Arata couldn't keep the smile off his face. His hands shook with excitement, making the paper in his grip unreadable. I'll finally be able to get rid of these stupid clothes! He caught himself thinking, shaking his head in disbelief, of all the things that come to mind, that should not be one of them Arata! He looked down at the stiff and itchy fabric of the Academy uniform. But that will be a very satisfying moment. Replacing white with black!

He sprinted out of the building; short, snow white hair flicking at his ears. He made sure that he didn't run into any of the others as they reacted the same way to the same news. The high white walled roads guided his way. He nimbly dodge the slow ones, the ones who do not have such great news. The girls slumped shouldered in their red colored uniforms, and boys in their blue. Despite his rush, it took him an hour to reach his destination after dodging various people, none of them seeming to be amused by his excitement. Finally, the narrow streets opened up into wide courtyards, surrounded by the guarded walls of the estates.

He turned into one of the first gates in, I'm glad I don't live further in, He thought as he looked down the row of endless roofs of mansions, it would take forever to get to Kuchiki Manor. The further towards the center, the higher up the hierarchy that family was. He looked gratefully at the modest gates as he entered into his home. Tanned hands waved at the people he passed here, faces he had grown up with: guards, servants, family members, all spread out over the property. No one questioned the ecstatic boy as he passed into the lush green courtyard, through the sliding doors leading inside the main house. They all knew what had happened today.

But as soon as the door was shut, the young man let out a long sigh, calming himself, making sure his breathing was even. His presence shrank, leaving a poised young man, though his turquoise eyes stayed their wide, excited shape. He slipped off his shoes carefully, and made his way further into the house. He stopped once he hit the entrance room to the family healing chamber. A figure sat silently on the floor, turning when they heard his approach.

Arata smiled at the small woman. She return the gesture, waving her gloved hands eagerly. "Did you get your results?" she whispered. He nodded showing her the paper in his hand. "That's great, Arata!"

He smiled at her excitement, but she wasn't the one he wanted to see. "May I go in?" he asked, gesturing towards the large door.

"He said to send you in as soon as you got here," she whispered happily.

"Thanks," he said, stepping passed her and sliding inside as quietly as he could. I'm going to get him this time.

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The water shifted with the vibrations from the outside room, waking Ukitake from his sleep. He opened his soft brown eyes half way, but made no move otherwise. Arata was always trying to sneak up on him. It brought a smile to his pale face, and made him a tad prideful that his son, after all these years, had never succeeded.

"You've come early, Arata," he said softly. He heard a mumbled 'damn,' but did not bother to point it out. Arata walked around the edge of the pool, into his view. His academy uniform hung loosely off his straight shoulders, and a paper was clutched in his tanned hands.

"I ran home," Arata admitted. He knelt on the titled floor, facing towards his father. "So did half the class."

"Good news, I hope," Ukitake said, moving to sit up fully. The room's air felt cool on his wet chest.

Arata smiled, waving the paper in front of his face, now damp from the steam. "Arata Ukitake is ordered to report to squad six at 7:00 on January 14th for services to the Gotei 13."

"Squad six?" Ukitake asked, raising his eyebrows. "Little Byakuya wants you?"

Arata scrunched his nose, something he had not lost from his childhood. "You should stop calling him that. He's a captain and a clan leader now."

Ukitake smiled, standing up and exiting the bath. He grabbed a folded robe. "I remember him when he was younger than you. He was always running around with his practice sword, trying to make people think he was two times as nasty as he was." He moved to put the cloth over his shoulders, but froze as his muscles locked. His chest lurched, his frozen muscles only allowing him to release hacking coughs.

Arata was at his father's side in an instant. He caught him by the chest, guiding him to the floor, so that he didn't hurt his knees. Arata kept his own breath even, moving his fingers with practiced ease. He massaged small circles, starting with the center and working his way out, not stopping until the man was still and relaxed.

There was a moment of tense silence, letting both people regain their composure. Then long arms wrapped around the slim, shaking shoulders. Ukitake placed his chin on top of his son's head. "I'm proud of you, Arata," he whispered into soft hair.

Arata returned the gesture, pressing his face into his neck. "You got out of the water too fast, old man," he mumbled. He turned to fit more comfortably in his father's arms. He could see his face, and noted the lack of blood. That's a good sign. "You should get back in."

"Perhaps," Ukitake agreed. "But I want to celebrate this day with my son. Which involves an extravagant dinner and no healing baths. "

Arata snorted. "Well, you're going to have to straighten yourself up. Your 3rd seat is out there."

"Oh dear, are they both?" Ukitake asked, groaning.

"Last I checked, it was just Kiyone."

"Good." Ukitake stretched his arms out and stood. Moving carefully, flexing his muscles, he tested his limbs. "Kian is still in the office. He didn't even come to check if I was up today, just went up to work!"

Arata followed, standing next to him. "He seems to be getting a little snarky, huh?"

Ukitake laughed. "You're one to talk," he said.

"I'm not that bad," Arata muttered, looking away, determined to look hurt. It lasted only a few moments, ending when Ukitake placed his hand on top of Arata's head, bringing a smile on the boy's lips.

"No, you're not."

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Arata lay down on his back, trying to relieve the stretch on his stomach. He usually didn't indulge this much, but he hadn't been home in weeks, and tonight was special. I deserve it, he thought. His father sat next to him, leaning so that his long hair pooled next to him. "Thank you, Father, I haven't eaten like that for weeks!"

"A crime!" Ukitake declared, chuckling. Arata's eyes started to drifted shut sleepily. "Hey, I thought you would want to stay in your room. The floor can't be that comfy that you would forget your own bed."

"Too far," he whined. "I want to know what I'm going to be doing!" He took out the piece of paper and shook it, as if it was its fault what it said. "Why are you so undescriptive?"

"Not everyone gets a specific assignment their first time," Ukitake said calmly. "And you couldn't have expected it. You aren't strong enough. You don't have a shikai, and do not have any specific skill sets for the kido or stealth force." He would not tell Arata, but he was pleased by this. He did not want his son to step into a violent career when he was fresh from the academy. Squad six was mostly home bound at any given time, so he had very little to worry about now. "You'll probably start out small, patrolling the Rukon with a more experienced person, running errands for the officers. And perhaps in about six months, you'll be given assignments on your own or with another person."

"And by then, I'll have my shikai!" he exclaimed happily. "I'm getting really close to its name. It's just being really difficult."

"First interactions are always the hardest. What does it want you to do?"

"They want me to catch them."

"They?" he asked. "Do you think that you have two?"

"Maybe, but that would be too much to hope for," Arata said, "And it won't matter anyways if I can't find them. I haven't even seen anything in my mind, just black hallways."

"You'll do it. I remember Sōgyo no Kotowari doing something very similar. It took me months."

They heard footsteps from outside the room. As they got closer, they could tell it was more than one. Arata quickly sat up and straightened his cloths. He was comfortable being relaxed around his father, but after living here for so long, he had learned that anyone could come through those doors.

"Captain Kuchiki here to speak with you, sir," a voice said from the other side of the wall.

Arata felt his eyes could not have gotten any bigger. He had met the Clan Lord many times before, always at formal gatherings or when the higher officers met at the manor. The cold, dark grey eyes always stayed with him, staring at his soul. He was happy that he had been accepted into a squad, but he was terrified of the Captain, and he definitely was not ready to meet him. He caught his father's eyes, who seemed just as surprised as him. 'Should I go?' he mouthed, moving to stand. Ukitake held his hand up for him to stay. "Come in, Byakuya," he called.

The door slid open, revealing a lone young man standing straight-backed in the doorframe. His shiny black hair fell gracefully in his eyes, held together by the light blue hairpieces. He was still in uniform, showing he had just come from his office. He walked in purposefully, first laying his gaze on Arata then on Ukitake.

He smiled kindly up at his visitor. "Little Byakuya, please sit down," he said, gesturing to one of the cushions.

"Thank you," he replied softly, lowering himself slowly, but his eyes never rose to over half-open. I wonder how he sees who he's fighting, Arata thought. "I trust that you have received your orders by now?"

Arata found he was having trouble articulating his words. "Y-yes, sir. Thank you for accepting me, sir."

Kuchiki nodded. "I expect good things from you. You will bear a lot of weight to maintain your father's good name."

Arata felt that this was meant as encouraging, but he felt a stone settle into the pit of his stomach. My father's good name? He's a Captain, and not just that, one of the original four! I don't even have a shikei yet! "Understood, sir."

Ukitake saw his son's hands unconsciously fiddling around nervously. "Hey, that's not very fair," he said. "Arata should be held up by his own work."

"We shall see," was all he said. He turned his attention away from the Arata. "I would like to speak to you in private."

Ukitake stayed silent for a moment. "Yes, all right. Arata would you go over to the kitchens and grab us some sweets? I don't think this will take very long."

Arata nodded and got to his feet. As he walked out he couldn't look away from the back of Captain Kuchiki's head. Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to like this? He thought as he closed the door behind him.

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When the door slid shut, Ukitake let out a long sigh. He stared at the young clan leader, straight-backed, hands folded over each other. Never a hair out of place. The poor guy never gets to relax.

"I only wished to inform you I'm aware of the situation, and of what he is." There was tense silence, before Ukitake nodded his understanding. "My orders have been to keep him in my squad until he reaches seventh seat. Then he will be transferred somewhere so he can be watched carefully." He stood to leave, in between facing the captain and the exit. "Does he have any idea what was done to him?"

"No. He's never been curious about it. He's only ever tried to figure out what he was before I took him in. He has no reason to suspect any affects. He hasn't even reached shikai yet."

"He's still young,"

"So are you."

Kuchiki gave no reply, merely turning to fully face the door, signaling the end if the conversation.

"Please," Ukitake said softly, stopping him from departing, "don't treat him like he's dangerous. He doesn't deserve that."

"Then he will prove it."