A/N: So, it's been a little more then four months since I last updated this story and I'd like to apologize for that. I've been focusing my writing time on another fic instead, since my ideas for that one are more clear. Well, here's the sixth chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 6- Scouting

A week. Byakuya had spent the past seven days as a four legged canine and he had no clue when he would get his sight-level back as with his present height, he could only stare at people's shins. After latching on to Senbonzakura's hand and biting down hard enough to result in her flailing her arm about wildly to rid herself of the mutt, Byakuya hadn't heard so much as a whisper from his zanpakuto.

Byakuya hated to admit it, but without Senbonzakura, his situation was a lost cause. Even so, he wasn't about to apologize. After all, she was the one who had started it.

On the bright side, (if it could be truly called that), Byakuya had learned many things about the inner and outer workings of the Gotei 13. After Rukia left in the mornings, Byakuya would leave the Kuchiki grounds through the tunnel network that Yachiru was undoubtedly responsible for. This only lent proof to his growing suspicion that the pink-headed girl had been of mining parentage before her arrival in Soul Society. That, or Yachiru had been raised by a family of gophers before Zaraki had come along.

With his new found freedom, the first thing Byakuya did was examine how the Sixth Division was faring with his Lieutenant in charge. Byakuya had not been in the courtyard five minutes when he caught Renji picking his nose… and then flicking the small speck at an unsuspecting, unranked shinigami. Did the red-headed idiot not realize that he was the "face" of the Division with the captain out on long-term leave? Byakuya would have bitten the Lieutenant, probably hard enough to rid the man of one of his many unsightly tattoos, (it seemed that as a dog, he had little to no control over his emotions), except his plans were foiled when he got kicked aside by tardy Shinigami in a hurry to get through the Division gates.

Byakuya, hurt and battered, trudged away from the large doors and as dogs are apt to do in such situations, looked for a safe corner to lick his wounds. His injuries weren't serious, but he did feel a steady, dull ache beginning to form near his rib cage. Judging by the position of the sun in the sky and the shadow cast by a long pole jutting out of the pavement at the center of the street (four bras waving gently in the wind… he made a note to report this breach of propriety), it was the early afternoon. With this in mind, Byakuya must have huddled in his corner and taken a nap at some point during his recovery.

He realized how far he had strayed from the Sixth Division when he spotted Lieutenant Kira escorting a young woman wearing a medic's backpack to the street corner. Byakuya's ears involuntarily twitched as they focused on the pair's position. He considered himself lucky for being too far away to hear anything audible as he didn't want to make a habit of eavesdropping. Surveillance, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter.

Thus, Byakuya, head down and propped up by crossed paws, observed the blonde and the redhead chatter from a distance. There was some laughter. Some more chatter. A little giggling. After five minutes, Byakuya grew bored and instead shifted his eyes to the four bras strapped to the metal pole fluttering peacefully against the backdrop of the blue sky.

Byakuya's examination of the leopard-print push-up bra was brought to an abrupt close when his ears picked up the sound of a very, very soft landing close to the street corner where the Lieutenant had been with the medic. Byakuya was so surprised by what he found that the hairs on his back rose a little. It appeared that Captain Soifon was doing some spying of her own on Kira and the presently giggling redhead.

As the Captain of the Sixth Division was unable to rub his chin in intrigue due to the lack of long enough fingers and more importantly, a thumb, he instead settled for keeping low to the ground as he crawled closer for a better view. When the medic disappeared with a shunpo leaving behind a chuckling Kira, the short Captain of the Second Division zipped in to where the redhead had been standing a few seconds before.

Byakuya stopped his trek short when he saw the short woman berating the shocked blonde. As a Captain, he approved. How the acting-Captain of the Third Division did not notice the four bras hanging from a pole so close to the barracks was beyond him. But this was no ordinary scolding by a superior, because the subordinate officer talked back.

…

…

… wait a sec.

…

Soi Fon and Kira.

…

… a lover's quarrel?

The idea of the insecure, lanky Lieutenant having a romantic relationship with an unsmiling, authoritative woman like Soi Fon was enough for his mind to blow a fuse.

It might've occurred, actually, as the next thing he knew, Byakuya was in the arms of the blonde Lieutenant brandishing a brand new red hand-print on his left cheek.

Strange.

Byakuya had always thought Soi Fon to be more of a "punching" woman, but at the moment, any further thought spent on the matter was completely irrelevant to the problem at hand. He began barking at the blonde and struggled to escape the man's hold only to be quickly silenced by fingers calmly scratching the back of his ears.

"Ugh! It's been a looong day!"

"Renji, please don't-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Why is your cheek like that, anyway? Did she use Suzumebachi to give you that?"

"… shouldn't you be at the Sixth right now?"'

"They're doing fine. Well? What was it?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"C'mon! I mean- wait a sec. Izuru, why do you have a… dog on the couch?"

"I found it in the afternoon."

"And you wonder why the psychotic ninja bitch acts the way she does."

"Renji, please don't call her that. As for the dog, I figure it must have an owner since it was well groomed when I found him. I sent out a notice asking if anyone's missing a dog."

"Huh."

"Yeah."

"…"

"…"

"So, how's the love life? Whoa!"

"See? Even the dog knows you're asking something inappropriate."

"That mutt sure can howl! Oi! You! Shut your trap!"

"…"

"Wow, it stopped."

"It's growling now."

"Well. Whatever. So, I assume she's gonna be calling it quits soon, no?"

"Yeah, I think so. If she doesn't, I probably will."

"Hm. Nah, I think you wont."

"What gives you that idea? I mean, if you don't mind my asking."

"I don't mind. Just that I doubt you'd be willing to give up the, and I quote 'Fantastic sex!'."

"Wha-! I didn't say that!"

"Dammit, mutt! Shut the hell up!"

"I never said that!"

"You did! You did! You ought to know by now not to drink too much! Especially when Matsumoto's around!"

"Matsumoto? Oh, Kami, no... I didn't say anything else, did I? Right?"

"You stupid mutt!"

"Right!"

Byakuya Kuchiki, if necessary, would ram his head into the door in order to escape the hell that was listening to the details of the Second Division Captain's preference of sexual activities. Instead, he ended up leaping onto the sofa, jumping off an armrest, and then making a dive for Renji's hair.

A/N: R&R ladies and gentlemen! :-D