Chapter 1: A Baby and a Misunderstanding
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Hisana cried as she left her baby sister. She told herself that somebody would take her sister in and she will survive. But she knew that in these parts of Rukongai they wouldn't take a baby in as it would just be another mouth to feed and most are starving. Hisana was already sick. But she knew that both of them wouldn't survive if they stayed together so she left her baby sister in hopes that at least one of them may live. She only prayed that someone would find her sister soon as it was getting cold.
Shunsui normally did not venture out of the walls of Seireitei but it was captain class shinigami who were often assigned with hunting down Arrancars. He just finished it off when he heard a baby's cry. He followed the sound and came upon a baby. "So, it was what the Arrancar was planning to feed off…" Shunsui picked up the baby and felt its reiatsu, explaining how it could survive in the bitter cold. He figured that whoever left this baby in Rukongai was probably getting sick because of its reiatsu and decided to just leave it out to die.
Irresponsible, philandering drunkard he may be, he's not a cold hearted bastard. 'Who could have been so cold hearted to leave such a small child in the middle of this cold night in Rukongai? Shunsui didn't know what else to do, so, to protect the baby from the speed and cold, as he shunpoed back to Seireitei, he placed it on his hat before heading back home.
Shunsui would not be the head of the Kyouraku household; his older brother will be. For now, it is his father who holds the seat. Usually, the nobility would force the heir of the family to marry to produce an heir or heirs but with his brother's open scandals (with other men), none of the other noble families would offer their daughter as a sacrificial lamb, not even the minor nobility. Shunsui was also considered a problem (his drinking and womanizing are some; although there are also rumors concerning him and Ukitake Jushiro) but there had been some offers, he waved them off by pointing them to his brother. This set a series of problems for the House of Kyouraku. It was believed that the holdings of the family might fall to a distant cousin. Until he brought home what they thought to be his illegitimate daughter. He just didn't bother to correct them because he could feel the joy and relief they felt for his bring home an obviously powerful offspring. So what if she looked different? They assumed she looks like her mother.
Shunsui couldn't very well bring the baby to the Squad 8's barracks so he brought it home. Nobody seemed to be awake by the time he got home. He went inside the old nursery, while carrying the baby to look for something to dress it up with. While the things in there were old (they belonged to a younger cousin, who unfortunately didn't wear them long before dying) they are the right size. He'd just dress the baby up until he could come up with something. He was surprised to find that it was a baby girl.
He placed the baby in the bassinet before he went into the kitchen to get milk and something similar to a bottle. He couldn't find anything resembling a milk bottle so he just got a dropper and sighed as he realized the responsibility it would take on him before he figures what to do with the baby. He went to the nursery and lifted the bassinet (with the baby in it) to his room. He's too tired to think of anything else at this time of the night. He told himself before he drifted off to sleep without even cleaning himself out of the muck of battle. He'd have to ask Jushiro for advice on what to do with a baby. The man took care of his siblings for a long time and has considerable experience of baby care after all.
When Shunsui woke up, the first thing he looked for was the baby. She was not in the bassinet. The bassinet, being the obvious sign that he didn't hallucinate finding a baby the previous night and she couldn't very well had gotten out of it by herself. He panicked and ran out of his room. As soon as he walked out he was greeted by a maid who smiled brightly at him before bowing. "Master Shunsui, thank you for bringing a wonderful gift to this house." Shunsui felt a weird feeling in his stomach, some feeling of foreboding.
He encountered this several times later with the different servants of their household. He felt confused. 'What are they talking about?' In his confusion he forgot to ask if any of them saw a baby (who probably levitated out of the bassinet or something, weird things do happen in Soul Society after all), he just searched the entire house before coming into the Elders' Office.
He saw the baby he brought home surrounded by the Elders with his brother carrying it. They all greeted him with happy faces. "She has such a powerful reiatsu. She would definitely hold a high position in the Gotei 13 like her father." One of the elders sighed joyfully. "She is such a beautiful baby. Her mother must be a beauty." Said one. "Shunsui! Why didn't you tell us, you brought her home? We could have prepared a celebration? Where did she come from?" His mother asked excitedly. "She came from Rukongai. I…" Shunsui replied. "She is your daughter and that's what matters. It does not matter if her mother is from Rukongai. We will claim her as our own. Legally adopt her so that her legitimacy would not be an issue." His father Ryuki retorted. "You've finally brought home a Kyouraku heiress, brother. We are very happy to have her." His aniki said in a happy voice. Who is he to remove the feeling of happiness that mere wisp of a baby brought in his gloomy ancestral home?
A/N: I believe it would be prudent to start this redux in the same way I started the first one.