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Lisa died a long time ago in the midst of action. At least, that's what her uncle Shunsui always told her. Truly, she remembered the evening whwre everything seemed to happen at once as if it were yesterday, and Shunsui surely couldn't forget it either.
The sun had just gone down as Nanao fumbled the sizable book in her hands and prattled out to visit Lisa before her bed time. As she stumbled, she noted how still the air was that night, the ominous feeling making the little hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. The 8th Division's barracks were at a stand still, and seemingly, the rest of Gotei 13 was as well. As she passed, the reapers around her spoke in hushed whispers, but she tried not to pay it any mind, lest her thoughts become more unsettled.
The only thing she wanted to do now that this haunting tension had filled the Seireitei was to hear Lisa's voice sooth her while they read together. But, she noticed, she hadn't seemed to be anywhere. Not in her room, nor in the lieutenant's office either.
Surely Lisa hadn't forgotten she was coming, Nanao pondered to herself. The first day of every month was their monthly reading night together, and she would never miss such a thing. There was only one last place she could surely check, so she swallowed her meekness for a moment as she approached her uncle from the grass.
"Have a good evening, Captain Kyoraku!" A guard called out before Shunsui turned his attention to his young neice.
"Nanao, it's awfully late, what're you doing here?" He spoke softly. Many others in the barracks were bound to be asleep by now, so to see her out so late surprised him. That was, until eyes caught the book Nanao grasped in her hands. "Oh— Is it the first of the month already?"
As she looked up at him, she carefully cradled her book and nodded. "Yes, it is. I came to have my monthly reading session with Lisa, but I couldn't find her anywhere," Nanao said, her tone somber.
Kneeling down, Shunsui took Nanao into his arms. "Lisa's busy tonight, dear Nanao."
"With what?" She asked, curiosity thoroughly piqued.
"She and the others had an important duty to care for, but she'll be back by morning, you'll have to wait until then, my dear."
He walked inside with Nanao and tucked her in. Shunsui carefully slid off her thin framed glasss and set them on his desk for her, right beside her book. He dipped his head down, kissing her forehead and sitting with her as she dozed off.
In truth, Shunsui couldn't find it in him to sleep much that night. It was quite the distance away, but he wandered outside of the barracks, leaving Nanao to sleep. His legs swiftly carried him into Division 13's small barracks, not even really bothering to knock as he slid open the door to the Captain's office.
Really, Ukitake had come to expect his late night visits. It was the one main place he would go and saunter off to in the middle of the night when Shunsui would become restless.
On Ukitake's old worn out chair, he spotted young Kiyone and Sentaro. The two 3rd Seat Reapers were both passed out cold, barely stirring as Kiyone curled up on the left of the seat and Sentaro awkwardly sprawled onto the right.
Ukitake glanced up from the paper sat on his desk as Shunsui leaned on the doorframe.
"I don't know how those two can sleep so soundly at a time like this," teased Shunsui as he crept across the office. He seated himself beside Ukitake, a tired sigh coming from the back of his throat as he lowered to the floor, mumbling softly, "Lord knows I can't."
"I can't say I've known you to worry like this, Shunsui," Ukitake whispered, eyes fluttering back to his paper as he wrote.
"Hey now, you would too."
Ukitake stopped writing. His eyes then wandered up to his 3rd Seats on his couch as he replied, "Are you regretting sending Lisa to the investigation?"
"I'm regretting the concept of sending anyone, even with it being a plan straight from old man Yama. Something about this doesn't feel—" Shunsui held up his hands, hesitating as he tried to formulate a word for it before simply stating, "It doesn't feel right."
With a sigh, Ukitake slowly stood up with Shunsui getting up behind him to support him if he were to fall. "I understand how you feel, Shunsui. I don't doubt for a second that this case isn't something to take lightly." He walked slowly to the couch, taking a soft blanket that sat folded beside it into his hands. He gently placed them over Kiyone and Sentaro, making sure they were snug. "We just cannot lose faith in them to succeed. Not only in Lisa, but everyone else. Shinji, Love, Rose— They're all doing what they can to bring Kensei and his squad back safely."
Sighing, Shunsui leaned against Ukitake's desk. "You're right," he murmured, before continuing with a chuckle, "Right as ever." Ukitake flashed him a small smile as he snuffed out the smoldering candle on his desk. "I should start heading back. Nanao showed up looking for Lisa and I sent her to bed. Told her she'd be back by the morning."
"Let's hope they all are."
Placing his hand on Shunsui's arm, Ukitake gave him a reassuring squeeze before they both slowly walked their way back to Division 8's barracks together. As he slid his door open, Shunsui looked back to Ukitake.
"You're sure you can walk all that way back to Division 13 on your own, old man?" He teased softly.
Ukitake gave him a playful shove. "You worry about yourself now, old timer. You might make yourself go grey by stressing about me all the time."
"Hey now, that's not true. Besides, I think you've got the handsome silver fox thing going on just fine without me."
They bantered briefly before parting ways for the evening. As Shunsui turned around, he noticed Nanao was awake, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. He quickly lulled her back to sleep, not wanting her to tire herself out more. Ukitake, on the other hand, didn't make it far back before learning that Kiyone and Sentaro had awoken and followed him out to Division 8's barracks. He gave the two a chuckle and patted them both on the head before they made their way back.
The night seemed to drag on forever, but Shunsui eventually managed to sleep. Nanao had gotten up early, and she was waiting for Lisa. Shunsui had promised she would be home before dawn, but she still wasn't there.
He didn't want to send her on home to her mother, as Nanao probably would be too stubborn to go, so instead he brewed her a cup of tea.
As they watched the sun come up, a member of the Division, out of breath and bewildered ran up to his door. "Captain Kyoraku! Captain Kyoraku, I-I have news, you're not going to believe this—!" He stammered, panting all the while. He looked to Nanao as she blinked, her tea grasped in her small hands. "C-Can I speak with you outside for a moment?"
Shunsui didn't want to admit it, but the tension was palpable as he swallowed his fear. He hoisted himself up and gently shut his door, pulling his subordinate aside enough so Nanao wouldn't overhear their conversation. "What's the matter?"
"I just caught wind of reports from both Division 3 and Division 7 about events that transpired last night. The word supposedly is that it was Division 12's new Captain, Urahara, was testing Hollowfication on Gotei 13 members!" Taken aback, Shunsui said nothing. He let the reaper continue. "They searched the 12th's barracks this morning. They— They were all dead. Captain Otoribashi, Captain Hirako, Captain Aikawa, even—"
Shunsui's face grew dark. "Even Lieutenant Yadomaru, I presume?" The grim expression on the young reaper's face said it all to him. "You're dismissed," he said softly, shooing him with his hand as he grimaced. As he returned to his quarters, Nanao immediately perked her head up.
"Is Lisa home?"
With a shaken sigh, Shunsui knelt down to Nanao's level. "Nanao. We need to talk." Her heart sunk as she swallowed her fear. "Lisa— Lisa won't be coming home. Neither will a lot of people. She had to go away last night on an important mission, you understand?" Nanao nodded slowly. "Well, Lisa was tough, but." He paused. He didn't want to tell her exactly what happened, fearing the pain it would cause her. "Lisa did what she could."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she squeezed her uncle into a firm hug. From that moment on, Nanao had promised herself to be as tough as Lisa was in her life.
That was, until winter came upon them over one hundred years later. Nanao was now grown, serving the very same position Lisa once held with honor. As the fight against the Arrancar army raged on, something happened that neither herself or Shunsui could have predicted as backup arrived on the spot from an unexpected source. The Visored, a group of scorned Soul Reapers that had taken on the abilities of Hollow thanks to their main enemy, former Captain Aizen.
As the battle drew to a close, Nanao hesitated as a figure came to her that she never expected to see again approached her. In those one hundred years that had come to pass, Lisa Yadomaru hadn't changed a day, aside from growing out her hair it seemed.
Nanao opened her mouth to speak, pausing briefly before forcing the words out. She wanted to say something, anything, just to figure out how Lisa was really right there in front of her. Then, finally, her breath caught up with her.. "Captain Kyoraku told me you died. Everyone said you were. That you were all dead. When you didn't come back to us that night, I—" Tears that had been threatening to spill over finally broke. "I didn't want to believe it was true. I missed you, I missed you so much."
She wanted desperately to be strong, but she couldn't. As much as Nanao clung to the concept of being as iron-willed and defensive as Lisa was back in her days as Lieutenant, seeing Lisa now sent her spiraling back into the same meek child she was all those nights ago.
In an unexpected move, however, Lisa held her close to her chest. She held Nanao the same way she used to even after all that time.
"I promised I'd be back, didn't I? I'm sorry I was a little late," whispered Lisa.
And, as they embraced, Shunsui found himself beaming with pride as Ukitake placed his flowery kimono back on his shoulders that he had shed in the midst of battle.
"I always knew she'd grow into a fine young lady."
Ukitake smiled lightly. "I suppose that means you raised her right, doesn't it?"
"Maybe so, but I can't help but be proud of my girls."
And, months later, when several of the Visored re-entered the ranks of Gotei 13, Shunsui couldn't be happier. His family finally felt as if it were whole again. That night, he could swear he heard Lisa reading from Nanao's quarters. He couldn't have possibly wished for a greater ending.