Byakuya Kuchiki Unveiled: Chapter 12

Bleach: Byakuya Kuchiki Unveiled

Chapter 12 -- And the Survey Says…

One full hour after the departure of his visitor, Byakuya Kuchiki remained at his desk in puzzlement. What was that all about, he wondered? Clearly she was out for revenge, but was she seriously contemplating avenging the death of a shinigami he had killed nearly 60 years ago? If so, she knew not whom she challenged.

But what was Hatsune to her? Yoruichi had likely departed the Seireitei quite some time ago and returned to the world of the living, so questioning her about her cousins issues were out of the question. But was that truly her cousin? Despite his repeated inquiries, she had never said. Even if she had, he didn't know Yoruichi's cousin's name. She had never said; she'd simply referred to her as her baby cousin. But who else could that have been? Renji had told him a new captain was appointed to squad five and Yoruichi had not denied it when he'd said her cousin was a captain. From the attire she had worn, that female was clearly the captain of squad five; he had seen the squad's emblem emblazoned on the back of her haori.

But would a captain truly jeopardize her positioning in the Gotei 13 and threaten another captain for the sake of some long dead shinigami? He wasn't particularly concerned about any threats she might have made against him specifically, but she didn't truly threaten him, did she? But if it was truly her desire to make herself his enemy, he would have to ensure she regretted that decision.

What was it she had said?

Though you may have clearly forgotten me, I will fill your thoughts with so many memories before your life has ended. This time, things will end on my terms.

What memories? Why should it matter to her what memories he maintained? Whether she cared to value the thought or not, Hatsune was not a shinigami that needed to be remembered.

Though you may have clearly forgotten me...

Forgotten her? That was a clear indication that they had met at least once. But when? And what did she mean by this time? What could have happened between them before? Byakuya couldn't recall having ever seen her. Though her facial features and coloring were similar to Yoruichi's, she reminded him of no one he had seen in the past 100 years; certainly not since Yoruichi's departure and definitely not surrounding his acquaintance, if it could be called that, with Hatsune. Could he have truly forgotten her, though? He had never specifically paid any attention to anyone unrelated to him. But could he have possibly forgotten a face he had seen for any reason? That had never been in his nature. And surely, those deathly sharp, cold brown eyes of hers could not be so easily forgotten.

Knowing it would serve no useful purpose to continue wasting time consumed with thoughts of that female until he at least encountered her again and determined how much of a threat she truly was, Byakuya reached for the list of names he was previously reviewing.

He couldn't believe he was being reduced to this to uphold the honor of the Kuchiki clan. But if he looked at it honestly, it was the least he could do after having broken clan laws not once, but twice and he knew he would not give up his title.

Retrieving a clean sheet of paper, the captain of the sixth division rewrote the names so he would know precisely who he would be dealing with.

Retsu Unohana, Captain 4th Division
Suì Fon, Captain 2nd division
Momo Hinamori, Lieutenant 5th Division
Isane Kotetsu, Lieutenant 4th Division
Kiyone Kotetsu, younger sister of Isane Kotetsu, one of the two 3rd seats of the 13th division
Nemu Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant 12th Division
Yachiru Kusajishi, Lieutenant 11th Division
Rangiku Matsumoto, Lieutenant 10th division
Yoruichi Shihōin

Reviewing his freshly scribed list, Byakuya knew he needed to evaluate and obtain as much information about all of them as he could, then single out any potential possibilities. But he saw three, perhaps even four names that he could still eliminate; Yachiru because she was far too young for his purposes, Kiyone Kotetsu because she was only a third seat, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi because she was no more than a Gigai created by Captain Kurotsuchi for whatever purposes he desired and Yoruichi Shihōin simply because based on their previous history, he had absolutely no desire to consider her.

But in reviewing his newly revised list, Byakuya realized finally, that the new captain's name was not among the selections and as he thought about it, he knew he didn't even know who she was. Yoruichi had simply referred to her as her baby cousin, but it would be nice to know the name of any potential enemies he might have acquired.

Putting his list aside, he flipped through the original list of members of the shinigami women's association. Unfortunately, after another quick check, he found Yachiru's list was not as thorough as he'd originally thought. Her list currently contained only the two captains he was already aware of. It wasn't that he had any interest in pursuing her any more than he had in pursuing Yoruichi but he did recall hearing that the best strategic approach to any assault was to keep you friends close and your enemies closer. But he wasn't that desperate, was he? He might have sunken to his current level by even considering these females for the sake of the Kuchiki honor, but he would never sink that low.

Flipping to a page containing the names of several Onmitsukidō squad members, the captain of the sixth squad saw no one with a Shihōin clan name. But if that was truly Yoruichi's cousin, her surname could be anything and then, she may well have changed it for whatever reason, after the flash goddess deserted them.

Renji though may well know who she was, Byakuya reasoned. But even he had simply referred to her as the "new" captain of squad five. But he had said she was one of the individuals who had stopped by yesterday, perhaps if he checked with him, he would find that she had left her name.  

Pushing his chair back, Byakuya prepared to do exactly that.
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With her second day rapidly waning away, TeShiera sat in her dojo watching the final elimination match between her fourth and seventh seated officers; while the rest of her squad sat against the walls, cheering and rooting for their favorites. She had to admit she was extremely impressed with seventh seat Yakamodo. He was not only holding his own against her fourth seat; he had literally out-dueled the entire squad since their activities began earlier this morning. She could scarcely believe he was only a seventh seat. But she was certain any oversight in the advancement of his level was due to Aizen's preoccupation with his own personal agenda over the years. He'd likely had no interest in the development of his squad members. But she wouldn't worry about that; with the loss of her third seat and the current unavailability of second seat Hinamori, she would have to ensure any deserving officers were able to serve in true leadership roles. That was the only way they would have any chance of survival.

Right now, she observed her fourth seat Takadashi; whose movements were proficient but seemed more mechanical and practiced, while seventh seat Yakamodo's movements were so much more fluid and instinctive. He used his tall, lithe form with such grace. He knew precisely when to thrust and when to parry, when to jab and when to counter, as well as when to block and when to duck. She had seen no one else whose performance had the ability to enhance the Zanjutsu skillset of the members of this squad. She would definitely have to make him one of her team leaders. But not only that, she knew she would also eventually have to see about promoting him to a higher seat.

She would have to speak to him first, of course; to ensure it was not simply his own reluctance to excel that held him back; as well as to ensure there were no other contingencies. She recalled hearing from Captain Soi Fon herself, that she would not take the young Kuchiki into the second squad because of the edict her brother had laid out after he'd adopted her. He had not wanted her to be seated any higher than a sixth seat because he had not wanted her life endangered. Captain Soi Fon though had not been a captain who could hold a shinigami back in good conscience. But despite seventh seat Yakamodo's capabilities, TeShiera could still see a need for improvement even in him.

But to do what she'd been thinking most of the day, would take some time; might even prove to be impossible after Aizen's treachery. She had no idea what the trust level was between the various squad captains. But still if she waited a few weeks and gave the other captains time to become familiar with her, who knows?

TeShiera knew the thoughts she was having now, were unprecedented. Such acts were completely outside the normal operations of the Gotei 13; every captain ran their squad like complete and separate entities. But with Aizen lurking out there somewhere, weren't they all now facing the possibility of being confronted by their most powerful enemy ever? Wouldn't a change be the most appropriate approach to take? But still, if she proposed her thoughts to the captain-commander, perhaps he would consider implementing them.

Yes, like all the captains of the Gotei 13, she had the skillsets required to effectively train her squad to a true proficiency; but each individual captain had their own specific strengths. Having been trained by the former Lady Yoruichi, the goddess of flash since she was but a child and being a former member of Onmitsukidō herself, her flash steps and Kidō were far superior to most but there were other captains whose skillsets likely excelled well beyond her Zanjutsu and Hakuda.  At this point with the potential looming threats, did their teams require only proficiency, or did they require a true expertise? And wouldn't it be better to have each team member trained by the most proficient sensei currently in the Gotei 13?

It was uncustomary, highly unorthodox in fact, for two squads to work together like she was thinking, but perhaps she could arrange for at least Yakamodo to receive specialized training lessons from Captain Zaraki of the 11th squad; Zanjutsu was his specialty after all, wasn't it? Yes, it had to be. As far as she knew, he was the only captain who had not yet obtained Bankai or even Shikai. Zanjutsu was his preferred fighting method.

With one final overhead strike, Yakamodo brought his shinai down toward the side of the fourth seat's head, causing him to fall out and splay flat on his face in defeat.

"Thank you everyone," TeShiera said rising to her feet. "Today has been most enlightening," she said as she moved toward her seventh seat. "Congratulations seventh seat Yakamodo," she issued a gentle bow. "Your Zanjutsu skills were outstanding. I would like to speak to you more about this, but for now, you will be our primary Zanjutsu team lead while fourth seat Takadashi will be your second."

"Thank you captain," Yakamodo said as he bowed his acceptance, then turned and assisted fourth seat Takadashi to a standing position.

TeShiera now lifted her voice to address her squad members. "Tomorrow morning, we will conduct an elimination race for Hoho on the exterior exercise grounds. The squad member with the best and fastest flash steps will lead our training in that regard. Hopefully by the afternoon, we will be able to continue with our Kidō or Hakuda techniques where the same principles will apply."

Catching sight of the view outside the dojo's window, TeShiera realized it was getting late. It had been a long day, and she wondered if Captain Kuchiki had returned to his office as his lieutenant had said he would. But she also wondered if he was still there if he had. She decided she should go introduce herself, although she knew it would be more of a reintroduction, she was also certain he wouldn't remember her; it had been over 120 years after all. But she did wish to speak to him about the possibility of joining forces with their Kidō and Hoho training. As far as she knew, Captain Kuchiki had the most proficient Kidō techniques in the Gotei 13.
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"Renji."

TeShiera heard a young female voice call as she stepped out of her barracks.

"Renji, you idiot," she called out again as she rushed toward him.

When she came to a stop, TeShiera could see that the young female was Captain Kuchiki's younger sister. The male she had confronted was his lieutenant. Did that mean his captain had already departed for the day?

"Why didn't you stop when I called out to you?" the young Kuchiki asked, giving him a swift kick in the shins.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you," he replied. "But I'm glad you caught me."

"Where are you going?" TeShiera heard the young Kuchiki ask as she continued toward the squad six barracks.

"Rukongai," was the last thing TeShiera heard them say as she moved further away.
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Having just exited the dojo, Renji Abarai shuffled some paperwork on his desk.

With a shadow moving into his view, he looked up into the face of the individual who stood in front of him. It was the new captain of the fifth division. "Captain," he exclaimed. "You've returned," he said.

"Yes, but I didn't expect to see you here. That was awfully fast."

"Fast?" Renj repeated in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"I just saw you outside. I thought you were headed to Rukongai."
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Proceeding down the long hallway leading from his office, Byakuya Kuchiki had decided he would locate Renji, who was likely still in the dojo conducting his training lessons.

"Renji," Byakuya called out but stopped when he approached the barrack's foyer that lead the way to Renji's desk. Standing there with his lieutenant was the very captain he had wanted to obtain additional information about.

"Captain Kuchiki," TeShiera began turning toward the new entry. "I'm TeShiera Setsuke," she extended her hand after issuing a gentle bow. "The new captain of squad five."

Byakuya simply furrowed his brows without extending his hand or bowing in return. "Why have you returned?" he demanded gruffly, scrutinizing the visitor who had confronted him in his office less than one hour ago and yet stood before him now as if that incident had never occurred.

"Returned?" TeShiera asked looking at her extended palm then closing her fingers before allowing her arm to fall limply to her side. Though he didn't acknowledge either of her greetings, TeShiera tried not to read too much into his oversights. Handshaking was not a customary trait in their world and for all she knew, Captain Kuchiki may simply disapprove of it in general; though she had no excuse for his not acknowledging her bow. "Oh your lieutenant must have told you I was here yesterday," she said believing she understood his meaning. "But you weren't here, so I came back to introduce…"

"No, why have you returned?" Byakuya repeated.

"I don't understand," TeShiera stated, completely puzzled now.

"Were you not in my office not 60 minutes ago?"

"Your office, no," she said narrowing her gaze at him. "I was in…"

Narrowing his own gaze slightly, Byakuya moved forward and surprisingly found himself staring into a pair of clear, what some might even call attractive green eyes, not the sharp angry brown ones he recalled looking into earlier. He didn't understand that. A shinigami's eye color did not change so casually did it? Even though he had not seen Yoruichi's transformation in over a hundred years, she was a rear shinigami capable of changing her form, but even she had been unable to change her eye color. "Are you familiar with a shinigami by the name of Hatsune?"

"Hatsune…," TeShiera repeated thoughtfully. "The name doesn't sound familiar. Is he a member of your squad or perhaps mine? I thought I had…"

"You were not in my office recently telling me of your knowledge of him?" Byakuya asked pointedly.

"No, I was not!" TeShiera stated, annoyed by his rudeness now. "But I will say it's funny that you would say you saw me," she reigned in her anger slightly. "I was just telling Lieutenant Abarai the same thing."

"Meaning?" Byakuya stated with a staunch glare but no hint of lightness in his tone.

"I thought I just saw him outside with your younger sister less than five minutes ago," TeShiera explained, though she didn't understand his interest in that. "I know our flash steps can be greatly enhanced, but I don't think I or even the Lady Yoruichi could move that…"

"With Rukia?" Byakuya interjected a hint of desperation in his tone now. "Renji were you just with Rukia?"

"No sir, I just returned from the dojo."

"You thought you saw Renji with Rukia? Where?" Byakuya demanded turning back toward TeShiera, a raspiness in his voice betraying his anxiety. But an unpleasant thought had entered his head.

"Just beyond squad five," TeShiera elaborated as she turned momentarily to study Renji then turned back toward Captain Kuchiki. "I believe they were headed toward the Rukon districts."

"Renji, stay here. If Rukia comes, keep her here," Byakuya ordered then turned and flashed stepped toward his barracks door.

TeShiera stared at the spot Captain Kuchiki had recently vacated then spun toward his lieutenant. "What was that all about? Was something wrong? Where did he go?" she asked him.

"I have no idea," Renji confessed. He was just as confused as the captain looked. "You might not know this, but my Captain has never been one to disclose his innermost thoughts," he declared.