Byakuya Kuchiki Unveiled: Chapter 18

Bleach:  Byakuya Kuchiki Unveiled
Chapter 18--TeShiera and Byakuya First Date

"Captain Kuchiki," TeShiera said turning around.  "What are you doing here?"

"Captain Setsuke," Byakuya called and stopped. He did not see the deathly cold stare that he had seen on his previous outings. Instead he saw the attractive green eyes that he had become used to seeing on her.

After having toured the Seireitei for the past two hours in search of Hatsune as he had been doing after leaving the squad six barracks for the past three weeks since Hatsune's recent disappearance, Byakuya caught sight of what appeared to be a flame in the middle of Seireitei park.

Despite his attempts, he had little hopes of finding Hatsune any more than he had been able to find him 57 years ago. There was no guarantee he was even in this world, he may well have ventured back to Huecho Mundo.

He couldn't help but remember the first time he had encountered Hatsune after nearly 60 years; he had appeared to him in her form.

Was she in league with him? He didn't know, but he did know that he'd escaped after having been shot by one of her blow darts.

"Captain Setsuke," Byakuya began as soon he appeared in front of the tree. "I saw the fire and I thought..."

TeShiera looked up, surprised to see her visitor. "Captain Kuchiki," she responded uncomfortably. "Oh, I started it. It is such a cool night and I wanted to read, so..."

"What are you reading?" he asked despite knowing this was the first civilized conversation he had ever initiated with her.

"A book of poetry," she responded flipping the cover over for him to see. "I love to read just about anything I can get my hands on. I usually sit on my barracks rooftop, but I..."

"Yes, I've noticed," Byakuya stated a fact he had observed though he had never disclosed it before."

"But I saw this beautiful tree the other day and I just had to come sit under it."

"It is quite lovely," Byakuya confirmed. "In fact, it is my favorite tree in this entire park."

"Your favorite tree? Does that have anything to do with your sword," she said looking down at it. "But have I intruded upon your private sanc…"

"It doesn't matter. It's not like it is located on my private garden."

Feeling uncomfortable for unknown reasons, TeShiera looked away. "Oh, is this no longer a free park for the residents of Seireitei?"

"No, I didn't mean..," Byakuya began but stopped. He remained quiet, as he considered what to say.

"You have your sword drawn," she said lifting her hand by her ears and looking at him rather curiously. "Is that meant for me?"  

Byakuya looked around before reseating his blade. He hadn't seen Zaraki all day and was pleased that he didn't now. He couldn't say that he was afraid to encounter him, but he had encountered him enough and he knew what it meant if he encountered him again.  

He knew if he asked her out and she was obligated to Zaraki he would never hear the end of it. He did not wish to engage in a fight for a woman he did not care for but... "Have you had dinner?" Byakuya asked looking down at the crumbs and a partially eaten Mochi rice cake she had on a paper plate beside her. "And I don't mean that rice cake you've been nibbling on."

"Well, ahh," she looked down at her plate. "I wasn't hungry and I ahh… just like to nibble when I read."

"I see," Byakuya said thoughtfully. "Will you accompany me?"

"Where? To dinner?" TeShiera repeated in surprise. "Why?" No one in the Seireitei had ever asked her to have dinner with them before and certainly not a captain. But then, she'd never asked anyone out herself either.

"Dare I chance it to say I'm hungry and thought perhaps you might be as well? How long have you been nibbling on that? Or should I just say I do not care to eat alone." Byakuya stated, having no desire to disclose his true purpose.

"Alone?" TeShiera stated wide-eyed; doubting very much that the 28th head of the Kuchiki clan need ever eat alone if he did not wish.

"Say yes," Byakuya stated almost as an order.

TeShiera studied him for a few minutes. Should she, or shouldn't she? She'd never been confronted with such a situation; to deny a captain her company, or more importantly, to deny the head of the Kuchiki clan. Neither of which seemed to be the appropriate thing to do. But what was the appropriate thing? He was neither her clan leader nor her captain.

"When? Now?"

"If you're free."

"Where? In the commissary?"

"Actually I was thinking there are a number of quaint places in the Rukon District," Byakuya said. "But if you'd prefer, we can go to my manor."

"The Rukon District sounds fine," TeShiera said rising from her seat and putting out the fire she had set.
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Awaiting their order, TeShiera decided she would dispel something that had bothered her for who knows how long.

"Captain Kuchiki, there is something I've been thinking about since I took command of squad five."

"What is it?" Byakuya asked.

"Well it was when I first appeared in your office. You told me that ..."

"Oh is doesn't matter," Byakuya said shuffling in his seat. "My Lieutenant told me you came by the day before and I wanted to know why you'd returned."

"No, but I thought…," TeShiera hesitated.  "But you said that wasn't it," she said.

"I did not say that was it," he said thoughtfully. "I just wanted to know why you had returned."

"But then who was this Hatsune you spoke to me about. You said you thought I was in your office but…"

Byakuya knew he was on the verge of lying. The waiter returned with their orders.

"It was nothing, I simply got confused," Byakuya said. "Thank you," he turned toward the waiter. "Your cousin came to see me earlier and I wanted to know if your visit had anything to do with what she'd said then."

"Yoruichi? She came to you? What did she say?" she said looking at him earnestly.

Byakuya didn't know how to respond.

"Never mind, I can imagine what she said, I'm sorry," she said lowering her head in embarrassment.

They each remained silent for some time until Byakuya decided what to say. "Captain Setsuke," Byakuya began looking at her with a touch of mysteriousness lurking. "I have been meaning to ask you about Captain Zaraki."

"Zaraki, what is it?" Captain Setsuke asked.

"You have been spending quite a bit of time with him. Is there any reason for that?" Byakuya asked burying his face in boiled sushi and wasabi.

"Reason?" TeShiera asked eyeing him curiously.

Byakuya didn't respond, simply eyed her suspiciously.

"Oh we have an arrangement but it's nothing like that," she said taking a bite of her Chile sea bass.  "I asked him a question once and he was kind enough to agree …" she said. "But you and Captain Zaraki don't like each other do you. What is it?"

"He doesn't care for nobility," Byakuya stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I see." She grew quiet as she considered what she was going to say. "Shouldn't you just," TeShiera stopped to reevaluate the entire thing.

"You shouldn't spend much time hanging out with him either." Byakuya said. "There's no telling what he might do."

TeShiera didn't respond to that, she simply hid her lips and started snickering.

Byakuya arched an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry Captain Kuchiki," she said regaining her composure. "Forgive me." She moved on to a subject she wanted to cover.  

Byakuya gave her a look of resigned of acceptance.

"But from what I understand you are a Kido expert, yes," she began uncertainly. "I was wondering if you would find any benefit in our teams performing joint training together," she said growing quiet again as she looked at him. "You could perhaps handle the Kido training and I could conduct the Hoho training. I was even thinking that perhaps Captain Zaraki..."

"Such a proposal is unorthodox."

"Yes, I know but with Aizen's eminent return looming," she looked down across the table. "I thought perhaps it would be beneficial for our various teams to receive regular training from each of the captains."

"But you mentioned Captain Zaraki," Byakuya began. "You may not be aware of this, but he would be less willing to spend his time training members of other squads than he is willing to train his own members," Byakuya said, without admitting that even he had spent little time training his own squad members; a fact he hoped to change soon.

"He believes that everyone should simply know how to fight and if they don't, then they deserve to be killed. Besides, he doesn't even have Bankai."

"Forgive me, but I think you're wrong," Captain Setsuke began. "I think the fact that Captain Zaraki is incapable of using that attribute of his Zanpakutō is why he would be the most appropriate choice," she said looking at him with concern.

"Our squad members need to know how to fight, first and foremost," she said tepidly. "Didn't Captain Zaraki defeat the former captain of squad 11 who did have Bankai? Besides, he has already agreed to allow my squad to join with his…"

"You've already spoken to him about this?"

"Yes, since he absolutely loves to fight, I thought he would be the most appropriate Sensei for Zanjutsu training," she said with a great deal of consternation. "And with you being such an expert with Kido I thought... that perhaps you would lead our team to victory with that."

"I shall... consider it," Byakuya agreed reluctantly.

"Oh... thank ... you," TeShiera said as she ate her Chile sea bass.

"So, tell me now what happened when Yoruichi left."

"Yoruichi?" she choked out.

"Yes," Byakuya said. "I am more interested in you clans reaction. Tell me what happened with them."

TeShiera froze. She had never had anyone question her about her clan's problems before. Would his interest prove any better than anyone else's. Not knowing how else to begin, she took a deep breath and began to speak. "As you know, Yoruichi left some hundred years ago; leaving no message of where she went." She looked down and avoided his gaze. "There had been a power struggle over the first 80 years since Yoruichi had no heirs or sisters or brothers except for  Yūshirō who unfortunately is too young to take over leadership."

"But leadership could have passed to your mother's line as well, couldn't it?" Byakuya asked. "Was she not the sister of Yoruichi's mother?"

"Yes, but that is not what she wanted," she looked up, avoiding his gaze completely. "So eventually we managed to resolve the struggle by allowing leadership to pass to a cousin."

"Captain Setsuke, you have become a captain of the Gotei 13, but I was wondering if you've ever given any thought to the possibility of your descendants continuing and controlling your seat?"

"My descendants?" she said looking at him with doubt. "But that is a privilege reserved for clan leaders only. I am not..."

"No, you are not a clan leader, but the Shihōin clan lost their captain's legacy with the departure of Yoruichi," Byakuya said it with little interest. "You can get that status back."

"I will not deny that our clan had hopes of once again re-obtaining their position in the Gotei 13, but that is impossible now," she said only inches away from tears. "My captaincy is limited to me alone. It is not something that I have the right to pass on, or even have thoughts of such a possibility."

She thought about her clan and Captain Kuchiki's clan and the fact that they were out together, and she wondered why? There was no way he could be comfortable with this.

"Captain Kuchiki, I don't understand. Why would you wish to take me out to dinner?" she asked with a touch of reluctance. "With the current status of the Shihōin clan, is it wise for a Kuchiki to do such a thing?"

"My understanding is that the females of the women's society each baked those snacks I received upon my return," he said. "And I wanted to make sure I thanked you all."

"Snacks? Women's society?" she repeated angling her head. "I'm afraid you have things mixed up," she stated. "I did not make any snacks. I do not bake; never did. So there is no need to thank me."

"Oh," Byakuya said slightly flustered. "Well at any rate, I never properly thanked you for assisting in helping me to retrieve my sister."

"There is no need to thank me for that," she said coyly. "It is what any shinigami with the means and opportunity would have done."

"Yes, it is but you are new among the ranks and could surely use a friend."

"A friend? I did not think being a member of the 13 Court Guard Squad was a social opportunity."

"Not generally, but you did assist me in securing my sister's safe return."

"Her return? Yes, who was that?" she asked again. "Why did he look so much like your lieutenant?"

Byakuya looked up at her. "No one. Nothing. He was not important," he said.

He decided he will probably never love any of them, but either one of them would make a suitable mate. He does not want to divulge information about his past with Hisana. It would turn into nothing but gossip among the members of the women's society.

Had it not already done so based on the information he had thus far divulged. She had been a member of covert ops; in addition to their Kidō expertise, that was an organization of spies. Was it her responsibility to spy on him for the women's association, or perhaps to obtain information surreptitiously for some other purpose?