as the next Moriyama spawn, but it didn’t make sense that he would do anything to harm the others. What did this mean for her? What would father say? He knew they were in the same squad. Would he blame her too? As he asked her questions, she hardly seemed to move, but she would eventually shake her head “no”.

Keiko would listen to her brother ask more questions, but what was she supposed to say? She trusted Jinno more than anyone else, but this was unfathomable. Eventually, Keiko would turn her eyes away from his blade and look up to greet his face. ”Well… father said I should tell you that I fell down like the clumsy, little girl I am…” Keiko would mumble as her eyes flickered between somewhere in the distance and Jinnosuke’s face, ”I upset one of our brothers.” She was never the type to look anyone in the eye. It must have come from the ever-looming anxiety she felt in her heart. ”I think it’s not really important. It’ll just go away,” she would admit with a deep sigh remembering all of the vulgar things she was called. In all honesty, she was less worried about that and more concerned that maybe… Jinno was becoming like them. ”Why did you do it?” Keiko would whisper as she turned her head down to look at her feet. Hopefully, she wasn’t crossing a line. She wasn’t intending to be punished twice in one day.

Jinnosuke couldn’t help but notice the lingering glance towards Onimaru. He had no doubt Keiko was uninterested in claiming the blade herself, rather she must be putting the pieces together and coming up with the worst interpretation of events. Not that he could blame her for doing so.

Keiko’s answer wasn’t what he wanted to hear, however, at the least she was honest about being told to lie. “That’s not the point Keiko.” Jinno’s frustration in her reluctance to provide a name was palpable, as much as he tried to suppress it. “Upsetting them doesn’t give them the right to hit you.” He wasn’t sure what the solution to that particular problem was though. He was hardly in a position to order them around.

He frowned at the question, having expected it from the first glance to his new Zanpakuto. “I didn’t… Shinsuke is dead, but I didn’t kill him.” Jinno tried to reassure her, he was all too aware how it must look. “The blade chooses who to go to, and It chose me. I don't know why” He was describing a rare event in the Moriyama clan, the slaying of Onimaru’s wielder had historically been committed by fellow clansmen. To think that any Shinigami could match their older brother was hard to believe. “He was challenged for his title and lost. You know how it goes with being Kenpachi”

It was an inevitability from leading the Fifth Division to die in battle, be it against hollows or a fellow Shinigami. Retirement wasn’t an option. “I know how it sounds, but I wanted no part of this.” He admitted, letting her process and make her own determination.

Keiko never needed the family blade and she certainly wouldn’t abandon her own Zanpakuto for something so trivial. She had plenty of brothers to fight over something that would only remind her of the pain of never being a real part of the family. Well, in any case, it seemed that Jinnosuke cared about her, although she couldn’t say that she ever doubted him. She was doubting him right now, even as he said they should never treat her the way they had. ”Father just said not visible. Appearing as a noble lady is the most important. If I can’t do that, then what am I even here for? Soul King knows I’ll never be gifted like the rest of you.” When she spoke, she would say it in a mocking tone that resembled the deepness of the older man’s voice. In all honesty, she only seemed to be allowed to stay because the people adored her. She was a young noble, so she was the equivalent of a human idol in some cases. Keiko knew she could only do what her father wanted or else the consequences could be dire.

Even as the girl’s eyes stayed turned to the ground, Jinno responded in the most conflicted tone. He sounded truthful and desperate for her to know that he wouldn’t lie. He explained every detail and even admitted he didn’t know why the blade wanted him. It was a good question, but why wouldn’t the blade want him? If she remembered correctly, it made people go crazy and he was the only one of her brothers that wasn’t a completely vicious monster. Maybe, it just wanted to prey on his well-being. Maybe, it knew he wouldn’t go mad and was strong willed. She couldn’t be sure, but the theories were there. Keiko could only nod and would look back up at Jinnosuke with an awkward smile. ”Yeah. I believe you. Sorry I doubted you. I just… don’t want you to turn out like them and leave me behind.” The girl would admit as she turned her head away. Without Jinno, she was afraid of what her father may make her do. She knew she couldn’t deny his wishes.

”Uhm… who was it? Do you think they’re going to do better than him?” She wasn’t sure why, but she almost wanted to thank them. Or at least talk to them. Could she really work up that courage though? She would have to do it in secret without her father knowing. She wasn’t so sure she could go behind his back and keep it a secret. What a predicament.

“He’s a foolish as ever, I’m not going to let them continue. It ends now.” Jinno spoke plainly, but their father’s voice seemed to creep its way in. Onimaru was insidious as ever, finding the best way to get under the young shinigami’s skin. “Most of them aren’t as talented as they think.” He added, “You’ll get there some day. Promise.” His tone and cadence returned to normal, the caring brother that Keiko had come to know.

Jinno was relieved that Keiko was quick to believe him. “That isn’t going to happen, I won’t turn out like them.” He tried to put her worries to rest as best he could, though even he couldn’t be certain how the zanpakuto might affect him over time.

“Hayate Yoshida, he was Vice Captain until today. I wouldn’t have expected him to go this far.” He pondered on her question, “I hope so, he’s supposed to be a true samurai. At least he was before he died.” Jinno wasn’t an expert on the histories of the other Shinigami, but Hayate’s story had stuck out due to his history back on Earth. “It isn’t often that reincarnated souls make it quite so far in the Gotei. It’s impressive really.”

While they spoke, a pair of spiritual signatures made themselves known. Their red cloaks marking them as kin, and unmistakably a known duo that Keiko likely wouldn’t have wanted to see approaching. Jinno moved to stand in as a physical barrier between the siblings, hand staying conspicuously away from his weapon.

“So, it’s true! Little Jinno got chosen after all. And is that Keiko? Didn’t think I’d see you again today. How fun” The older of the two, Daisuke, grinned only to stop at the base of the stairs. “What do you say brother? Hand over Onimaru and we might let you leave in one piece.”

Jinno scowled, unconcerned about his own safety at this point, he looked back to Keiko. “Was it one of them?” His focus shifted as quickly as his mood seemed to. He turned back and opted to lock his gaze upon Daisuke as the most likely candidate. “I think our family has lost enough today, don’t you? Go home.” He didn’t want to fight, but it wasn’t the most convincing sentence.