Disclaimer: Bleach concept and characters belong to Kubo Tite. Amaratta only borrows some of them to play in this story and promises to return them as unscathed as possible once she's done with them.

A/N: While I have read quite a few Byakuya/Rukia stories in the past, I haven't written anything for this pairing yet, but I guess there's the first time for everything. This story is a canon divergent AU, in which Byakuya didn't adopt Rukia into the Kuchiki Family as his sister but opted to protect her from afar instead. The pacing of this story is rather slow at the start and the tone of the story may seem a bit depressing at times, but it wouldn't stay that way for the rest of the story, so bear with me for now. In any case, please feel free to leave a comment. I'd like to hear your opinion about this story.

Byakuya-sama, please find my sister. Then after you find her, please do not tell her that I am her sister. Without telling her anything, please Byakuya-sama, please protect my sister no matter what.

Chapter 1: A Man With A Promise

Plum blossoms were in full bloom, painting the garden of the Kuchiki Mansion with their dark pink color. Even though he used to enjoy viewing the flowers, Kuchiki Byakuya didn't spare them a glance as he walked down the wooden porch, heading toward the meeting room where a meeting with his elders would be held.

It had been a little over a year since his wife, Kuchiki Hisana, passed away, and with her, went his desire to view any flowers. After all, those blooming flowers could not compare to the beauty of even the frailest smile of hers, and to view those flowers without her by his side would only remind him of something he could no longer have.

Shaking the thought of his late wife out of his head, Byakuya continued on his way to the meeting room. He wasn't sure what the elders had on their agenda when they summoned him for a meeting, but he had a feeling that it was not going to be something good.

When Byakuya arrived to the meeting room, he spotted the family's old butler, Seike Nobutsune, kneeling in front of the closed shoji door, waiting for his arrival.

"All the elders are here, Byakuya-sama," the old man reported before he moved to slide the door open for the master.

"Thank you," said Byakuya. "You may leave now."

The old butler bowed to Byakuya and waited until the noble lord entered the room before he closed the shoji door behind and then took his leave.

Just like every other room in the Kuchiki Mansion, the meeting room was decorated in Japanese style with a long low table in the middle of the room. Ten elders were sitting on their respective zabuton seat at both sides of the table, leaving one empty seat at the head of the table for Byakuya to take.

"Good morning," Byakuya greeted as he took his seat at the head of the meeting table. Once he was seated, Byakuya spared all formality by asking, "May I ask why the meeting is called today?"

The elder who sat to the far right bowed once at Byakuya before he spoke. His name was Kuchiki Hiroshi, and he was the head of the branch family whose authority in the Kuchiki House seconded only to Byakuya who was the head of the family.

"First of all, we must congratulate you for having achieved bankai," said Hiroshi. "It's about time you did so."

Byakuya narrowed his slate eyes slightly at the older man's words. While it might seem like a genuine praise to some, Byakuya knew when it came to that man, it was anything but. Hiroshi might as well reprimand him for having paid all of his attentions to his sickly wife instead of focusing on training so he was unable to attain bankai sooner.

"Thank you, Hiroshi," Byakuya replied. His expression and voice revealed no hint of what he actually felt about Hiroshi's words. "Indeed it is nice to be able to accomplish something that not everybody could achieve in their lifetime regardless of how much they try."

Byakuya was certain that the old man was offended by his implication, but Byakuya couldn't care less about what the old man felt. After all, he was not the one who started a fight. He supposed the elders would prefer it if he were to be a docile, modest, soft-spoken kind of man, since it meant he would easily be manipulated and used as their puppet.

"However, I have a feeling you did not ask me to attend this meeting just to congratulate me," Byakuya continued, seeing that no elder said anything after his previous remark.

"We are wondering when you are going to request to take the taishu test," Hiroshi responded. "The Sixth Division has been without a captain for years since Ginrei-sama passed on, so now that you attained bankai, you should make it your priority to pass that test and become a captain in succession of Ginrei-sama. However, we can't help noticing that you still make it your priority to search for Hisana's 'lost sister' even now..."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes and was about to counter the older man's words when another elders who was sitting next to Hiroshi, Kuchiki Naoki, cut in, attempting to tone down what could have ended up as a heated argument between the head of the clan and one of the elders.

"Do not mistake our intention, Byakuya-sama. The council is only concerned because you have spent quite a lot of time and resources on this search, which if we are going to be completely honest here, is no more than a wild goose chase. We understand that you had to make that promise in order to give your dying wife a peace of mind. However, Hisana-dono already passed away, so there is no point in continuing this search. After all, if Hisana-dono's sister is anything like Hisana-dono, there is very little chance that she—"

"That's enough," Byakuya said in a warning tone. "It doesn't really matter how slim that chance is. What really matters is that I have given Hisana my word that I would continue searching for her sister until I find her. I don't know about this council, but I, for one, would not want people to say that a promise of a Kuchiki holds no meaning, since even the head of the clan values his time and money more than he does the promise he made to his dead wife."

"Besides," Byakuya continued, "it is not as if all I do is sitting around all day doing nothing but wasting the family's fortune. Every kan put into this search came from my own paycheck, so I cannot see how it fits for any of you to tell me how I can or cannot spend the money I earn."

The elders were all taken aback by Byakuya's words and the tone of voice he used when he uttered them.

"As for your concern regarding my taking the taishu test, I would do so when I feel ready. After all, there is more to that test than just showing off one's bankai. Now is there any other things I have or have not done that have this council concerned?"

Not only did he ask, Byakuya also raised an eyebrow as if to challenge the elders to say something else to rebuke him.

"There is also a matter of your remarriage."

Byakuya glanced toward the man who raised the new subject, Kuchiki Kaede. From what Byakuya had seen so far, Kaede was the most compromising member of the clan council. However, it didn't necessarily mean that he was the easiest to deal with.

"I understand this is not a subject you wish to discuss but someone has to bring it up someday," Kaede continued calmly. "After all, this family needs an heir. It has been a year since Hisana-dono passed away, so now is a good time for you to seek a new wife."

"I take it you've already listed the names of all suitable prospects?"

"And if I said I had, would you take a look at them, Byakuya-sama?"

Byakuya sighed softly. Although he wanted to honor Hisana's memory by remaining as a widower after she died, he knew it was impossible for him to do so unless he wished to give up his position as the head of the clan. However, he had vowed to his grandfather that he would protect the Kuchiki Family with all of his might and thus could not simply step down just because he didn't like the hassles that came together with the position. Therefore, he had resigned to it that if the subject was ever brought up again someday, he would agree to wed someone the elders suggested in order to do his duty as the clan leader. Still, he couldn't help feeling sorry – not for himself since at the very least he would still have the memories of his time with Hisana to live by, but for any other parties that were unlucky enough to be involved in the arrangement.

"I can promise to look at those names and to meet with those ladies," Byakuya stated. "However, I cannot promise that there would be a wedding soon, since as you all have mentioned earlier, there is still the taishu test to worry about."

Kaede seemed surprised to hear that answer. He had expected Byakuya to fight tooth and nail against the idea of marrying some woman that the elders had chosen for him and insist that he would not marry again unless it was to someone he loved. It was almost anti-climactic that he simply agreed to the idea without any fight or at least giving the elders some snappy repartee. Therefore, he couldn't help wondering if Byakuya was actually planning something.

"Will that be all for today?" Byakuya asked again, but unlike the previous times he asked, this time, the elders didn't raise other subject. "Well, in that case, I shall take my leave now."

With a nod from each elder, Byakuya gave them a slight bow of his head before he rose from his seat and left the room.

Byakuya rubbed the bridge of his nose as he entered his private quarters. He always had a headache after a meeting with the elders and the previous meeting was no exception. It seemed to him that he would never meet their expectations of him no matter how hard he tried that sometimes he wondered why he even bothered.

Since he couldn't think of a better way to relieve his stress, Byakuya decided it would be a good day for him to head out to Rukongai and practice his zanpakutō. Therefore, as soon as he reached to his private quarters, he headed to the vanity table where he placed the heirloom silver-white, windflower silk scarf and the kenseikan hair clip after he removed them.

Just as he was about to pick up his zanpakutō from the sword stand which was set by the wall, Byakuya heard soft footsteps, so he turned over his shoulder and saw the faithful butler coming toward his direction.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked as he picked up his sword.

"Kaede-sama asked me to pass this book to you, Byakuya-sama. He said you already agreed to take a look at it."

With that said, the old butler presented a large hardback book to Byakuya who gave it a quick glance without actually accepting it from the butler. He could tell just from its look that the book that Kaede had passed to him was in fact a photo album which contained the photos of whoever it was that the elders deemed suitable to be his wife.

"Just put it in my study," Byakuya remarked, not wanting anything to do with that so-called book at the moment. "I'll take a look at it later when I have time."

Noticing the zanpakutō in his master's hand and the way the man dressed, Seike didn't need to question Byakuya what the noble was planning to do as it was already clear to him the nobleman would be out for a sword practice, so instead of asking whether the master would go out, he asked, "Will you return for lunch, Byakuya-sama?"

"No. I'll be out all day, so if anyone comes to see me, ask them to come by again tomorrow."

"Yes, Byakuya-sama."

Hearing the answer from the butler, Byakuya made his way out, hoping that despite the bad start, the rest of his day would not turn out to be too bad.

The sun had already set by the time Byakuya decided he had trained enough for one day. His zanpakutō, Senbonzakura, had made quite a lot of complaints when they met in Byakuya's inner world, mostly regarding the fact that Byakuya didn't put up more of a fight when the elders told him he should remarry although his wife had only passed away for one year. However, that wasn't really a surprise, considering Senbonzakura usually shared his sentiment, although the zanpakutō was more straightforward and was rougher on the edge when compared to his wielder.

'You should have told them to mind their own businesses,' was what Senbonzakura had said to him. 'If they want someone to get married so badly, they should do so themselves.'

A talk with Senbonzakura often relieved him of his inner turmoil, especially when his pride as a Kuchiki prevented him from having things his way. The zanpakutō would express what Byakuya had to repress, and although a conversation with Senbonzakura could not change his course of action, it was still good to know that at least one person understood him even if said person was merely his zanpakutō.

Although Byakuya could use flash-steps to return to the Kuchiki Mansion sooner, he decided against the idea and simply took a leisure walk back. After all, more fresh air could never hurt anyone.

Byakuya was lost in his thought until his ears caught something that sounded very much like a fight from a dark corner of the road back to Seireitei.

"Just leave me alone!"

"Oh, playing hard to get, aren't ya?"

"Hey, let me go, you creep!"

Byakuya quickly made his way to where the sound of the fight came from. And once he was there, he saw a petite woman whose right wrist was being seized by a man in a Shinigami uniform who appeared to want to drag her along somewhere. Although her right arm was held, the woman still put up a fight as she kicked the Shinigami in his shin and then punched him with her left fist. However, her fist was caught before she could land a hit on him.

"Let me go! Help! Somebody help!"

"Oh, nobody's gonna help you, bitch! Nobody around here is stupid enough to fight a Shinigami."

The woman kept kicking the Shinigami, obviously not going to give in despite her disadvantage.

Byakuya couldn't help admiring the woman's fighting spirit while being furious at that Shinigami who clearly didn't deserve to be a member of the honorable Goteijūsantai. He didn't have to think twice before he flash-stepped behind that Shinigami and struck the nape of his neck with his hand, knocking that Shinigami out in one strike.

Meanwhile, the woman instinctively jumped back as the Shinigami fell face first to the ground before she turned her attention to the man who suddenly appeared out of nowhere to help her.

Byakuya opened his mouth to ask her how she was, but the words never left his mouth when he got a good look at that woman. Byakuya's slate eyes widened in surprise, and for the first time in a long time, he didn't quite know how he was supposed to act.

That woman, with her short ebony hair, large sapphire eyes, small nose and full peach-colored lips, she would be an exact replica of his dead wife if only she were a couple of years older. Byakuya almost called out his wife's name and reached his hand out to her; however, he stopped himself midway, realizing that no matter how much that woman looked like Hisana, she was definitely not her. Hisana was more modest, and she didn't have that feisty spirit that Byakuya had witnessed from her lookalike. Still, she reminded him so much of Hisana that it almost hurt to look at her.

The woman seemed to have mistaken his silence as a signal to leave, so she quickly gave him a bow before she ran off without so much as saying thank you.

Byakuya kept staring after the woman until he heard Senbonzakura's voice telling him that he still had other task at hand, so Byakuya blinked twice before he looked down to the ground where the bad Shinigami was left out cold. He bent down and pulled the collar of his shihakushō up enough to reveal the lily of the valley insignia which was embroidered on inside of the kimono.

"The Fifth Division, huh?" he muttered to himself before he furrowed his brows. "Let's see what Aizen-taichō would say about his subordinate's behavior, then."