Just a little one-shot about the 6th's Captain. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: All rights for Bleach go to its owner.
What was happening outside the Kuchiki manor was, in Byakuya's opinion, one of the worst things that could ever happen.
There were peasants.
And they were everywhere.
Kuchiki Byakuya stood just inside the gates, staring outside in disbelief, and yet still keeping his usual stoic mask on his face. But inside, he was thinking: What. The. Hell.
The guards were of no help; they were saying that no one was there. But there were. Currently there were about 75 milling about, all in Shinigami uniforms.
Steeling himself, Byakuya stepped through the gate – and was met with seventy-five sudden stares. It was as if they were acting on some silent order; at the same instant they turned, stared, and silenced.
In a word, it was creepy.
Still, he was Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the sixth division of the Gotei 13, and the current head of the Kuchiki clan. He would not be intimidated by a group of Shinigami. No matter how their eyes followed his movements, never blinking…
Scratch creepy. This was terrifying. There were only a few explanations Byakuya could come up with:
1. They were all playing some weird prank on him. Was it April 1st? No. His birthday? No. Halloween? No.
2. They were all on drugs. Perhaps Captain Ukitake had finally snapped.
3. Captain Kurotshuchi had infected everyone. That was probably the most likely.
4. Seventy-five Shinigami had suddenly fallen ill and their brains had been damaged. If that was true, then it was a serious problem.
5. They had nothing else to do. If so, they were about to get the punishment of their lives.
Byakuya could only think that one of these explanations – however far fetched – was what happened. It had to be. That or he was dreaming. That was also a possibility. Secretly, so no one could see, he pinched himself, hard. Nothing. Damn.
As he made his way through the crowd, they shuffled back to let him pass through, then made a single-file line behind him. When he walked forward, they walked forward. When he stopped, they stopped. When he may or may not have used shunpo to get to his office, he left them far behind. When he dropped out of it, he turned and saw that they were nowhere in sight. Whew.
Byakuya entered his office and sat behind his desk, preparing for another day of filling out paperwork. Not long after he'd started, there was a knock on his door.
"Come in."
The door slid open, and standing there was a male Shinigami with large gray eyes, graying black hair, and glasses. He walked in and stood in the corner while seventy-four other Shinigami slowly filed into his office, making the large space very cramped.
Byakuya stared at the Shinigami in front of his desk. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
The Shinigami stared at him, silent.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes, but went back to work, attempting to ignore them. Several minutes later, the door slid open again, and a familiar voice called out.
"Captain, I've got th – holy crap, what's going on?"
"What do you need, Vice-Captain Abarai?" Byakuya asked, raising his voice to talk over the Shinigami, despite the fact that they were completely silent.
"I've got the report from my last mission." Renji's voice was also raised, and Byakuya could just see the waving papers over the crowd. "Do you want them now, or uh, should I crowd-surf my way over there?"
Byakuya raised his eyebrow at the term, but answered calmly. "Just pass it through them."
There was some rustling and movement, then the Shinigami directly in front of his desk turned and handed him the papers.
"I'll just, um, go," Renji said, and Byakuya heard the door close. He returned back to his work.
Outside, Renji stopped a Shinigami. "Do you know why Captain Kuchiki's office is full of people?"
The Shinigami nodded enthusiastically. "Shihoin Yoruichi organized it. She's at the 2nd, if you want to talk to her about it."
Renji nodded absently. "Yes, I think I'll do that."
A certain Captain was currently facing the problem of how to get out of his office. He needed to go deliver papers to the 1st, but the crowd of Shinigami was so thick that he couldn't get through to the door. Thinking calmly and rationally, because he was not at all claustrophobic in his own office, he spotted his window.
That would do nicely.
To reach the latches on the window, he had to stand on his chair. Once he had unlatched it, he pushed it open and stepped out. Only glancing back once, he shunpoed out. The crowd followed his exact movements.
The 2nd division was oddly quiet and deserted. There were two guards at the gate, but they wouldn't talk, and when Renji walked in, he didn't see anyone until he was almost to the Captain's office.
"Captain Soi Fon?" he called, looking into an empty office. "Shihoin?"
"If you're looking for Captain Soi Fon, Vice-Captain Abarai, she's at the bar with Shihoin." Renji turned to look at a small Shinigami.
"Which bar?" There were many bars, taverns, and pubs in Seiretei, so 'the bar' wasn't exactly the best description ever.
"The big one with the flowers out front. It's in the West."
"I…thank you," he said, thinking of the one she was talking about. There weren't many bars with flowers around.
He went as quickly as he could to the 1st, so that he could turn in the papers and leave, preferably to prepare an ambush to make the Shinigami regret they ever-
No, Byakuya reminded himself, dropping out of shunpo in front of the Captain's office doors. He would not go Bankai, or even Shikai on the Shinigami. After all, that would just create more paperwork.
After knocking and receiving permission to enter, Byakuya pushed open the doors and approached the desk. "Here are the forms you requested." He placed them on the desk and turned to leave, but froze.
There, filing quietly into the office, were seventy-five Shinigami. Some were panting slightly from getting there so quickly.
Byakuya cast a glance back at the Head-Captain, who looked up from his work. "Anything else you need, Captain Kuchiki?" the old man asked, not even glancing at the others in his office.
"Do you happen to know why they are following me?" the now irritated Captain asked.
The Head-Captain's considerable eyebrows drew together. "Who are following you?"
"They are." He gestured back at the group.
"Captain Kuchiki, there is no one there, and if you are seeing people, then I highly suggest you go to Captain Unohana for a psychological evaluation."
Byakuya hesitated, then bowed. "I apologize. I won't mention it again."
"Captain Kuchiki, you will go the fourth and get mentally evaluated. That is an order. I can't have delusional Captains running around."
"Yes, sir," Byakuya said, voice not betraying the sullenness of his emotions. "I will go to the fourth."
"Good. If that is all, you are dismissed."
Byakuya walked out, using all his noble control not to sulk. When he was gone, the Head-Captain looked up at the Shinigami starting to follow the sixth Captain, and gave them a small nod.
The bar with the flowers out front. In the West. How descriptive.
Renji had been walking for some time before a voice called his name and he turned. "Kuchiki!"
"Abarai, come on!" She grabbed his arm and started pulling him down the street. "We've been looking all over for you!"
"Why?" he asked, stumbling slightly at her brisk pace. "What's going on?"
"You'll find out when we get there."
"Where?"
"Just shut up and follow me!"
"Fine."
The fourth division was bustling with people, as usual. Byakuya entered the building with his line of followers, and quickly found Captain Unohana in her office. He closed the door behind him, but just as he sat down, the Shinigami opened it and stared filling the room.
"Must be a breeze," Retsu murmured, getting up and closing the door in a Shinigami's face, then going back to her chair. "What brings you here, Captain Kuchiki?"
"The Head-Captain wants me to get a psychological evaluation," the annoyed Captain answered.
"And why is that?" Retsu started pulling out forms and looked expectantly at him.
"There is a group of Shinigami following me, but I am apparently the only one who can see them." Then a thought occurred to him. "And my Vice-Captain. He can see them."
He thought he saw a brief flash of worry cross her face, but it was so quick that he wondered if he'd just imagined it. "Is there anyone else?" Retsu asked, leaning forward and staring intently at him.
It was awkward, but he didn't let it show.
"Not that I could tell."
"And what makes you think these people are real?"
"Well, I can…" He trailed off, thinking. "Actually, only that one of them passed some papers to me and knocked on my door. Other than that, I haven't heard them at all."
Retsu frowned, marking something on her paper. "They haven't said anything to you?"
"No."
"Well, then I suggest you go to this address. Ask for Brown Wolf. He'll help you."
"Alright, then." He took the paper and stood, a little hesitantly. "That is all?"
"Yes, that's it."
Nodding, Byakuya left the office to go to the address that she'd given him. When he was gone, Unohana gave a small smile to the Shinigami queuing up to leave.
The address had led him to a small shop with hanging plants outside. Byakuya looked at it critically before going inside.
It was warm and a little stuffy. The walls were lined with cases of merchandise large and small, smooth and shiny, rocks and gems.
Byakuya went up to a counter near the back wall and rang the little bell. A moment later, a big man – well, not really a man – came out.
"Captain Komamura?" Byakuya asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"What do you need?" The question completely ignored Byakuya's, and he narrowed his eyes in annoyance, but decided to let it go.
"Captain Unohana told me to come here and ask for Brown Wolf."
"Follow me." Sajin exited the shop, and disappeared in shunpo. Byakuya took off after him.
After a few minutes of traveling, they arrived outside the Seiretei, on a hill overlooking the city.
Byakuya turned to ask Sajin why they were there, when there were suddenly people – peasants – everywhere.
His worst nightmare.
"Surprise!" they yelled in not-quite-unison. Vice-Captain Matsumoto, particularly, as she was clearly drunk.
"What is this?" Byakuya demanded, his usual emotionless mask on.
"Your party!" Byakuya almost – almost – grimaced at the voice, and turned to see Yoruichi standing behind him, hands on her hips and grinning widely. "Today's the day you became the Captain of squad six. So, we decided to throw a party!"
"And my stalkers?"
"What stalkers?" Yoruichi looked puzzled.
Byakuya gestured behind him, only to find no one there. "Nothing. Never mind."
No one ever told him. He still wonders about it to this day.
This was something that just came out. Not sure why. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.