Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Never have, never will, but I do love the story and its characters, and that's why this story was created. It just happens to have my unique spin on it.
Just to give you a head's up, the zanpakuto spirits will be in their humanoid forms throughout the story. I know they're usually not supposed to appear like this until the shinigami are training to achieve their bankai, but for the sake of this fic, I've waived that rule. The Rebellion arc was a particular favorite of mine, and I've always wondered how things could have been different if the spirits were around all the time, especially in terms of character interactions.
This story will start from way in the beginning of the Bleach series, and this will be a Byakuya/OC fic. I'm hoping to have half of each chapter from the OC's point of view and the other will be from Byakuya's, but that is subject to change depending on how things went in canon.
I hope you all enjoy!
New Characters Introduced
1. Minata Fukudome - The current third seat of the 1st Division. She is the granddaughter of the current leader and the heiress of the Fukudome Clan, one of the Four Great Noble families. Members of her clan are known for their unique powers (which they simply call 'gifts'). She has been Byakuya's closest friend since they were little and has always been one of his main confidants. Her zanpakuto is Mizukiri.
2. Mizukiri - Minata Fukudome's zanpakuto. Her name means water mist (Mizu-water, kiri-mist). She is a water-type zanpakuto and is close to many of the other spirits, especially Senbonzakura, Sode no Shirayuki, and Hyorinmaru.
Chapter 1 - The News
Minata's POV
"This mission is of the utmost importance. Make sure they know that Third Seat Fukudome. . ."
". . . I will tell them right away, Captain Commander. You have my word," my tone was firm as I kept my head bowed, ignoring the pit that was steadily growing in my stomach. I couldn't see his face at the moment, but I knew the old man was watching me with a closed-eyed gaze that had seen centuries more than anyone else within the Soul Society.
He had called me in to his office just a short while ago, pulling me away from the group of new recruits and transfers I was leading around the barracks for a building tour. Usually that was Lieutenant Sasakibe's task, but he was busy preparing for the Division's monthly tea party later this afternoon, leaving the duty to me.
The Captain Commander was known for keeping his reiatsu in check, only letting it loose when the situation called for it, but I could still feel traces of it as soon as I had walked into the hallway that led to his office.
It was one of the unique side effects of being a member of my clan. Us Fukudomes were known for our unique sensitivity to spiritual pressure, even feeling the faintest, almost hidden, traces of it when others could not. It made us excellent trackers . . . A skill that makes us popular with general search teams and the Onmitsukido, but disliked by those that don't want to be found.
When I arrived, a messenger was just leaving, and judging from his expression, the news he had to share with my captain was not good.
What I eventually heard confirmed my suspicions.
When he was finished, the revered old man sat behind his desk silently, allowing me a moment to digest the news before he continued. The breeze was slightly ruffling his long white beard, but he ignored it as he watched me, his eyes now open to take in my expression.
"Good . . ." he says in his old, gruff voice, approving of my answer. "Now go, or else you'll miss the afternoon tea . . . Knowing Sasakibe, he will definitely have plenty of black tea to go around."
I held back a smirk at that, knowing the man wouldn't be happy with me if he saw it. It was a First Division tradition for everyone to gather in the mess hall for the monthly tea, a tradition the Captain Commander instituted when he first came to his position. It was meant to celebrate the beauty of Japanese tea, but ever since the lieutenant came back from the Living World after witnessing some Western culture, the tea has been reduced to a battle of East vs. West.
The fact that a lot of the division members have taken a liking to the Western teas was the only reason the commander hasn't banned them yet.
"Yes sir." I say as I stood up, bowing once more before making my exit. As I moved through the hallways, I couldn't help but smile at how busy the place looked, with shinigami moving and talking back and forth through the hallways, all kept in pristine condition thanks to Lieutenant Sasakibe's efforts.
As the division's resident neat freak, tidiness is very much his forte.
I said some quick hellos to a few of my fellow co-workers before I reached my office at the end of the hall. As I open my door, I was hit with the smell of the ocean coming from within. It was a familiar one, a scent I can never forget, even if I was hit with a case of sudden amnesia.
The scent was coming from the blonde-haired woman dressed in robes in shades of blue and black sitting by my window: my zanpakuto, Mizukiri. She was reading a book of poems from the Living World, a gift courtesy of a certain long-haired samurai. Senbonzakura always seemed to pick up a new one for her whenever his master was sent there for a mission, and it was something she really appreciated, even if she won't admit it.
"Mizukiri?"
"Yes master?" she answers as she looked up from her novel, her sea blue eyes looking brighter in the sunlight.
"Can you keep things in order here for a little bit while I'm gone? Just for a few, maybe twenty minutes at best . . . I have to deliver a message to the Sixth Division." I say as I spot a stack of awaiting paperwork standing tall at my desk. It wasn't there when I left, which meant I had my work cut out for me once I returned.
"Hmm, you look a little troubled about this task . . . Is it about Rukia by chance?" she asks as she gets up from her seat.
"Yes. . . Unfortunately," I say, my flat tone conveying how much I did not like the current situation.
"I understand. . . I'll make sure things stay in check while you're gone. I'll even save you some tea if you do take too long, well, if you want me to."
"That would be great . . ." and with a thankful nod, I take my leave, flash stepping out of the barracks in the direction of the Sixth. The trip was a short one, the breeze hitting my shoulders and rustling my hair as I moved. It was nice to feel it on my exposed skin, to feel the speed and freedom that the shunpo provided whenever I used it.
Unlike most shinigami, I chose to wear the uniform that provided no sleeves, a style choice favored by those from the 9th Division. I had served there for a time after being transferred out of the Second to take the Fourth Seat position there, and I liked their uniforms so much I decided to wear their uniform even after I transferred to the First . . . I just tend to wear a more form-fitting version compared to the rest of them.
"Hey Fukudome!"
As soon as I walked through the Sixth's gates, the division's lieutenant was right off to my left greeting me, as if he had been already there waiting for me. Chimpette and Snakey, the spirits that make up his zanpakuto Zabimaru, were standing right behind him.
Well, Chimpette was.
Snakey was on her shoulder, knocked out cold.
"Hello Renji, Chimpette. I would extend the same greeting to Snakey, but I don't want to ask why he's unconscious because the answer will probably involve him annoying Chimpette somehow . . ."
The woman's quick nod sealed it for me. "Anyway, is your captain in?"
"Yep, he's been in his office all day. I would ask if you were here to drop off some paperwork, but that would simply be a dumb question," he mumbles as he looks down at my empty hands. "Since that option is dead on arrival, I'll try another guess . . . Here to drop off a message?"
"Indeed, I am," I answer him. "I'm here with some rather urgent news and I need to see Captain Kuchiki immediately."
"I see," He said as his eyebrows - I think those are his eyebrows - furrowed together. The fact that his tattoos and eyebrows blend together so seamlessly has always confused me. "Well then, follow me please. Chimpette, you stay here and finish patrol."
"Right." responds the woman in green fur as she walked off, the little boy on her shoulder only starting to come to.
I follow him into the barracks to see that his division looked very much like my own: busy to the brim with shinigami doing whatever tasks they were assigned to do. The captain's office was toward the back of the building, so that left me plenty of time to acknowledge the shinigami that managed to say hi to me as I passed them by.
The Sixth may be known for being one of the strictest divisions when it comes to their conduct - Byakuya was a stickler for upholding the rules at all times - but it was nice to see how personable the people can actually be once you managed to say a few words to them.
How Renji - who's known for being quite a troublemaker if you push him far enough - survived this long in the division, let alone as the lieutenant, is a mystery.
After walking down a long hallway decorated with photos of notable members of the Sixth Division, including Byakuya's grandfather and father, the previous captain and lieutenant, respectively, we reached the door that led to the shared office of the captain and lieutenant. His spiritual pressure was calm and unflinching, quite a change from the fiery and irritable state it used to be in when we were children. I could also sense Senbonzakura inside, but his reiatsu seemed a little more amused than his master's, I wonder why . . .
"Captain!" Renji calls as he taps his knuckles on the wooden surface. "Third Seat Fukudome of the First division is here with an urgent message."
He doesn't answer immediately, leaving us both to awkwardly wait a moment before he finally spoke. "Come in."
"Well that didn't take long," I hear Renji mumble under his breath, annoyance present in his eyes as he took hold of the doorknob. I knew that Byakuya and Renji have their share of differences, but it was amusing to see just how much they can get under each other's skin.
He moves aside so that I could enter first, leading me to come face-to-face with my eldest friend. He had pushed his paperwork aside, his hands folded on top of his desk, his gaze was bordering on expectant, but after he hears what I have to say, he'll wish that I had come to him with better news.
Knowing him, he'll do his duty as a captain, but as a brother, this is likely the hardest task he'll ever do.
Byakuya's POV
I was halfway through my paperwork when my lieutenant knocked on the door with his announcement, the sudden noise making me mess up the last kanji on my signature. The muffled noise that came immediately afterward was likely my zanpakuto holding back his laughter at my slight mistake.
A quick glare set him straight immediately.
Putting the document aside, I ordered my lieutenant to come in, and I was greeted with my oldest friend's stoic face as soon as the door was opened.
Suddenly, I have the feeling I'm not going to like this news one bit.
"Third Seat Fukudome," I say in greeting, her head going down in a slight nod in return. "What is this urgent message you have come to deliver?"
"My division has finally gotten word of the whereabouts of your sister Rukia Kuchiki." she says with not a hint of emotion in her voice. Even though I was pleased to hear this, when she gets emotionless, it's never good news for anyone.
"WHAT? RUKIA'S BEEN FOUND?! THAT'S GREAT NEWS!"
It was moments like this where I wonder why I chose Renji Abarai to be my lieutenant.
"Abarai, please control yourself."
"Sorry for speaking out of turn captain. . . I guess I couldn't help myself."
At least he had the audacity to look embarrassed about his slip-up. "Please continue, Lady Fukudome."
"Well, OnmitsikudÅ personnel have located Rukia in Karakura Town, the area she was originally assigned to. Apparently, she's been living in an apartment above of a doctor's clinic."
"Go on, milady." I say as the hint of trouble appears on her face. It could be because of the news she was sharing with us, or because she has noticed Renji giving her a beady look from the corner of her eyes, his impatience betraying him as it started to show on his face.
"Well, they have reported that they cannot sense a hint of Rukia's spiritual pressure, even though they say she is alive and well. Physically, she's fine, but from a spiritual perspective, she comes off as human more than a soul reaper."
"She comes off more as a human than a shinigami?" I ask, perplexed by her news.
"Indeed."
"How the fuck is that even possible?!"
"Renji! Mind your language!"
He gives me a stunned glance before realization dawns on him, now looking apologetic as he turned to Mina. "Sorry captain. Sorry Minata . . ."
"I did not mind Renji," Minata is probably one of the few noblewomen within the Soul Society who wouldn't blush in embarrassment or scream bloody murder at such use of crass language in her presence. She had used it quite a lot when we were younger, and then again, Mina is not like most noblewoman in general. "And the answer to your question is quite simple . . . She transferred her powers."
My eyes widened as the sentence sunk in, and the implications behind such a thing.
Renji was too busy doing what appears to be a face palm to notice the sudden change of emotion on my face, something I was grateful for. I understand I'm not the most expressive person in the world, and I haven't been for quite some time - something Mina likes to remind me about on occasion - but I prefer it that way.
Bad things tend to happen when I get too . . . expressive.
Who knows how others would react if I acted out of character for someone in my position. I know my elders wouldn't be pleased. They've shown their displeasure quite a few times before, and they won't hesitate to do so now.
"Master?" I hear Senbonzakura ask. I knew my reaction wasn't a normal one for me and hearing my spirit's concern put my thoughts back into focus, back on the issue at hand.
"I'm fine." I answer my zanpakuto's concern in a tone that I hope would end the topic right there. Judging from the acceptance I could feel from the samurai spirit, it did the trick. "She transferred her powers . . . Who did she transfer her powers too?"
"A human boy named Ichigo Kurosaki. Apparently, he already had the ability to see ghosts and hollows before the two first encountered each other."
"So, he had possessed some spiritual awareness . . . I see." I respond flatly, my mind already going through different ways to kill and torture this Kurosaki for taking my sister's powers.
"Master, she said Rukia transferred her powers to the boy, which means she possibly had a choice in the matter. The boy possibly never took her powers away in a forceful manner."
"He could have declined them Senbonzakura."
"Captain Kuchiki?"
"Yes?" I ask, her voice interrupting my thoughts.
"The OmnitsikudÅ reported that Rukia-san's powers were not forcibly taken away." Her words somehow mirrored Senbonzakura's, as if she had heard our mental conversation without either of us knowing.
That wasn't possible though; her grandmother was the psychic, not her.
"What do you mean?" asks Renji as he finally removes his face from the floor. It would likely need polishing later.
"Rukia's powers weren't taken by force . . . She willingly gave them up."
I swear it became so quiet in my office that I could easily hear that barbarian's hair bells whistle in the wind all the way at the 11th division barracks.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?!" asks Renji, his emotions finally imploding in on him.
"Renji, leave my office," I said flatly, already tired of my second's outbursts. "You may come back once you've calmed yourself."
Renji stopped himself in time to hear what I commanded him to do. He gave me another one of his apologetic looks, but I could see the irritation within his eyes at being so coldly dismissed. My attention was back on Minata after he left the room, her face looking quite bemused as she looked at me.
"I'm sorry about my lieutenant's outbursts, Minata. He will be reprimanded the next time I see him." I say with a slight hint of sincerity in my voice that I knew only she could detect.
"It's no problem Byakuya, and considering Renji's shared history with Rukia, I kinda expected it. . . All I have left to say is that you and Lieutenant Abarai have been ordered to go to the Living World to bring her back here to stand trial for her actions, as commanded by the Central 46. . . If anyone stands in your way, you have permission to do anything within your power to ensure the mission is a success." she says as the emotion starts to return to her gaze. Unlike Rukia's violet eyes, Minata's were a deep, dark purple, almost like amethysts.
For one fleeting moment, those amethyst eyes conveyed how she exactly felt over this entire situation.
She absolutely hated it.
"We will leave immediately." I did not like this development either, but what must be done, must be done.
"I'll tell the Captain-Commander." she says to me with a slight bow as I stand up, returning the gesture in kind.
"Please, have my lieutenant return to my office on your way out, Mina."
"Sure . . . Should I tell the servants at the manor that you may be a little late returning from work?"
"Please do . . ." and with that, she walks out the door to look for my loudmouth of a lieutenant.
"Master, this whole situation with Rukia-san and her losing her powers does not add up to me."
"I do not understand it either, but we should not question orders, Senbonzakura. We have been given a mission and it is our job to carry it out."
"I understand, but Rukia's your sister, regardless if she's only adopted. We both know what the punishment is for a shinigami who gives away their powers."
Death. There was no alternative.
Fifty years ago, I had promised my late wife Hisana that I would find her sister, protect her, and accept her as my sister. Now that I have learned of Rukia's crime, and knowing the severity of its punishment, my duty to my late wife and my duties as a shinigami of the Gotei 13 have reached a crossroads.
A crossroad that I was hoping I would never have to face.
"Nevertheless Senbonzakura, we have a mission to complete, regardless of family ties." I say as I lift my head.
"I understand . . . I don't fully agree with it, but I understand."
"I didn't expect you to," I say in kind as I hear footsteps coming up the hallway. "Abarai . . ."
"Captain?" calls my lieutenant as he appears in the doorway, the monkey woman and the snake boy that make up his zanpakuto standing right behind him.
"Get ready Renji. We leave for Karakura Town in one hour."
"Yes sir . . . Chimpette, Snakey, let's get our things."
"Yes sir, Mr. Pineapple, sir!" they said in unison, their comment instantly making a vein appear on Abarai's forehead.
"Okay, one: stop talking in unison. You both know I hate that. Two: don't call me a pineapple!"
"Your hair says otherwise."
The monkey woman and snake boy laugh like children as a horrified expression appears on Renji's face, now realizing where that remark came from as his eyes moved toward the samurai beside me.
"Enough of this nonsense. Go and get ready or else I will leave for the Living World without you." I exclaim without raising my voice, now feeling the start of a nagging headache in my skull.
As my vice-captain and his zanpakuto make their exit, I turn to Senbonzakura. "Sometimes I wonder why I chose Renji to be my lieutenant."
"It's because he was highly recommended by his former division. Wasn't that obvious?" he answers, quite bluntly to be precise.
"I was being sarcastic."
"Oh."
A/N: What do you guys think? I want to know. Please review! I appreciate the constructive criticism.