Disclaimer: I own nothing. Kubo Tite made bleach. This story ignores everything that happens and is explained in the Fullbringers arc and forward with Ichigo miraculously getting his powers back (who cares he's not even in this story!). Hope things won't get too confusing .
Check out my DeviantArt (VoidInYourSoul) to see how my original characters look like.
Chapter 1 - What?
"What?" Byakuya was all but gaping at Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, head-captain of the gotei 13.
The old man opened one eye to stare at the captain of squad 6.
"I said that the new recruit from the academy, who will be joining the 6th squad, shows a great deal of potential. Therefor I wish you to take her under your wing and train her." Yamamoto said slowly and clearly.
Only years of practice in hiding his emotions and great respect to the elder captain prevented Byakuya from scowling. His ears were ringing with indignity and he barely heard the last words.
"I heard what you said, head-captain, I just fail to understand why am I being asked to train a new recruit?" Byakuya said quietly.
Yamamoto looked at Byakuya for a second as if considering his answer carefully before giving his reply.
"The other captains have taken proteges, I don't see why you shouldn't." the old man said in a business-like tone.
It was only partially correct. Five of the captains had indeed taken young and talented shinigami to polish and hone their skills, hoping to finally find a suitable candidates for the 3 empty captain seats.
"I do not want nor do I need a protege." Byakuya said quietly, unable to hold back the frown any longer.
"Well, the subject has already been decided. You didn't even meet her, don't be so rush to reject the matter." Yamamoto said, a clear air of finality in his voice.
"What? He is a she?" Byakuya asked in surprise, his eyebrows twitching.
"Yes indeed. You are dismissed." Yamamoto declared and discharged the captains meeting.
All the captains left the meeting room, muttering about the news. All except for Byakuya, who remained planted in his place.
"One more thing, Byakuya." The head captain said after noticing that Byakuya was still there. "She has a little eh.. Authority problem. But I'm sure you can put her on the right tracks."
Byakuya went back to his office to finish some more paperwork. He also had to consider which members from his squad to send to the special patrol team. The main theme of the captains meeting was about the numerous reports of violent murders in the 80th rukongai. He wasn't sure if "murder" was the proper word to describe what happened in the far districts, people killing each other was a matter of routine in those godforsaken places. It was the job of the shinigami, among others, to stop and prevent such incidents, but the sad truth was that seireitei barely knew or cared what happened in the farther rukongai. Patrols were sent regularly to each and every of the 320 districts, but it was merely a symbolic effort. Byakuya knew, as well as the other captains, that teams sent to the farthest rukongai usually spent their time drinking, gambling and even taking advantage of the poor women who managed somehow to survive in the harsh conditions. Of course, not a single woman ever charged a shinigami with the offense of rape or abuse, either because she was threatened with death or simply because no one would listen to a filthy woman from the lowest level of society.
When Byakuya sat in front of his desk to attend to his paperwork Renji raised his head from a blank piece of his own "paperwork" and asked how was the meeting. Byakuya told him briefly about the deaths in the rukongai and the rest of the meeting.
"Well, that will be interesting.." Renji mumbled when he got to the part about his "protege".
Byakuya paid it no attention. Anything other than desk job would be considered "interesting" by his lieutenant. He was slightly surprised that Renji didn't ask to be sent with the special patrol team but didn't say anything. He wasn't going to send his lieutenant on a pointless patrol, even if the alternative was that Renji stayed here and play hanged man with himself instead of doing his paperwork.
Only on his way home did he found time to actually ponder about the matter of his new squad member.
'Authority problem?' Byakuya thought, recalling the old man's last words.
He was walking along his manor's corridor and not even noticing the small figure of his adopted sister, waiting for him by the entrance to the dining room. He thought he heard a servant saying something about Rukia but was still too deep in thoughts to actually hear.
He snapped back to his senses only when he heard a cheerful greeting.
"Welcome home, Nii-sama. How was your day?"
"Disturbing." Was his rather spontaneous answer and as they entered together and sat at the low table he added "What brings you here?".
Lately Rukia preferred staying in the barracks even thou she had a room in the big, cold, empty manor. He understood her completely. If he could, he would have slept in the barracks...
"Nothing in particularly." Rukia said airily as a servant started placing food on the table in front of them. "What do you mean disturbing? What happened?".
Byakuya didn't speak for a while, chewing some food to have time to consider his answer.
"I was... burdened with... an unwanted responsibility." his said after swallowing.
"Unwanted- oh, do you mean Kaya?" Rukia asked, looking puzzled and a little bit amused.
"What?" Byakuya asked, looking at her in confusion at the mentioning of the unfamiliar name.
"Otori Kaya, the new recruit in your squad. I heard she is going to be training under you. Weren't... Weren't you informed about this?" Rukia asked in amazement. "She's supposed to start tomorrow...".
Byakuya was shocked, not only that she knew his new protege's name before him, but that she knew he had a new recruit at all.
"What... Did you hear?" he asked, frowning slightly. He didn't approve of gossiping, especially when it concerned him.
'Did the irritating Female Shinigami Society catch wind of the news already?' he thought.
"She told me she was assigned to your squad and would train with you." Rukia said quickly, probably noticing his displeasure. "I know her, you see? We met one day when I was on an errand to the academy and we've been seeing each other ever since. Renji knows her too.".
"Does he? He failed to mention that..." Byakuya said, feeling a stab of annoyance.
Rukia bit back a replay saying that he probably failed to ask Renji and looked for way to change the subject.
"Well... Everyone's talking about it." She said brightly. Then her face fell, as if something bothered her. "I... I hope you'll get along...".
"What do you mean? She is just a new subordinate. I never failed to get along with any of my subordinates." Byakuya said sharply, not missing that last comment.
He thought of Renji for a moment but dismissed that thought immediately. If he had troubles with one of his subordinates he would get rid of them. Or of the subordinate.
"Well err... I don't think you've ever met someone like Kaya." Rukia muttered, blushing a bit and looking less and less comfortable with the subject with each passing moment. "I'm pretty shocked that they assigned her to your squad actually, and your personal trainee and all that.".
Now Byakuya was interested. He placed his chopsticks on the table and looked at Rukia, examining her face.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked slowly.
He had said the word "what" way too many times today. Byakuya fixed his adopted sister with a gaze that told her to divulge anything she knew about his new recruit, Otori Kaya.
"Well err.. She's eh-hmm kinda rude, hmm... I mean... she curses a lot-" Rukia stuttered, turning bright pink.
"Renji curses and my ears didn't fall yet." Byakuya said, slightly annoyed at her thinking him to be so sensitive. True, he hated when people trashed their mouth but everyone let slip a swear here and there, even in the noble houses.
"Well, she's worse than Renji." Rukia continued reluctantly. "And s-she is eh... very straightforward. She hates taking orders and likes to challenge anyone who pisses her off. From what I heard, she almost attacked the head-captain when he told her she wouldn't be assigned to my squad.".
Byakuya wasn't sure if that last bit was true or not and was about to say the-word-he-said-way-to-many-times-in-one-day but stopped himself. He will learn about the true nature of his protege tomorrow.
Byakuya got to his office a little earlier than 8 the next day. The new recruit, Otori Kaya, was supposed to present herself at 9 so he wanted to finish at least some of the paperwork mountains which seemed to breed uncontrollably like rabbits every night.
When his lieutenant entered, half an hour late, he greeted his captain and started doing some of his own paperwork. He looked up in surprise when he heard his name a few minutes later.
"You failed to mention you know our new recruit, Renji." Byakuya said, not looking away from his papers when he spoke. He kept the annoyance in his voice at the minimum but Renji was too familiar with his captain to miss it.
"Well, I thought errr... We only met a few times... I don't really know her, we are more of... an acquaintances, captain." Renji said carefully, glad that his captain wasn't looking at him. If Byakuya had looked up, he would see a that Renji's face matched his hair in color at the moment. He would also be able to see thru his lieutenant's lie.
"Acquaintances.. hmm that is a very long word for you, Renji." Byakuya said, making a tiny noise of impatience.
Renji flushed a bit but said no more. If he didn't know Byakuya, he might have taken offense from these words. Then it occurred to him that maybe Byakuya was nervous about meeting Kaya. But Renji knew his captain very well, and wasn't sure if he has ever been nervous. He wasn't even sure he had the muscles in his face to create a nervous expression. Fighting an urge to laugh, Renji got back to his paperwork. At 9:30 Byakuya looked up.
"You have something in common, Renji. You both lack punctuality." he said.
Renji didn't answer. To say that Kaya lacks punctuality would be an understatement. She had no punctuality what so ever. All those times he and Rukia sat at the bar waiting for her to show up... But he thought that maybe on her first day in the squad she would have the brains to show up in time.
At 10:20 both Byakuya and Renji stared up from the paperwork. Renji slightly before Byakuya because after 10:00 he only pretended to do his paperwork and instead played Tic-tac-toe against himself. The reason they stared up was the reiatsu which entered the 6th squad.
Renji slapped himself quietly without Byakuya noticing.
'That dumbass!' He thought, slapping himself quietly. 'Still walking around with her reiatsu up like a beacon to any would-be challenger in 3 miles!'.
Renji and Byakuya stared at the door for a minute and Renji pleaded silently, wishing she could hear him somehow.
'Please, oh please just don't-' SNAP! The door swung open. 'Charge in without knocking.' Renji finished his pray in vain, almost sighing loudly.
"Oi, you must be Byakuya!" said a loud voice.
~{-}~~{-}~~{-}~~{-}~~{-}~
Thanks for reading. Please leave a review :D
Liked my story? Tell your friends!
Didn't like my story? Tell me! (and your friends as well xD)