Rukia and Renji scouted the battlefield closely. Everyone had looked like they were accounted for except for Byakuya.
"I know I saw him over here. Senbonzakura was released at some point in this section." Renji said, looking around.
Rukia nodded, looking around on the ground even though she fearfully but confidently knew that Byakuya wouldn't be there. He was too strong for that.
"Who are you guys looking for?" Hisagi asked, landing beside them from the air.
"Captain Kuchiki." Renji said.
"Oh, he's not shown up? That's unlike him."
"Yeah, we didn't see him after that large blast."
"Do you think we should tell the Head Captain?" Hisagi asked.
"Tell him what?" Ichigo asked as he appeared next to them.
"Nii-sama is missing." Rukia said in a slightly panicked tone.
"Oh? That's not like Byakuya… Come to think of it, neither was that last move he did…"
"What move?"
"Well, toward the end, Byakuya released Senbonzakura but about two or three minutes later, Senbonzakura suddenly seemed to absorb back into itself, as if Byakuya had called it back in. Which is very unlike him…"
"What's going on?" Kyoraku asked, walking up. "Why is everyone still standing around?"
"Head Captain, Captain Kuchiki is missing."
"Captain Kuchiki? Are you sure you don't mean Kenpachi?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"No, it's Captain Kuchiki." Renji said. "Everyone saw him and then all of a sudden we didn't. It's as if he's disappeared."
"This is a serious situation then. I'll gather everyone and tell them to start searching for-"
"Head Captain! Head Captain!"
Kyoraku turned to the Soul Reaper running to him and was puzzled as to why the Soul Reaper was holding Senbonzakura in his hands… as well as in two pieces? No, that couldn't be right…
Rukia saw the sword wasn't whole and her purple eyes widened as the Soul Reaper stopped in front of them.
"I- I found this next to an empty shihakusho, as well as the ceremonial scarf…"
The Soul Reaper held out the silver scarf and Rukia grabbed it, beginning to shake.
"No! Nii-sama! NII-SAMA!" she screamed, going to her knees.
Renji closed his eyes, not believing his captain was gone. He was sad for Rukia, since she loved her brother very much, and now he would have to become the captain of Squad 6…
Ichigo, on the other hand, gripped Zangetsu angrily and turned away, putting the swords back in their sheaths.
"Ichigo!" Renji yelled.
"I can't believe he's gone. It can't be true."
"Ichigo is right." Kyoraku said. "Kuchiki-sama isn't the type to have died from the battle we were just in. He's faced bigger and worse enemies than the ones we vanquished here. Something is amiss, for Byakuya couldn't have been defeated by such weak people."
"But Nii-sama would never lose unless by death!" Rukia yelled. "It's not like him at all. Even if he were to lose, which is highly unlikely, he would face the shame head on and not hide away like a coward. He would have been there on the battlefield."
"And that's why I'm going to find him." Ichigo said. "Something doesn't add up…"
"Alright, everyone see if they can find Captain Kuchiki. This is top priority, so everyone needs to be a part of this. We cannot go back to the Seireitei until some sort of semblance of Captain Kuchiki is found!"
All the Soul Reapers dispersed and began to look for Byakuya.
Ichigo looked around as he heard the others call out for Byakuya. It had been an hour since the battle ended but there was still no answer to the calls for the captain and no one had come up with any findings. Ichigo was very worried, knowing the proud man could never just up and disappear. It went against his very nature to hide from a fault –if he truly had lost. Ichigo sat on a rock to think and rest a bit when he suddenly felt a small amount of reiatsu nearby. Ichigo stood up and walked toward a small wooded area, feeling a very faint hint of Byakuya's reiatsu.
As Ichigo got to the edge of the forest, the Reiatsu was a little stronger, if only because he was more near it, but he looked around and sensed it coming strongly from behind a small tree. He walked over to it and looked into its roots.
"What the hell?"
"Did you find anything?" Renji asked as the Soul Reapers began to meet back up.
"Nothing."
"Me neither." Toshiro said.
"Where's Ichigo?" Renji asked.
"I saw him over by the edge of the battlefield near the small thing of woods." Ikkaku said.
Rukia held the scarf to her chest and closed her eyes. Please be okay, Nii-sama… she prayed.
"Look, there's Ichigo." Toshiro said, pointing.
Everyone turned to look as Ichigo walked up to them with only his shitagi on and his kosode in a small ball in his arms.
"Ichigo, what are you hiding under your kosode?"
"Well… I found Byakuya."
"You did?" everyone asked, huddling.
"Then where is he?" Rukia asked. "Is he alright?"
"He's… uh… well, I guess you guys should just see for yourselves." He lifted his kosode and peeked inside. "Come on, they won't hurt you…"
He moved the kosode and a little face looked at everyone, big gray eyes looking up from under long black hair.
"You found a child?" Renji said, looking a little closer.
"No, I found Byakuya. This is Byakuya. My Reiatsu might be overshadowing his but I'm telling you it's him."
Everyone looked at each other in confusion when the Head Captain closed his eyes and felt for Byakuya's reiatsu. Seeing it was true, he turned to the other Soul Reapers.
"Ichigo's right. It's faint but it's Kuchiki-sama's Reiatsu."
Everyone looked at each other again and closed their eyes, reaching out for Byakuya's reiatsu. Feeling it, everyone looked where it was coming from and all eyes landed on Ichigo, who was holding the child. Rukia gaped in confusion as everyone else began to murmur.
"I do believe we need to take him to Squad 12 for further testing." Kyoraku said.
i wish i could draw because baby byabya is adorable but i can't. anyway, he is attached to ichigo that's for sure