Chapter 2
Rukia blinked twice. The first thing she came to realize once her eyes came to focus was that she was lying on a futon under a wooden roof. She felt terrible and aching like she had taken a beating. Even as she tried to find out where she was, her head hurt as if it was going to explode.
"Oh, you finally woke up."
Rukia heard a female voice, so she turned her head slightly to where it came from. Then, she saw a woman with pale skin, green eyes and long straight black hair bending over her.
The woman then continued, "You gave us a fright."
"Suzumi-san? she asked, uncertain.
"Yes, that's me. Why? Are you expecting someone else, Rukia-chan?"
Rukia shook her head in denial before she pushed herself up to sit on the futon and asked, "What happened?"
"I see. You don't remember. It makes sense. We were gathered in a tea ceremony, when you suddenly fainted."
"I fainted?"
"You did. Just right when Captain Kuchiki was speaking. He was so worried."
Pressing her hand on her head, Rukia repeated, "Captain Kuchiki?"
Rukia was intrigued by the way the name seemed to echo in her mind; however, before she could begin to understand why, her concentration was broken and she had to blush at the worried glance that Suzumi was giving her.
"You don't seem to fully recover yet," said the black-haired woman. "So get some rest. I'll be out, but I'll come back later today."
With that said, Suzumi stood up.
Seeing Suzumi's graceful guesture, Rukia nodded. After the lady was gone, she laid back into the futon and closed her eyes, thinking that she really should rest.
In the afternoon of the same day, Rukia was taking a walk in the garden of the Shihouin family's showy mansion. She thought about what had happened the day before, especially about that man, Captain Kuchiki.
Suzumi had insisted that Rukia accompany her to the tea ceremony although she had little understanding of the matters that would be discussed there. Including that time, she had only met Captain Kuchiki twice, and in both occasions, all they did was exchanging greetings. Although she thought that he was very handsome and that he seemed proud and polite, something about him still bothered her.
"His eyes are so cold and intimidating," she recalled.
She smoothed the fine fabric of her three-layered kimono which features a pattern of plum blossoms before she sat down under the shade of a tall tree. Then she rested her head against the trunk of the tree and closed her eyes, not knowing that all her actions were being observed.
Kuchiki Byakuya, one of the captains of Gotei 13 and the 28th head of the Kuchiki clan, was hiding in a distance, attentively watching each of the young lady Rukia's gestures.
"She doesn't seem ill like she was yesterday," he thought to himself.
At the moment he saw her lie down on the grass and then bend herself until she as almost in a fetal position; he became worried that she might have another attack and almost rushed to her. However, since he was told that the owner of the house was absent, he stopped himself.
"It would not be proper for me to appear there now," he thought, still looking at the lady. Then, to his relief, he noticed that she was just enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the garden and the warmth of the sunlight that shone through the leaves of the tree.
Therefore, Byakuya remained there and watch her for much longer than he should have. He then convinced himself that he needed to go and left just as stealthily as he had come.
It was night in the human world. Ichigo was in the kitchen of his house, having a sandwich, when a spiritual presence left him in a state of alert. Shortly after he put his snack in the refrigerator and decided it was better to go investigate, his sister Karin arrived there.
"Ichi-nii, do you see my skates?" she asked.
"Of course not."
"My... I'm sure I left them here," she said and then she looked at her brother, who pulled the device that he used to change to the shinigami form out of his pocket. Seeing so, she asked, "Are you leaving?"
"Yes, I am. I'm feeling a strange presence."
"Since when can you feel these things?" she asked, half doubtful, half teasing.
"I've no idea," he replied quietly. "Please, leave my body right here, I shouldn't be gone for too long."
Karin nodded, watching him changed into his spiritual body before he went out through the back door.
"Oh, I thought I heard the oniichan's voice," Yuzu commented when she arrived there.
"He was here, but he's just left for work," Karin explained, nibbling a cookie.
"For work? I see. That's just an excuse. He's going to try to find that darling of his, that one Kuchiki-san."
Noticing how grumpy Yuzu's face was, Karin couldn't help but laugh.
"That's weird. When you were younger, it was Rukia-chan this, Rukia-chan that. Now you only call her "Kuchiki-san". Why so jealous, huh? You silly."
"Karin, unlike me, you never cared what kind of person our brother has been involved."
"Of course! Hello? He is the older brother. Besides, you're worrying for nothing. Those two are slower than a sleepy turtle. At this rate, I'll get a boyfriend before they first kiss."
"What world are you living in? You haven't seen our oniichan sighing for Kuchiki-san day and night?" Yuzu replied in a melodramatic tone.
"Come on! Instead of being so worried about the slowness of our brother, why don't you have a dating with Jinta instead, huh?"
"What? Are you crazy, Karin!" she shouted. "Jinta is my best friend!"
"Yes, he is. However, he is also your biggest fan," the other teased.
"Karin!" she exclaimed and turned red with anger.
"Okay, okay. I'm leaving. Don't get angry with me too."
After he defeated a hollow and almost arrived to the border of the neighboring district, Ichigo felt puzzled. He stopped on a terrace of a building to look at his tracker and try to interpret the number which was shown on the device.
"No Arrancar was here, but an ordinary hollow couldn't have left a trace like that."
Slightly later, he gave up on trying to find an explanation. Then, he thought he should contact Soul Society. Using a soul mobile that Urahara had left with him, he made a call.
"Soul Society, Saito speaking. How can I help you?" said an attendant on the other side of line.
"Hello, this is the Kurosaki Ichigo, the shinigami daikou-"
The attendant cut off him, "I'm sorry, did you say shimigami daikou?"
"Yes, I did," Ichigo responded, noting strangeness in the attendant's voice.
"Sorry, but could you repeat your name, please?"
"Kurosaki Ichigo," he said, then added after a pause, "Shinigami daikou of Karakura Town."
"Please wait a minute while I check."
Ichigo waited for much more than one minute.
"I'm sorry, sir, but there is no shinigami daikou for the Karakura Town in our database."
"How come?" Ichigo asked, angry. "Listen, this isn't a call that anyone could do, right?"
"That's right, sir."
"So?" he pressed, impatient.
"So, I'm asking you to wait one more minute while I-"
"Give me a break!" he cut off the attendant. "I'll call back later. Until then, you'd better thoroughly check your database."
"Yes, sir."
After he heard the confirmation, Ichigo ended the call.
"Soul Society is such a mess."
Jumping over buildings, Ichigo made his way back home. He was more puzzled than before when a thought crossed his mind.
"But it's not a bad idea to go there to deliver the data," he said to himself, thinking it was a better excuse to see Rukia than just using that Chappy's gikongan bottle.
Seeing that the servant left the room after she had left a tray of tea and candies, the noblewoman, Shihouin Suzumi smiled cordially to her guest and announced:
"I'm glad see you again, Kuchiki-sama."
"Thank you, Suzumi-san. I apologize for coming to bother you at this time."
"Don't worry about it. It's not so late yet."
"I was here earlier, but your servants informed me that you were absent."
"And would you believe me if I told you that I went to visit your grandfather, Ginrei-dono at that time? Which means, you came to the Shihouin's mansion just when I was heading to the Kuchiki's mansion."
"What a strange coincidence!"
"That's true. Anyway, what brings you here again, my lord?"
"Suzumi-san, the reason of my visit is to ask about the health condition of Miss Shihouin Rukia. Is she feeling better?"
"Oh, my dear sir, you must be very worried about her to have come here twice just to ask about her condition."
"I am."
Suzumi smiled at him and said, "Well, Rukia's maid told me that she was very well during the day; however, just now she complained that she still felt a little dizzy. So I told her to lie down and rest, or otherwise she would be here with us right now."
"It's sad to know that."
He kept an inexpressive expression as he pondered whether he should tell the lady about what he had in mind.
However, before he could decide, the noblewoman interrupted his thought by saying, "Well, I'm contemplating calling a doctor here to examine her."
Having finally made up his mind, Byakuya remarked, "Suzumi-san, I have a theory of what might have been wrong with Rukia-san."
"Really, my lord? And what would that be?"
"I think Rukia-san's soul may have reacted to my spiritual energy, which led to a manifestation of her own energy. I cannot think of any other reason for a person to be in the same condition that she is."
Rather than a surprise, Suzumi's face showed a fright.
"Rukia-chan's spiritual energy? No, it can't be. As I told you, Rukia-chan was born in a poor district of Rukongai. If she had a latent spiritual energy, I would have detected that by myself."
"Certainly, my lady; however, some unexpected factor may have caused her ability to stay hidden, and the contact with my spiritual energy, may have triggered hers."
Suzumi stared at the captain for a moment, visibly disconcerted. She then replied, "Well, it is true that Rukia does not often get to be in the presence of a captain of Gotei 13."
"So I feel totally responsible for that."
"But you shouldn't feel that way, my lord."
"I'm afraid it's too late for that. Suzumi-san, would there be any problem if I take Rukia-san to the 4th Division for examination?"
As the noblewoman did not answer immediately, he added, "Of course, I am not saying that you do not have competent doctors here, but this may be related to spiritual energy, so the experts of the 4th Division can supply us a more detailed report."
"Without doubt."
The captain continued, "I can ask Captain Unohana to personally examine her."
"Oh, no, there's no need for that. I don't want to bother you, much less Unohana-sama."
"I think Capitan Unohana can make this an exception. As for me, this isn't a bother at all. In fact, this is something I should do for the sake of the good friendship that our families share."
"Then I can only be thankful for your concern, my lord," she said shyly. Then with a thoughtful look, she asked, "Kuchiki-sama, if it's proved that she possesses spiritual energy, Rukia will have to be taken away from me. Am I right?"
Despite the sadness in the noblewoman's voice, he responded, "Yes. As unhappy as it is, there is no other way. Even if Rukia-san doesn't become a shinigami, at least she will have to enter the Shinou Academy in order to learn how to control her spiritual energy. You should know that it wouldn't do well for the person or the person around them if a spiritual energy is uncontrolled."
"Yes, I do."
Seeing that she was upset, he decided to calm her by saying, "However, those are mere suppositions. We cannot be certain until after Rukia-san is examined."
Suzumi nodded, and a moment later, she asked, "When would you like to take her to 4th Division?"
"If you agree, I'll personally come to take Rukia-san there in a couple of days."
It took a while until the noblewoman answered, "That's fine for me. The sooner we know, the better."
Satisfied, he nodded.
"So, we have an agreement." After that, he stood up and said, "Now it's time for me to go already."
"Thank you so much for your visit, Kuchiki-sama."
"My pleasure. Have a good night, Suzumi-san."
"You too, Kuchiki-sama."
Since he had already turned his back to her, Suzumi could not see the faint smile that drew on his lips.
Somewhat later, in a meeting room of Kuchiki mansion, Byakuya was talking to the elder Mistsunori, who was his adviser and confidant.
"Suzumi-san looks a little hesitant, but she agreed in the end," Byakuya reported.
The old man just nodded, so the younger man continued:
"The background of that young woman is fascinating. Suzumi herself had told me herself that fifty years ago, Suzumi suffered an attack and almost died in Rukongai. Rukia, who was a child at the time, saved her and hid her in an old hut."
"Those Rukongai's districts are lawless lands," the elder said in a drawl.
"That's true. When Suzumi was rescued by the ninjas of the Shihouin clan, she wanted to bring Rukia with her, but since that Suzumi was still very young at the time, the clan did not allow her to adopt the poor girl. However, Suzumi didn't want to have Rukia as a servant either, after all, she had saved her life."
"Suzumi-san has always been recognized for her generosity."
Byakuya nodded and said, "She made sure that Rukia was instructed and educated in order for her to be able to behave like an authentic noblewoman before she introduced Rukia to the clan. It hasn't been ten years since Rukia starts living in Suzumi's house."
"This is a really uncommon story, Byakuya-sama."
"Yes, it is," the leader agreed, "Rukia-san is like a rare flower," he said, unable to hide the fascination that gripped him.
"My lord seems to be very interested," the old man said heartily.
"Yes, I am. Unlike my late wife, Hisana, there are only a few people who know about Rukia's poor origin and she is already inserted in a noble family—one of the four great families of Seireitei, no less."
"Without a doubt that will facilitate things for you, my lord."
"Absolutely. And I intend to use everything that is in my power to reach my goals."
The conversation continued for a while. When the elder excused himself, Byakuya continued making plans in his bedroom. There are times when he didn't feel so elated, so alive. That one Rukia awakened the feelings in him that he had not felt in so long. She was so lovely and very much alike his beloved Hisana, but she had her own shine. He longed to know her better, to earn her trust, and to conquer her heart.
He only felt sorry for Suzumi. Forcing situations had never been his style, but the circumstances were so favorable that he could not waste the opportunity to approach the young woman who had made his heart beat stronger.
Moreover, there was no untruth in the suppositions he had presented to Suzumi, opportunism, maybe, but not a lie. Rukia could possess spiritual energy. However, whether it was true or not, he didn't mind at all. If he were to eventually marry her - and that was what he had in his mind - he would never allow her to take part in any battles.
Leaving his bedroom and coming to his private garden, Byakuya looked at the moon in the middle of the sky.
"I can't wait for our next meeting, Rukia."
To be continued...
A/N: Yes, still is the same fic. If I jumped any part? No, really. What happened so? Who knows?
Hi you guys! Thanks to all who followed this fic! Again I had great help from Amaratta for the translation of this chapter. Thanks also to my dear velvetsins and to NieveDrop by reviews sent, and to Zitag by the kindness to dispose yourself to help me. I hope you enjoyed. If one of you found mistakes, please let me know. Reviews are welcome. Till next time!