Part I

Father and daughter sat at the small tea table, on their knees, on plush, purple cushions. Her cherry blossom pink hair was pulled neatly back into a bun on the crown of her head, pinned neatly in place by a pair of dark green chopsticks and an ornate comb. Her navy kimono had inlays of gold and pearlescent threads that had been expertly wound into orchid blooms. A soft green obi with a white rope neatly held the dress closed. Dainty yet calloused hands folded neatly over her lap to give the illusion of a demure and submissive woman. Her face would have traditionally been painted in white and her lips stained red. But she came from a warrior family; such excessive adornments weren't within their practices.

With half a bow, she reached forward, careful to take hold the trailing right sleeve of her kimono. Her hands took hold of the bowl that held the matcha powder and brought it closer. With a towel and fluidity only practice could bring, she poured enough hot water into the bowl to disintegrate the powder.

Her father sat with his hands placed purposefully on his thighs. Half of his long silver white locks were pulled into a high ponytail, the rest tumbling down to the dip in his back. Bangs framed his face and brushed across his forehead. He wore a white haori, the sleeve hems patterned with matching navy orchids, his hakama of the same navy color. Over this, he wore a sky blue kimono draped over his shoulders, the back detailed in white thread a large demonic dog howling to the full moon on the banks of a river. This was worn by the Haruno Head, restored and passed down with each new Head. Deep, indigo eyes watched the pair across the table from him and his daughter, listening to the soft scratches of the whisk beating the matcha in the bowl.

Behind the father-daughter pair, his wife and three sons sat on similar violet cushions. The youngest son, with his long salt-and-pepper hair, had only turned five three months prior. The boy could barely manage to keep from fidgeting, even when his mother placed a steadying hand on his leg. The eldest son merely sat with his eyes closed, perhaps meditating, perhaps waiting for conversation to start.

Across the table sat an older man with silken grey hair and thick mustache that covered his perpetual frown. He wore a black haori and hakama with a white nagajuban; a uniform that marked him as a member of the 13 Court Divisions. Over this, he donned a sleeveless white jacket that had been stamped on the back with a symbol of his status as the taichou of the Sixth Division. A sky blue, almost white, scarf wound around his neck, an heirloom to his Clan. His own slate grey eyes watched quietly as the pink-haired woman gently poured some of the matcha into a cup. She then rose on her knees to place the cup quietly in front of him. As the Head of the Clan and eldest member in the room, he was to taste the matcha first. Any dissatisfaction could reflect poorly on the woman and her father.

The few other eligible women, whom they had sat with in previous years, had barely known how to whisk the matcha correctly to provide a palatable taste for him, much less anyone else.

He sipped the hot tea delicately, letting the flavor wash across his taste buds. The low hum of approval, followed by a larger sip, indicated that the woman had passed her unofficial assessment. As he set the cup down, she poured out the rest of the cups and served the fourth member at the table, and her father. The man beside her gave her the last cup as it was rude for her to serve herself the tea, even in this setting.

The fourth member was grandson to the older man. He had matching slate grey eyes and black hair that fell down to his shoulder blades. He too wore the black uniform, though he did not wear a jacket or Clan heirloom to mark him as next in line for Head of the Clan. But a white band with a beige emblem identified him as fukutaichou of the Sixth Division. Behind him and his grandfather sat their army of advisors who were ready to intervene with their wise opinions, if necessary.

The older man took another sip of the tea. "It has been a while since we last spoke with one another in such a private setting, Haruno Taiga-sama."

"Indeed, Kuchiki Ginrei-sama." Taiga took a sip of his tea and then set the cup aside. "I believe we last spoke when your son passed away and I had just resigned from the Onmitsukido Material World Division Commander position. That was more than one hundred years ago."

Ginrei set his tea cup down, a few wrinkles deepening across his face. "You are here to make an arrangement with my grandson, Byakuya. It must be of some importance for you to bring your family."

Taiga nodded, glancing at the men behind him. "And it must have interested you enough to bring your advisors along as well. I wish to propose a marriage arrangement between my daughter, Sakura, and your grandson, Byakuya-san."

Ginrei raised a thick, grey eyebrow, eyes flickering over to the young woman. Her emerald green eyes connected with his before looking down at her folded hands in her lap. "While our families have certainly interacted before on numerous occasions, why should I choose you daughter over any of the other omiai my grandson may have received?"

"As one of the Five Noble Families, the Kuchiki Clan is undoubtedly strong and I would be honored to provide to said family a strong wife. As you know, the Haruno Clan is intimately tied with the Onmitsukido and the Onmitsukido Material World Division, each generation born required to serve either organization for a predetermined amount of years. My daughter, despite her position in Soul Society's ranks, still receives mission requests from the Material World Division. She will also be capable of bringing equally strong heirs to the Kuchiki Clan's main branch."

Ginrei raised a brow again. "You must realize your timing of this request. My grandson's wife passed away only five months ago."

"I do. My wife and I came to pay our condolences when the ceremonial service was held." He paused and incrementally raised his chin. "It was a small enough service that I don't recall seeing you there. I believe you were away on a mission."

The advisors whispered behind them, though neither Ginrei nor his grandson visibly reacted to the subtle edge in Taiga's voice. It was clear he wasn't ignorant of Ginrei's minor dislike for Hisana. But, then again, he'd never really made it a secret he had reservations about his only grandson marrying to Rukongai resident.

"Sakura-san was also there," Byakuya added, eyes closing.

Ginrei looked at the young woman again.

She nodded. "I was. I went looking for Byakuya-dono with Unohana-taichou to give our condolences."

The old man glanced at his grandson. Despite the five months that had passed, he could tell Byakuya was still adjusting to life without his chosen wife at his side. Before the Haruno family had arrived, he had expressed hesitancy at accepting the arrangement if it did indeed turn out to be a marriage proposal. If Byakuya had been Head, Ginrei was positive the boy would immediately reject the proposal and dissuaded any future ones. But Ginrei knew of the Haruno girl and had seen the antics she pulled on his grandson with Yoruichi when they were younger. Despite his rather loud protests, Ginrei was sure Byakuya had actually enjoyed the attentions of another not of the Estate. After all, he had invited her to a sparring match, though he rarely ever agreed to spar with anyone outside of the Estate.

"I will accept your proposal on the grounds that my grandson is allowed to grieve for his late wife however long he needs. And, he is allowed to set the day for the wedding ceremony to take place, no matter what point it is in the future."

"We accept."

"Additionally, should he become the 28th Head of the Kuchiki Clan before the marriage, Byakuya has the authority to end the arrangement at any time, even if a date has been set."

"Of course," Taiga said, bowing his head. Sakura bowed as well, pressing her hands to the floor and lowering her head.

Byakuya looked at the petite woman sitting next to her white-haired father as she raised her head. She looked to be about twenty in human years and, as he continued to assess her features, pick her physical form apart, she began to subtly fidget. It took him a second to realize that he was the cause of her actions; her cheeks flushing a soft red from his attentions. Her eyes shifted between him and her hands.

Yoruichi, known for her hijinxs and teasing, had made a victim out of the girl once she joined the Second Division as the third seat. This was long before she chose to pick on him. According to the mischievous taichou, she often stole the girl's Material World Division bone mask and made a game of cat and mouse out of it to help hone her skills. Then, Yoruichi had gotten Sakura, who was younger than him by two years, to join in stealing his hair tie and running away. At the time, she hadn't really mastered Shunpo and had to use her stealth and hiding skills to get away from him. He often came back to his training sessions at the Estate to find his grandfather holding the tie. Apparently, she always gave it back before possibly being caught for she knew her limits were far below his.

Of course, from the multiple Noble Family gatherings and news that got passed around, he knew she had received extensive private training through her clan. Their clan's general and her eldest brother, who was a team leader in the Material World Division, provided the training regimens for her before she enrolled in the Onmitsukido training program. And, rumors had floated about of her being sent on solo missions by the Soutaichou and the OMWD Commander while still in the training program.

Still, those had only been rumors, something best generally ignored. The one thing Byakuya was sure of was that she had never attended the Shino Academy, yet she had quickly worked her way up to becoming the Eighth Division fukutaichou once Soi-Fong took over as the Second Division taichou. Since he was the current fukutaichou of the Sixth Division, they had been on a couple missions together and knew her father was not merely putting on airs. She was indeed a strong woman. Though prone to angry outbursts.

"I wish to discuss some things further with you in private," Taiga told Ginrei, finishing his tea.

He hummed. "Your family may return home if they so wish. Byakuya, please, go train."

"Yes, Ojii-sama."

Taiga looked to his wife, Ima, and nodded, signaling for her to take the others back to their Manor. She nodded, bowed at the waist with the tips of her fingers on the floor and stood. Byakuya departed quickly while the Haruno family met with their two guards who had travelled with them. One of the advisors led them towards the main exit, his nose in the air at having to do such a task.

The eldest sibling, Haruno Ichino, led their family procession behind one of the guards. He was the spitting image of their father in face shape and features, especially with his with his indigo colored irises. But, as was indicative of the Haruno Clan, he had dark red hair that fell to the backs of his thighs. Since Ichino was to be the 31st Haruno Head, he wore his hair up always in a high ponytail with two bangs falling down the sides of his face to his collarbone. He wore a coral-colored haori tucked into navy hakama. The bottom of the haori and the hems of his sleeves were patterned with navy orchids. Outside of the Clan, he was a team leader in the Onmitsukido Material World Division, otherwise known as the OMWD.

Haruno Itachi came second and, strangely, held a strong resemblance to the Uchiha lineage more than the Haruno lineage. The other four Noble Families and even the wealthy families beneath them had often whispered if they had kidnapped him, or if their mother, Mebuki, had an affair with the Uchiha Head, Fugaku. After all, Uchiha blood was strong to the point of dominating other dominant genes. Itachi had straight, jet black hair that fell to mid-back and dark brown, almost black irises to match, both trademarks of the Uchiha.

Sakura was third born and her pink hair came from the fusion of their mother's red hair and Taiga's white hair. She inherited her emerald eyes from Mebuki, a fact that Taiga reminded her of often when they shared a pot of tea or when emotions were running high.

The youngest, Yasahiro, was only their half-sibling. He had a mix of silver and black hair, no real pattern to its coloring. Like their father, he had indigo colored eyes. His mother, Ima, came from one of the other wealthy families below them. Taiga had begun courting her only months after Mebuki went missing. Their mother left without a word some years back and had not been heard from again. She left no note to explain her disappearance and spoke with no one about her plans.

Sakura looked back into the gardens and saw Byakuya, with his back to them, practicing zanjutsu stances with his wooden bokken. He moved with such power and efficiency, but with the grace of a flowing stream, which rivaled Ichino's, who prided himself on mastering the art of zanjutsu and battle. It always amazed her that a man, or a person really, could move in such a way. She'd seen him in the battlefield and his style spoke to his disregard for flashy tactics.

As soon as they were off Kuchiki Estate grounds, Sakura shoulder bumped Itachi and grinned up at him. "Race you home."

He chuckled, crossing his arms. "Let's not. Who has won the last twenty races home?"

"That's because you cheat using Shunpo."

"And you still don't know how to use it properly?"

She sniffed delicately. "Who between us got training from Yoruichi as her apprentice?" She disappeared from his beside them and appeared meters ahead, waving her arm. Itachi smirked and flashed after her. Their chakra signatures disappeared in seconds.

"Onii-sama, I want to learn that," four-year old Yasahiro said, bouncing up and down on his toes. In the process, his long salt-and-pepper hair that Ima had so meticulously brushed into placed started to become wild again. Ima tried to calm him.

"You are still far too young," he commented blandly.

"Can you teach me?"

"I don't have time to teach you, child." Ichino had not been happy with their father's remarriage, or that they dared to have a child. He, along with Itachi and Sakura, insisted that their mother was still somewhere to be found and that their father was committing blatant adultery.

"Onii-sama," Yasahiro whined.

"Silence," he barked over his shoulder, indigo eyes glaring darkly. "My answer shall always be no to you."

Ima's instincts demanded that she scold Ichino. And, if not for the fact that the young man radiated an air of intimidation and dominance, she would have. Ichino wasn't afraid of belittling and demeaning her, even in front of Taiga. While her husband always stood up for her honor, his son's words hurt nonetheless. So, she kept her mouth shut and continued to follow him with Yasahiro clinging to her hand. She understood why Taiga's children had been angered when they found out their father was set to marry her; after all, they didn't even know he had been seeing her and his first wife was still missing; they had not formally and legally separated. The law stipulated that if the person was missing for more than three years, then their marriage would become void. And they waited the three years. Ima tried to insist on multiple occasions that he tell them. But he deemed it wasn't the right time. Well, the right time had long since passed by the time she was introduced to them as his future second wife.

So, they hated her.

But that didn't stop her from trying to be a supportive and loving mother-figure to them. Still, she worried that when Ichino became Head, he might try to be rid of her. Taiga assured her that Ichino had no such power. But that didn't mean that he didn't hold sway to have her at least banished to one of the branch homes.

When they reached the Manor, Itachi sat at the front entryway to the Main House, a maid swabbing a cotton ball over a red handprint on his face. Ima dropped Yasahiro's hand and moved to inspect his face. "Itachi-kun, what happened?" Her fingers touched his chin.

He batted her hand away, waving for the maid to leave as he stood. "Sakura slapped me with her ridiculous inhuman strength."

The woman frowned. "Why would she do that?"

He looked away. "She does not know how to take a joke."

Ima sighed and picked her son up, who started to yawn and rub his yes. "Taiga-sama isn't going to be happy. She needs to understand that this is how it is for the Noble and wealthy families. We are not commoners. You should have Momiji take a look at your cheek."

"I'm not your child, woman. Don't act like I am."

Ichino approached, assessing his brother before stepping around him. "You know better than to pester her."

"Says the man who ignored her for the first five years of her life. You know how she reacts about the topic of arranged marriages."

"Then why spark her ire?"

Itachi remained quiet, taking Ichino's pause of looking back to step around him, walking away. "She's in her private garden; I know you'll go comfort her like you always do."

Ichino glared at his back. Ima shuffled around him with a dozing Yasahiro.

Sakura sat on a wooden bench underneath the bows of two looming cherry blossom trees, watching the pink and green canopy. Their father had gifted her the dainty plants among the larger trees after she got acceptance into the Onmitsukido training program. He gave each of his children their own personal garden to have a private space. No one else was allowed in each of their gardens without the owner's permission. The general of their Clan's guard, Meiyo, stood by the doors, glancing at the eldest Haruno child. But he otherwise said nothing.

Sakura spotted Ichino standing at the open door leading in. She turned her head away. "Go away."

"You should not have retaliated against Itachi," he stated with his arms crossed. He stepped down in the grass in the provided sandals, knowing she wouldn't turn him away.

"He shouldn't have teased me."

"You know Tou-san will ask your opinion on the omiai. You have refused to participate in any other omiai. He forced this one only because it is another Noble Family."

She turned angry green eyes on him. "Tou-san knows how I feel about arranged marriages. He promised to never betroth me to someone without my consent. He broke that promise."

"Yet, you did not oppose it at the Estate. We cannot marry commoners," he said, towering over her in an attempt to cow her. But he knew his sister better than that. She was just as stubborn as he and Itachi were. "You would scour Rukongai streets if you had your way to find someone to wed. We are one of the Five Great Noble families; we only marry other nobles, even with the ones who work for our families. But we are not allowed to marry commoners; it is law."

He barely finished his sentence before she stood in his face. But he didn't flinch away from her as she barely reached his chin. "Commoners are people too," she insisted. "They have the same feelings as the rest of us. I could have easily fallen in love with one of thousands of Shinigami in Seireitei before Tou-san did this."

"He would not have cared and would have annulled your elopement."

"And I wouldn't have cared about saving face for this family."

Ichino sighed, exasperated. "Should you embarrass this clan, you know what the penalty could be. In this instance, you would also be breaking the law."

She knew her brother cared deeply for her. Ever since the rumors circulated about Itachi and then her when they were younger, he had made it his duty to be involved in almost everything they did. Ichino only had her best interest at heart, just like their father. She wished, on some level, that she could be more content about arranged marriages. Sakura looked away. "What Noble Family is going to arrange a marriage with you? The Kuchiki Clan doesn't have any eligible women to offer, the Shihouin Family only has Youichi, and the Uchiha Clan only has one daughter, Kagami. You would never consider Kukaku from the Shiba Clan. You can't stand to even be in the same room as lower noble women. So, therefore, you could fall in love with a commoner."

"Don't make such jokes," he scowled.

"Who said I was joking?" She sat back down, smirking up at him. "But I guess my initial assumptions were wrong. Don't think I don't know about your secret love letters with Uchiha Kagami. She's a sweet and strong woman. I hope Tou-san can navigate a successful marriage between you two, if he even cares to address the Uchiha Clan."

Ichino's eyes narrowed before he turned to go inside. "Tou-san will be on his way soon. I suggest you devise a more suitable reason for your opposition to this arrangement."

Once he was gone, she sighed and laid down on the bench, watching the swaying branches in the soft wind. In truth, Kuchiki Byakuya wasn't necessarily undesirable. She actually had great admiration for him for both his attractiveness and his skills. She'd always had, even when she and Yoruichi used to visit the Estate.

But she would have preferred to get to know him on her own terms, not because her hand had been forced. She was sure she wasn't his type, if Kuchiki Byakuya even had a type.

Well, of course she knew his type. Everyone who knew about how Hisana had become the next in line for Kuchiki Lady didn't speak about it. The young Kuchiki man had done everything he could to marry her, standing up to his grandfather about breaking the law and not caring what anyone else had to say about him marrying a Rukongai woman.

Sakura closed her eyes But even being aware of this, she knew this wasn't the reason for her opposition to this arrangement.

Hisana had been exceptionally beautiful, petite, and intuitive; the perfect wife to stand next to such a strong and prideful man, despite her failing health. At a couple of Noble Family gatherings, Sakura was able to sit and talk with her. She was struck by how lovely of a person she was. Sakura wasn't able to talk with her often, but each time they met their time was spent with long conversation.

Hisana smiled as she set her cup down, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Forgive me if I speak out of turn, Sakura-san, but I hope you know I really do appreciate our talks. Admittedly, I don't get to speak with many people as freely, beyond my husband."

Her eyes widened. "Really?" She held her cup in her lap. "Doesn't that… get lonely?"

"I'm not lonely here, as long as I have my husband. But, it's truly nice to have another friend. Sometimes, I get so caught up in being groomed to be the Kuchiki Lady, I forget what it feels like to just be… me."

Sakura smiled. "I'm glad I can be a friend for you, Hisana-san."

"Tell me more about your brothers. I've never had brothers, especially older. I would imagine it would be a handful."

Sakura squeezed her eyes closed. She remembered Hisana getting sicker and having to visit the woman the couple of times she'd been bedridden. And, during one of those visits, Ginrei had asked her to perform some healing treatments in secret on her while Byakuya was out on missions. As far as Sakura knew, Hisana had never said anything to her husband about Sakura's separate involvement in healing on top of Unohana's healing. And Ginrei certainly hadn't said anything if he accepted their omiai.

In Hisana's final moments, Sakura had been too cowardly to face her new friend, afraid to watch her approach her final moments faster and faster. And Hisana had been too understanding and wished her no ill will when she said she would no longer come.

Sakura sat up and caught a couple of blossom petals that fell to the wind. She could pretend all she wanted that she was courageous and brave. But only a woman like Hisana could face her death with acceptance and a smile. And Byakuya had clearly seen that in her. So, she wasn't sure why he hadn't adamantly opposed this arrangement. From sitting in the meeting, she could tell that he wasn't really on board with it. But, it seemed he respected his grandfather's decisions and opinions too much to attempt opposing him.

Meiyo shifted. "Sakura-sama, your Lord Father has returned."

Maids and servants started to rush back and forth inside, straightening whatever needed to be attended to. Meiyo followed behind her as she went to greet her father. Two maids greeted Taiga with a bow at the front entrance. One took his sandals and tabi socks while the other took his outer haori and anything else he had with him. A guard didn't usually follow Taiga as he was the Haruno Head; if he couldn't protect himself, how could he be Head then?

He looked over at her, grinning. She almost hated to wipe it away. "Musume, tell me truthfully. It's a great arrangement, right?"

She paused and looked away, crossing her arms. "You already know how I feel."

Like she expected, the grin quickly turned into a frown, followed by a sigh. "I set you up with a good, strong family. You should be happy."

"I hardly know the man personally. Going to his wife's funeral ceremony hardly counts as me knowing him. I could hardly consider those reasons to be happy."

He waved his hand in the air. "You'll learn to love him. How do you think your mother and I got married? We eventually learned."

"But it wasn't enough, was it?" she said softly. She looked away when his indigo eyes widened and quickly moved on. "Why would Ginrei's grandson even be interested in another woman after his wife's passing? He broke the law to marry her despite all the omiai I'm sure he got before then. I doubt he'll learn to love me; I'll be more surprised if he doesn't end the arrangement before we set a date."

Taiga sighed, moving past her. "Things will get better. Just, please, don't make this difficult."

Momiji, the head maid, brought the female pair a pot of tea and two cups. As the sun set behind the walls that surrounded the Manor grounds, she poured the oolong tea out and quietly stood with a bow. "Will you be needing anything else from me, milady?"

"No, thank you, Momiji," Sakura said with a grateful smile. "Unless anyone else needs you, you're welcome to retire for the evening."

"Thank you, Sakura-sama."

As the maid shuffled away, the pig-tailed, blonde woman next to her took a sip of her tea first. "Honestly, I would have preferred to share a bottle of sake."

"I know. And if I gave you the sake, you would eventually drink out our entire supply."

Her honey-colored eyes glared at her. "I didn't agree to share tea for this slander."

Sakura only laughed softly and sipped her own tea. They sat quietly for some time, watching as the sun set completely, yet the sky remained a fiery red and orange, night encroaching.

"Your father told me about the arrangement," she said quietly. "He mentioned it since, when you do get married, your ability to take missions will be limited."

"...I know."

"How do you feel about that?"

She looked down at the cup held in her lap. "I want to be happy, Tsunade-shizuo. I know my father is happy about this arrangement and it's good for the wellbeing of our Clan. But... with everything else..."

Tsunade hummed softly, another sip. "There are still no leads on Mebuki. Though, he asked me to keep the search team out there."

"It's not just that. It's Ima too. She thinks that just because she married Tou-san she's allowed certain liberties around here."

"She is Lady Haruno."

"She is not a true Haruno."

"Hey, at least Ichino will be the next Head to carry the true bloodline."

"I don't care about that stuff," she said softly, setting her cup down lest she smash the ceramic in her grip. "Ima tried to talk to me yesterday about what potentially being a second wife meant."

"Ouch."

"She thought she was being helpful. But the talk only served to remind me that she was not my mother. I should have been having a talk about the arrangement with my mother, not some attempt at an imitation of her." She squeezed her eyes closed. "I know she's trying to bridge gaps with us, but she isn't bothering to get to know who we are."

"Then make that effort. Sit down and have tea with her."

"Tsunade... she knew my father was married when she seduced him and then had the audacity to move here as if it was her place."

"It was her place. She was going to marry your father."

"She could have at least waited until we were sure my mother isn't returning."

"And I'm giving you a reality check, Sakura," she said forcefully, narrowing her eyes at her previous disciple. "You want to blame Ima for the things going wrong around you when she's not the crux of the problem. I know I taught you better than this. I know you're still grieving over your mother disappearing. You can still join the team to search for her. But don't use your parents' failings in their marriage and their poor decisions to make your future. Use your head."

Sakura looked up at the sky, noticing how the deep indigo of the night almost engulfed the entire sky. "I'm trying, Tsunade-shizuo. It's just... so hard..."

A/N: Welcome to this new story! What did you think? Please leave me reviews; I want to your thoughts on this while I work on the next chapter.

Thanks for reading!