Author's Note: Please excuse any grammar mistakes, I have proofread this chapter and attempted to fix up any mistakes. Also, please excuse any other mistakes you may find. This is more of a "pilot" chapter, as my writing isn't all that good in it. I appreciate any comments. Thank you so much for reading this! Please enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Bleach or any of the characters owned by Bleach. All rights go to Tite Kubo.

The 6th Division Barracks were oddly quiet that night. It was as if the entire division had simultaneously decided to fall into a deep slumber. It felt like a ghost-town. It seemed as if every Shinigami in the 6th Division was simply sleeping. All except one. Or perhaps, two.

"Captain Kuchiki! A squad of Shinigami has entered the barracks. What should we do?" 6th Division Lieutenant Renji Abarai prompted 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki upon entering the Captain's study.

"I will leave that to you, Renji. Take some other Shinigami if you must." Byakuya replied calmly, returning to his paperwork.

"But that's the problem, Captain! The rest of the Shinigami are gone!" Renji continued exasperatedly.

"What?" Byakuya burst out of his chair, suddenly alarmed. "Stay here Renji!" Byakuya commanded Renji before promptly Shunpo'ing away. In moments, Byakuya was directly behind the hostile Shinigami in the courtyard of the 6th Division Barracks.

"Way of Binding #63, Locking Bondage Stripes!" Byakuya directed at the hostile Shinigami, who were instantly bound up with each other. There were four of the Shinigami.

"Who are you and what business do you have here?" Byakuya immediately demanded.

"We won't talk, Captain Kuchiki." The tallest of the four replied.

"Then I shall have to force you to talk. You obviously don't fear death, but even those with the strongest resolve break under pain. Way of Destruction #4, Pale Lightning!" A concentrated bolt of lightning shot from Byakuya's index finger and blasted a hole through the tall one's left shoulder.

"You think you can shatter our resolve that easily?" The tall one again mocked Byakuya, showing no signs of pain at all. "Way of Destruction #58, Orchid Sky!" His sword shot out of its sheath, before spinning so quickly that it created a tornado of sorts aiming straight at Byakuya.

"Way of Binding #81, Splitting Void!" Byakuya conjured up his energy barrier, narrowly managing to block off the wind vortex. "You truly thought you could defeat me with a single Kidō of that power level? I thought that I could spare miserable scum like you, but apparently I was mistaken. I shall give you the honor of being slain by the head of the Kuchiki house. Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya unsheathed his sword, having it dissolve into cherry blossom petals seemingly flying through the wind.

"Way of Binding #73, Inverse Mountain Crystal!" The one tied to the right of the tall one chanted, quickly setting up a barrier between them and the many blades of Senbonzakura.

"Kidō is best used as a surprise attack, rogue Shinigami. You would do well to remember that." Byakuya taunted at their foolishness. "Senbonzakura! Destroy their barrier!" The mass of pink flower petals engulfed the pyramid, and soon several cracks had been busted through the barrier, with thousands of flower petals surging in through the holes. The sound of the hostile Shinigami's screams could be heard throughout the massacre.

After a few more seconds, the pyramid completely collapsed down on top of the Shinigami. There was one last dull scream, and then all was silent.

"Way of Destruction #58, Orchid Sky!" Byakuya aimed the tornado straight at the wreckage of the shattered pyramid and the flower petals of Senbonzakura. The rubble was cleared away in no time, revealing three of the four Shinigami had been knocked out. The tall one was on his knees, fighting to keep consciousness, his shoulder bleeding profusely.

"Tell me where the rest of my division is, miscreant." Byakuya flat-out demanded of the Shinigami.

"I already told you, I won't talk if you cut off all my limbs." The Shinigami continued to refuse Byakuya.

"Then do that I shall." Byakuya vanished for a brief moment, reappearing far behind the Shinigami. A couple seconds later, the Shinigami fell to the ground as his left arm fell off, courtesy of Byakuya's blade. "Now tell me, rogue Shinigami, lest I have to cut off all your limbs. Where is my division?"

"The one who planned this assault is our former leader, Hisashi Shimizu, has them. I warn you, he is far stronger than any of us. He is a master of the mind. His abilities to brainwash and manipulate people are unlike any other. That is probably how he managed to do off with your division. It is also how he managed to control my squad." The Shinigami mumbled out, before passing out on the ground.

Byakuya vanished promptly after, Shunpo'ing back to his office, only to find Renji missing.

"Renji!" Byakuya called out, but no one responded. "Renji!" Suddenly, on his second summon, a figure dropped down from the roof behind him.

"Looking for me?" Renji laughed, blatantly mocking Byakuya. Byakuya glanced back, facing his lieutenant, only to find Renji's sword pointed firmly at Byakuya's face, his eyes unfocused and dreamy.

"Renji!" Byakuya exclaimed as Renji lunged at him, his sword poised to slay Byakuya, the latter of which dodged easily with Shunpo.

"Howl, Zabimaru!" Renji summoned, as his sword shape-shifted into a sword-whip amalgamation.

"Renji, what are you doing?" Byakuya prompted him while dodging Renji's constant wave of attacks.

"I had, and only have but one goal in becoming a Shinigami! And that is to surpass you Byakuya! I have always been but the moon, always unable to do anything other than bask and reflect your glory! I will finish you here, and become my own sun!" Renji revealed to Byakuya.

"You think you can defeat me, Renji? In my own study?" Byakuya taunted Renji, knowing that he could easily continue to dodge Zabimaru.

"If you're so confident, then try this on for size! Way of Destruction #31, Red Fire Cannon!" Renji attempted to fire the ball of energy at Byakuya, but rather than leave his hand it blew up in his face.

It was in that moment that Byakuya realized that Renji had been brainwashed. Renji himself knew of his ineptitude in Kidō, and had the sense to never use it in dire situations.

"Way of Binding #61, Six Rods Prison of Light!" Byakuya muttered, and Renji was instantly caught in Byakuya's Kidō, his entire body completely immobilized.

"Byakuya! Let me out of this and come fight me like a man!" Renji yelled at Byakuya, his eyes rolling upward in anger.

"Foolish Shinigami whose name does not deserve my lips, perhaps you should be the one to stop hiding behind others and come out and fight me." Byakuya continued, unfazed by Renji's anger.

"Byakuya Kuchiki, you are quite the clever one." Renji mocked Byakuya, his tone of voice drastically changing from just a few moments before. "However, if you do not let Renji Abarai go, I shall kill the rest of the 6th Division. I should hope that you, as Captain, would like to prevent such a trivial cause for the death of your entire division."

"Do you truly think that you can bargain with me?" Byakuya challenged Renji. "The difference between our power is like the difference between the heaven and the earth."

"As true as that may be, your power does not extend to being able to save the rest of your division. Surrender to me at once and I shall spare your division's life. Fail to do so, and I shall brutally murder all of them." Hisashi spoke through Renji, forcing Byakuya into a corner.

"You no longer deserve the title of Shinigami, demented monster. Take Renji and leave. Should I ever see you again, I swear I will kill you." Byakuya grudgingly agreed to his terms, and released his Kidō.

"There's a good boy." Renji laughed, then vanished and Shunpo'ed away.

"Hisashi Shimizu…I swear by the Kuchiki family name that if you try to pull anything again, I will find you, and end you." Byakuya vowed, sheathing Senbonzakura.