It was just supposed to be a normal hollow hunt. There were reports of a vasto lord named Buteo and a large group of lesser hollows hunting the souls that remained near the Karakura Hospital. The 6th Division Taicho and Fuku-taicho were dispatched to clear the hollow den and preform konso on the remaining souls. Byakuya and Renji had tracked the hollows to a den in the rock face of a cliff near the river.
"Taicho! There's another group coming from over there." Renji informed his captain and pointed his blade at the oncoming group of hollows. Byakuya finished up the few enemies he was fighting and shunpoed over to the next attacking bunch. He easily sliced though the hollows and turned to survey the battlefield. Renji was facing off against 7 lesser hollows, swinging his zanpakuto to sweep them off their feet. A explosion above on the cliff side alerted Byakuya to the next wave of enemies.
A large avian hollow, with a beak shaped mask and expansive wings hovered over the rushing hollow army. Renji flashed forward to wipe out the lesser hollows while Byakuya leveled his gaze on the vasto lord. Buteo cackled then let loose an ear-splitting screech as he powered up for a cero. A large ball of orange reiastu formed in front of the mask, causing the ground to vibrate beneath Byakuya's feet in warning.
Byakuya smirked then, as the cero was let loose, shunpoed away from the blast zone. The energy hit the ground with a resounding boom and stirred sand and dirt up with the impact. The debris from the blast obscured the raven haired captain's view of the bird-like hollow. Then, the feel of Buteo's dismal spiritual pressure disappeared from Byakuya's senses. He narrowed his eyes and sent out his reiastu to "feel out" his opponent. Byakuya didn't sense Buteo until the cero blast that the hollow had formed in his palm hit him and went through his torso.
Byakuya slouched to his knees as the blood saturated his shihakusho and haori. Renji looked up from cleansing the last of the lesser hollows with wide eyes.
"Taicho!" Renji bellowed over the settling dust. He rushed to Byakuya's side, his face betraying him and showing his worry.
"Do not worry, Renji. This is of no significance." Byakuya lied and rose to his feet again. He knew even as the words left his lips that his strength was failing. I do not have much time. Byakuya pointed his katana at Buteo.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura." His blade dissolved into pink sakura petals that swirled around his body, leaving him holding nothing but a handle. A wave of petals rushed away from Byakuya and enveloped Buteo. The hollow let out another screech as the petal-like blades shredded him, then he dissolved into nothingness.
"Got 'em!" Renji whooped. Byakuya returned Senbonzakura to his handle before collapsing to the ground. Renji rushed to his taicho's side and scooped his head into his lap. The wound in Byakuya's chest was massive and gaping. Deep inside, Renji knew that Byakuya more than likely was not going to survive. His heart sank at the idea of returning home alone. Byakuya's breathing was shallow and had a gurgle to it. Even in a moment of distress Byakuya was calm.
"Renji, there isn't anything you can do." Byakuya whispered. He coughed violently, spewing blood from his mouth. The wound gushed blood at the force of the cough. Renji's eyes pricked with tears he refused to let loose.
"Maybe if we hurry I can get you to Kisuke or Orihime." Renji said hopefully. Byakuya shook his head gently.
"My Saketsu is rupturing. There isn't much either of them can do about it." The raven said forlornly.
"But, Taicho," Renji began, but could not bring himself to speak anymore as Byakuya's eyes slid closed. Renji bowed his head over Byakuya's unconscious body, silently praying for a way to save him.
There is a way to save him.
Renji looked up, searching for the source of the voice. There's no one here. Where did that voice come from. It sounded close.
If you hurry there is a chance. Do as I say.
Renji thought about the voice for a second. Then, he realized who the voice belonged to.
"Senbonzakura?" The red head asked incredulously. He eyed the katana lying at Byakuya's side.
Yes, baka. Now listen closely. Put your palm over the wound. Search out his Saketsu like you would a spirit ribbon.
Renji began following Senbonzakura's instructions and placed his hand over Byakuya's chest. The fuku-taicho closed his eyes to concentrate.
"Found it."
Good. Now carefully flood the crack with your reiastu. Not too fast or you will widen the fracture.
Renji did as he was told, but slowed when he felt Byakuya's reiatsu begin to fade quickly.
Keep going. Don't stop until I tell you to.
Renji continued and felt Byakuya's spiritual pressure slowly fade to a small flicker as he pushed his reiatsu into his chest. The connection between Byakuya's flesh and Renji's palm started to glow and pulse. Then their spiritual pressures began to mix, swirling around the broken Saketsu. The blood that was gushing from the would before slowed to a trickle, then stopped completely.
"It's working!" Renji cried hopefully.
Now when the fracture starts to close you need to force as much reiatsu into his body as you can. The Saketsu will finish closing on it's own, just focus on refilling the missing reiatsu in his body to heal the wound.
The pulsing around the Saketsu sped up until Renji almost couldn't tell it was pulsing at all. The crack shrank then flashed shut. The red head flared his reiastu as he pushed as much as he could inside the wound. The buildup of spirit energy started to heal the hole in Byakuya's chest. Then just as the hole finally closed, the excess reiatsu Renji had flared exploded around the pair leaving them unconscious.
xxxxx
Byakuya awoke slowly through the fog he had been sleeping in. He kept his eyes shut, preferring to listen to his surrounding before giving himself away. It was quiet save for a few hushed voices outside the room he laid in. Byakuya listened intently to the conversation taking place outside the room through the thin door.
"...are you sure he's alright? He's been asleep for three days." Rukia's voice came through first, a worried tone obvious in her words.
"Yes, he seems to be unscathed after the attack." A soft voice responded to Rukia. Byakuya deduced that the other voice was Unohana-taicho. I must be at the 4th.
" If he wasn't hurt then why is he still asleep?" Rukia queried.
"To be honest, Kuchiki-san, I'm not sure. Perhaps he is exhausted from his battle. His vitals are good. He should awake very soon." Unohana reassured the worrying shinigami. They knocked on the door, then entered. Byakuya slowly blinked his eyes open and turned to his visitors.
"Nii-sama, you're awake!" Rukia exclaimed and rushed towards Byakuya.
"Rukia, I am alright." Byakuya reassured his adoptive sister. Rukia stood close to her brother, wringing her hands. Unohana gave him a small smile and pulled his chart from the holder on the wall.
"How are you feeling, Kuchiki-taicho?" Unohana asked gently. Byakuya shifted slightly, testing out his muscles and checking for soreness.
"I am a little stiff, but I otherwise feel fine." Byakuya responded, then set up on the hospital bed. It most definitely feels like I have been laying here for three days. Unohana scribbled something into the chart.
"Do you remember what happened? Why you were found unresponsive along with Abarai-fukutaicho?" Unohana sounded concerned. Byakuya furrowed his brow and attempted to remember that night. He sat silent for several moments then raised his eyes back to Unohana.
"I do not remember what happened. The last thing I remember is an explosion and that hollow, Buteo, hovering in the air. After that it's blank." Byakuya explained. Unohana scribbled more on his chart then placed it back in the slot.
"Well, I will have Abarai-Fukutaicho join you for a while. Perhaps talking over what happened will jog your memory." Unohana advised then left the room, leaving Rukia and Byakuya alone.
"What do you know about what happened?" Byakuya asked evenly. Rukia looked disappointed.
"Only that Urahara found you both in a crater near the river. You were both covered in blood but he couldn't find any cuts on either of you. He texted my soul phone and I informed Unohana-taicho and sent a hell butterfly to the head captain. They sent a group from squad 4 to retrieve you. Renji woke up yesterday morning." Rukia finished with a huff.
Byakuya knew she was trying to put on a brave face. He knew well that she was worried sick the last 3 days. Dark circles were starting to show beneath her violet eyes. Byakuya would never admit it out loud but he had became quite fond of his adoptive sister. He admired her spirit. She tried hard when things looked bleak, even when she wanted to quit. She reminds me so much of Hisana. The thought took Byakuya off-guard. He squashed it down, making sure not to let revelation show on his face.
" Perhaps Renji could shed some light on what I have forgotten." Byakuya remarked. Rukia smiled hopefully at him. A knock drew his attention back to the door.
"Come in." Byakuya called. The door slip open and Renji Abarai filled the door frame. His crimson hair was let down and it covered the shoulders of his shihakusho. He stepped in and shut the door behind him.
"Taicho, how're you feeling?"
"Stiff, but otherwise unharmed. How did you fare?"
"Got a helluva bruise on my side from one of those hollows but other than that I'm fine." Renji cracked a smile and reached back to rub the sore spot. The raven haired man's gaze caught on the crimson of Renji's hair. He felt the tingling sensation of Deja vu as he stared at the red head. He couldn't pinpoint what triggered the feeling so he ignored it.
"What do you remember of that night?" Byakuya asked apprehensively. It disturbed the taicho that he had a blank spot in his memory. Considering his clan were known as the record-keepers of the Seireitei, it seemed ironic to the him. Renji sat down in the chair near the foot of the bed and gave Byakuya a strange look. A feeling of dread washed over him as he realized the was about to receive bad news.
"Well, we caught up to the vasto lord we were trackin', Buteo. He had a bunch of hollows with him so we split up. I took on the lesser hollows and you and Buteo had it out." Renji leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. His face got serious and he flicked his eyes quickly at Rukia. Byakuya nodded in understanding and turned to the woman.
"Would you care to send for some tea?" Byakuya asked politely.
"Sure Nii-sama. I'll be right back." Rukia excused herself and was out the door.
" Please, continue."
"I didn't catch much of your fight until I finished cleansing the hollows I was fighting. He had blasted a huge cero at you and missed. It made a big explosion and stirred up a bunch of dust. The next thing I saw there was a flash inside the dust cloud. The dust cleared and you had a huge hole in your chest, almost clean through. You killed 'em though." Renji stared at Byakuya with a pained look on his face. His chest felt heavy but he continued.
"I couldn't tell Unohana-taicho or Sou-taicho this next part until I talked to you first. I'm not exactly sure it was entirely legal now that I think about it." Renji sighed worriedly. "You were hurt bad. Your Saketsu was fractured an' you were bleeding out." Byakuya's eyes widened.
"My Saketsu was fractured? How am I not dead?"
"Senbonzakura talked to me. He told me how to heal you."
"Impossible!"
"Yeah, I thought so too. He told me to push my reiatsu into your Saketsu to reseal it. It worked so he had me refill your missing reiatsu with my own to stimulate your healing."
Byakuya pursed his lips and considered what happened. He still didn't remember what occurred but he doubted that Renji would lie about this.
"The thing about this that has me worried is that my reiatsu mixed with yours at the deepest core of your soul. I think it was similar to how Rukia shared her powers with Ichigo." Renji finished. He slouched back into the chair, letting his body drape over it. Byakuya closed his eyes and focused on his reiatsu. It seemed a little unsteady, but otherwise normal. The only way to be sure of knowing if their reiatsu had truly mixed was to go into his inner world. Byakuya put aside his thoughts to respond to Renji.
"If that is exactly how it happened then it is similar but not the same. Rukia transferred her powers entirely into Ichigo, who had very little reiatsu at the time to mix with. His powers developed over time. What I believe happened that night was Tamashi getsugo. A soul binding." Byakuya said as he smoothed his yukata and bed sheets more. Renji knew he only fidgeted like that when he was upset.
"A soul binding? That sounds serious, Taicho." Renji gulped.
"Indeed. We need to inform Unohana-taicho of this. The sooner we can begin reversing, the better chance we have of it being successful." There was a knock on the door, then Rukia entered carrying a tray with a teapot and three tea cups. She sat it down on the small table near the lone chair and poured their cups. After passing the tea out, she sat down on the arm of the chair Renji was sitting in.
"So, were you able to figure out what happened?"Rukia asked as she sipped her tea. Byakuya held the teacup in his hands enjoying the warmth in his palms. Tea always seemed to calm the captian, even when he wasn't outwardly stressed.
"Yes, but I need to speak to Unohana-taicho more about it. Renji, can you go and find her?" Byakuya asked over his cup. Renji nodded, knocked back his cup of tea, then rose and left to find her. The siblings sat in silence and drank their tea. Rukia sensed her brother's stress but said nothing. He returned a few minutes later with the healer in tow.
"Abarai-fukutaicho tells me you have something important to tell me?" Unohana asked with her hands folded in front of her. Byakuya rested his cup in his lap and asked Rukia to to excuse them for a few moments. Once she left, Renji recounted how his taicho came to be to be injured.
"What we believe happened was Tamashi getsugo. What's more is it was my zanpakuto that instructed Renji in the procedure." Byakuya said finally. If Unohana was startled she hid it well. The 4th taicho thought about it for a few moments then picked up the raven's chart again.
"Tamashi getsugo would certainly explain why neither of you have a clear memory of what happened that night. A thorough scan is in order though. We need to ascertain if the binding is permanent." Unohana replied thoughtfully. She went back to the door and cracked it. She instructed a passerby to find Kotetsu-fukutaicho. After a few minutes, Kotetsu-fukutaicho entered the room and the healers started gathering their equipment for the scan.
"Alright, Kuchiki-taicho, please lay back and cover your lap with the sheet then open your yukata." Unohana instructed with a gentle smile. Byakuya hesitated then did as he was told. Nakedness made the raven uncomfortable. The 4th captain and lieutenant stood on either side of Byakuya's bed and placed their hands on his stomach. A soft green glow or reiatsu emanated from his middle and his skin warmed with the energy. Byakuya's lids closed and he waited for what he prayed was good news. Renji, on the other hand, eyed the ladies nervously. As the scan went deeper into his abdomen a flash of Renji leaning over him and the man's red hair framing his face zinged through Byakuya's mind. He scrunched his eyes and brought his hand up to his forehead and tried to hold the image in his mind.
"What is it, Kuchiki-taicho?" Unohana asked but stayed focused on completely the scan.
"I think I remembered something from the night of the attack, but it was so brief that I'm not sure what it was." Byakuya sighed and returned his hands to his sides. The scan concluded a few minutes and Kotetsu gathered the scanning equipment up and left. Byakuya took the opportunity to close his yukata and pull the sheet up. Unohana recorded the results and gripped the chart with both hands.
"Kuchiki-taicho, you are a very lucky man. Not many people can survive having their Saketsu fractured and live to tell the tale. However, you will still have some side effects of the Tamashi getsugo. Now because Abarai-fukutaicho repaired your Saketsu with his own reiatsu you will need regular infusions in order for your Saketsu to finish healing. Once your Saketsu is fully healed you shouldn't need any additional infusions, but because the procedure was modified to reseal your Saketsu instead of fully binding it with Abarai-fukutaicho's we are unsure of any additional complications. It is probable that there will always be a trace of his reiastu in yours, but most likely, it will not effect you negatively." Renji released a breath that he didn't know he was holding. Byakuya sat still, his face fixed in a thoughtful expression.
"How long will the healing process take?" The red head asked for Byakuya, who seemed to be thinking hard on the issue. Unohana answered the question and directed her response at the pair.
"It's uncertain at the moment but, based off of the progress so far, it may be between 6 and 8 weeks. During the healing time, you must watch how much reiatsu you use. Bankai is out of the question for the time being. I believe that the use of your bankai will likely halt or even reverse the healing progress." Unohana answered. Renji seemed to be taking the news well. He was relieved that the binding was not permanent. Byakuya finally looked up from his thoughts.
"How will we transfer the reiatsu?" He asked. Unohana took a deep breath and let it out.
"That is the difficult and delicate part. The only way to transfer reiatsu safely and quickly enough is for the two of you to have sex."
Renji, who had refilled his cup and was sipping from it at the time, sputtered and coughed. Byakuya hardened his face. This was way out of his comfort zone.
"What the hell?!" Renji shot up from his seat. He began to pace the room while Unohana explained.
"Normally, the procedure for Tamashi getsugo is quite involved. It was a cornerstone to royal and noble marriages long ago. After the marriage ceremony, the couple would fuse their reiatsu over time and make a permanent Tamashi getsugo. This would ensure that there was no infidelity in the union. Unfortunately, because their souls were fused together, if one died so did the other. It was fazed out due to how often ruling families were left with no one to take the throne. I'm not sure how a Zanpakuto came to know the steps that needed to be taken either but I would ask him. Perhaps it is instinctual to preserve the life of its wielder at any cost. At any rate, intercourse is the safest infusion method." Unohana gave them both a reserved smile.
"How often will we have to...infuse reiatsu?" Byakuya queried, straightening the sheet laying over his lap apprehensively. Renji, who at this point, was near hyperventilation and had taken his seat again. He held his head in his hands and attempted to rein in his racing mind.
"At least every three days, maybe more often depending on how you feel. Weakness can occur if you go for too long without one. I would recommend that you both go somewhere private for a few days while you work this through. I will advise Yamamoto-Sou-taicho of your medical leave." She made her way to the door. She opened and took a step through before turning back to the shocked men.
"If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to send a hell butterfly or come in if you are having any extended pain or weakness." She gave them one last reassuring look then slid the door closed.
The pair sat in silence for a few minutes. Renji's mind was everywhere. How the HELL am I supposed to have sex with my taicho? What will happen now? Will he have me transferred because of how awkward this will become? Am I even ok with this? Renji tried to steady his breathing. He didn't need to be passing out right now.
Byakuya kept he façade of calm and cool on the outside, but on the inside he was incredibly overwhelmed. Intimacy wasn't something that came easy to him, especially since Hisana's death. He had successfully cut off his romantic life when she passed and had not looked back on it since. It was hard enough getting over her with how the council was urging him to find a new wife. He couldn't even think about courting someone at the moment, much less having a physical relationship. But alas, he did not have a choice now. It was go through with it or die and Byakuya Kuchiki was much too stubborn to die just because he was scared. It's only temporary and no one has to know but Renji, Unohana-taicho, Kotetsu-fukutaicho and I. That thought made him feel a little better.
With a decision made, Byakuya threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood. The action seemed to pull Renji out of his stupor. He looked up into Byakuya's stormy eyes with question. What did we get ourselves into, Taicho?
"Come, Renji. We have arrangements to make." Byakuya straightened his obi then pulled on his tabi and waraji.
"Sir," Renji jumped out of his seat and placed the teacup back on the tray. The raven strode to the door but looked back when Renji didn't immediately follow. "Are you really okay with all of this?" His tone exposed just how unsure Renji was about the whole thing. Byakuya adverted his eyes away from his lieutenant and paused, his gaze clouded and distant.
"How I feel about it is of no consequence. It must be done."
"But, Taicho-" He began but Byakuya raised his hand and cut him off.
"We will discuss this later, for now lets attend to our duties." He said, settling the matter. They left the 4th barracks and returned to the 6th. After arrangements were made to stay at the Kuchiki summer home located outside the Seireitei and the surrounding Rukongai, the pair packed for the trip. The squad was to be left in the care of the 3rd seat, Asami Nakamura. She wasn't keen on the idea of running the squad by herself, but after a pep talk from Renji she accepted. The pair departed in the early afternoon and both men knew they would return changed.