See disclaimer in chapter 1

I'm so sorry that this took so long to get out. I would have gotten it out sooner, but I had the flu for an entire week, then I had to make up all that missing school work (I still have a chem test to take and this was about 3 weeks ago). Then I got caught up with my IB English test, which since I'm a senior, is the BIG test. Basically my final exam after 2 years of work. I also had a couple brain farts with this chapter, but time just didn't allow for that sort of thing and it put me behind when I was already behind. :/

Anyhow. I state names in the Japanese way (last name, first name), but some names aren't like this because maybe I don't want them to be Japanese, or maybe they are mixed.

I hope I characterized everyone okay. This is, for the most part, Renji's point of view, so some of the characterization is supposed to be a bit vague. (He's a simple guy - simple, not stupid. Just simple.)

Lastly, I didn't mention this in the 1st chapter, but all mistakes are my own, as I don't use a Beta.

Replies to my 3 lovely reviewers:

pen-Aine: A lengthy review desires a lengthy response! :D Super glad you like this so much! And I haven't decided whether Ishida is a member of the Quincy gang or not... Or is he simply a hired out assassin? O.o Hmm let's think about that. XD And sorry, but of course Ichigo is in Seireitei XD I mean, he couldn't not be :P I won't say anything about the situatin between Ichigo and Rukia... And ya know what. I'm gonna challenge myself. I'll try to write a lemon, and just see how it turns out. The last one was rather childish and not something I'd like to talk about. XD But don't worry! lol I won't post shit on here! XD

Pheonix09: I'm sorry this chapter took so long lol But I hope you like this one as well :)

Fuyublue: More comin' at ya! ;D

Enjoy!

x~Snow~Storm~x

Renji put his phone back into his pocket. It would be impossible to get a signal all the way out here.

"Okay, we're gonna be meetin' a couple of people up here pretty soon."

They had come far out into the country, into the Mie Prefecture. Byakuya glared at Renji, but the redhead just laughed. He could read his boyfriend's mind.

"I know it seems like we're in the middle of Bull Fuckin' Egypt, but you'd be surprised. Mount Ryozen isn't as empty as you'd think. But look." Renji pointed to the many other mountains in the area, covered by swaying greenery. "Isn't it beautiful?" he smiled happily.

Byakuya stopped to look. Slowly, something like a smile crept softly onto his face. "Yes…" he murmured, "It's very beautiful."

Renji smiled. Taking Byakuya's hand, he led him further up the mountain. There was a specific tree he was looking for. It was a very large Japanese cypress, and he could just see the top of it now.

"Come on!" He shouted at Byakuya. "I see it! Let's go!"

"Wait! What?"

Renji broke into a run, not bothering to see if Byakuya could keep up or not. He laughed loudly, thrusting his sheathed sword up into the air with the sheer exhilaration of running. He slowed once he turned a corner, seeing a shock of blue beneath the cypress.

"Hey!" Renji waved, wearing a slightly crazed grin.

Ulquiorra, who had been leaning back into Grimmjow's chest, jumped away like a frightened animal.

Grimmjow gave a feral grin, twirling his own sheathed sword like a baton. "Well, someone's excited 'bout somethin'."

Byakuya widened his stance slightly and raised his chin in a rather arrogant and snooty gesture. Somehow, Renji thought, those two motions didn't mix, and Renji was proved right when the raven spoke.

"What is all this?" Byakuya asked warily, eyeing Renji's bandana and another black and white bandana that was tied onto Grimmjow's belt loop—notwithstanding the swords they both carried.

Renji threw an arm around Byakuya's shoulder and glanced at Grimmjow. Renji knew he could feel his stare, but the blue-haired man was pretending not to notice while he took a cigarette from his back pocket. He popped it into his mouth, and held his hand over the lighter to shield the flame from the wind. Nonchalantly exhaling wreaths of blue grey smoke, Grimmjow glanced at Ulquiorra, and then at Renji.

He gestured vaguely, cancer stick in hand, at the general area underneath the tree. "Let's sit down for a sec." He suggested.

Comfortably seated under the cypress, no one spoke. In the silence, tension was rising. Ulquiorra shifted uncomfortably, his large, bright eyes nervously dancing around the group. Eventually, Grimmjow's blasé act broke. He sighed in frustration.

"Damn it, Renji! We can't do this…"

"Can't do what?" Renji shot back. "Can't date them? Huh? Is it fair to keep them in the dark about—"

"Man, shut the fuck up, already!" Grimmjow roared. After a moment and a few puffs on his cigarette, he said more calmly, "Let me start."

"Be my freakin' guest. But lemme say, on both mine and Grimmjow's behalf, if you don't like what yer hearing, there's nothin' keepin' ya here. We'll take ya home, no harm done."

Grimmjow sighed, quickly running a hand through his jagged hair. "Well, we're not really supposed to tell ya, so if ya do go in with us, pretend that you don't know. But, we're in a yakuza called Seireitei. It's been around since the samurai ruled feudal Japan. But back then it was called the Gotei 13."

"Why?" Ulquiorra asked, intrigued.

Grimmjow gave a short bark of laughter. "Ya just love history, don't ya, kid? Well, I'd tell ya, but then Renji here'd kill us all!"

Byakuya slowly turned to Renji with what he assumed was a look of horror. He didn't know, because Byakuya looked away almost immediately. He felt as though those eyes were accusing him of being a murderer. Renji rolled his eyes rather dramatically. Stupid fuckin' bastard Grimmjow… I really might kill him!

"He's fuckin' with you…" Renji growled irritably. Even though he's probably serious…

"Well anyway, what they did 'n how they did it's a secret unless yer a member. But during the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Gotei 13 was ordered to dissolve. But it never really did. It's just called Seireitei now, although it's nowhere near as powerful as it used to be. That's cuz—"

"Grimmjow." Renji growled.

"Hmm?" Grimmjow looked up from the enraptured Ulquiorra and Byakuya. He'd been quite caught up in telling his tale.

"You talk a lot, don't ya?" The redhead muttered. "We should be going. Oh, and before I forget, none of this business about partners or gay couples or whatever. It's a weakness in the eyes of the underworld. Ya get yerself shot for it… But my sobo is… she's my sobo! She's a yakuza wife, but she still spoils me… So… We can trust her to know." Renji stood, resting his cumbersome sword on his shoulder. "You guys comin', or are we bringin' ya home? 'Cause once we go in, there's no turning back."

Byakuya stood up and, for a moment, it seemed as though he was about to kiss Renji.

"You dirty bastard," he hissed. "You're telling me to choose between a life of crime or leaving you, the man I supposedly love. How fucking sick and twisted are you? I wonder... Just how much blood stains your hands?"

Renji narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Less than yers, if those monks tell the truth about people bein' reincarnated 'n shit. Lemme tell ya somethin', Kuchiki Byakuya. Every single generation of my family has worked with the status of lieutenant under a Kuchiki, who has the status of captain. That stopped at yer great-grandfather. But guess who called all the shots? Guess who did the tricky operations, like assassinations, that he didn't trust others to handle properly? That's right, the captain."

Renji turned sharply on his heel and headed for the base. He could feel tthe fury inside him coming to a boiling point. Byakuya followed him closely, but the proximity made Renji even angrier than he already was.

Sensing that the other two were a small ways back, Renji muttered, "Why are you still here? You should just run on home. You obviously can't handle this kinda thing."

Byakuya sighed heavily, and at length, he said with conviction, "No. I will follow you."

Renji snorted and rolled his eyes. Quite a sudden change in attitude. "Whatever. Just don't get cold feet and try to run off. You might really die if ya try that now…"

Trudging upwards, the foursome soon came across a large wooden building. It almost looked like a resort that was in disrepair. But then again, disrepair might be too nice of a word to describe the poor condition of the building. Many of the windows had been shattered, and there were even small round holes in the glass that was still intact. They looked as though they could have been from bullets. The wood was beginning to sag from not being taken care of properly. It was most likely infested with termites.

Renji placed his hand on the large, rotting door, and shoved it open. It did not make a sound. This house (or whatever it had been) was probably one of the first Western style buildings in the area. Within the building, it was very dim, with pale lemon light trickling in through the dirt covered windows; the occasional burst of white sunshine filtering in through a chip or hole. At the end of a long hallway was an arched entrance, where they crossed into a large room with a high ceiling. It was fairly dark, yet shadows were visible, moving about on the muted walls and corners. One man, however, was standing in the open, looking to greet them.

Renji and Grimmjow immediately stepped forward, leaving the other two behind them. They moved almost simultaneously, dropping onto their knees and pressing their foreheads into the damp, musty floor. They pushed their swords out in front of them, like a humble offering.

"Raise your heads."

The most eye catching thing about Renji's grandfather was his pristine white suit, coupled with shiny, white shoes. His dress shirt was a stark contrast—black as night—and laid under a tie that could have been made of liquid gold. His tanned face had been carved into with the wisdom of half a century, but this countenance had not always been able to avoid harm's way. A scar ran up and down the right side of his face, straight through one milk white eye, which had been rendered useless by the blow. The man had thick, wild, grey hair, which he had forced into submission in a pony tail. With hands shoved down into his jacket pockets, he casually strolled over to the two men before him, the heels of his polished shoes clacking imperiously with each step.

"Renji." He stated the name, as though instead of addressing someone, he was weighing it, rolling it around on his tongue like a new wine. "I see that you have made some friends outside of the family." The man nodded approvingly. "Good, this is good. It's nice to have connections with different people in different social circles." He was analyzing Byakuya and Ulquiorra, and murmured, as if talking to himself, "You chose good friends… Money will get ya places." But then, seeming to come back to the present situation, he addressed Renji again. "Ya really should come home more often, Renji. Yer mother worries, you know that. So does yer grandmother. Come back once in a while to show them yer doing well 'n eating properly."

"Sure, Ojiichan[1]."

"Renji!" Another male voice roared across the expanse of the room. Soon, Renji's own father came into the light. "Watch yer tongue!"

Renji just rolled his eyes. His father was in the usual: a black suit and golden tie, but the tie was loosened, the white dress shirt underneath the jacket was not tucked in, and the jacket was very much opened. A cigarette hung out of his mouth, and his muddy brown eyes were narrowed viciously.

Renji's grandfather scoffed. "You treat him like a child, Torao!"

Torao combed his fingers through his cropped, red hair. "No, Otousama[2], you are simply too lenient with him. He's become a spoiled and headstrong son, and it irks me." The menacing message of his calm words hung in the air as Torao slowly made his way to his son. For a moment, he simply stood above the still kneeling young man. Renji wanted to flinch, but he didn't. Byakuya was watching him. Torao moved suddenly, seizing Renji's collar with both hands and hauling him up so that they were face to face. Renji could barely feel his toes on the floor. "You've been pushin' it lately," Torao hissed. "People aren't always gonna be around to back up yer yellow bellow. You step outta line one more time…" Torao let this sink into his son for a moment, before roughly shoving him onto his backside. "Kneel! You are before yer superior!" He spat.

Renji kneeled obediently. He would have rolled his eyes, but he didn't, fearing his father would have done something worse to him. Really, it was all just a show of power. There were people watching, people who were possibly new recruits. Torao needed to show them their place. Renji understood, really he did, but did it always have to be at his expense? Ah, well… Whatever.

"Let's have a little light." Renji's grandfather called. The electrical wires protested the energy running through them with a loud groan, but slowly, the lights flickered on with a dull hum.

Now everyone could be seen. There were three other people in the room, although one person remained seated in a corner, partially hidden in the remaining shadows. Renji's grandfather gestured for a very elderly man to come over. In addition to looking quite old, he was very pale, and his skin had the qualities of a crinkled piece of foil. Though thin, he did not give off the impression of being frail, as he made his way over with a dark, slick walking stick in one hand and an elegant, long-stemmed pipe resting in the other. His long, snow white hair hung in a low pony tail, and his wild, ice-blue eyes gave the impression that, at a glance, he was ripping your darkest secrets and lowest sins from the depths of your soul. He slowly shuffled over, yet he stood straight and stiff-backed in a sky blue suit. Underneath he had a crisp white shirt and a black tie. Just as soon as he was next to Renji's grandfather, he spat on the ground, no doubt shocking the ever so proper Byakuya, and probably Ulquiorra, too.

"It's gettin' harder to get around, these days," He grumbled.

Renji's grandfather patted the elderly man on the back. "Be grateful that yer still up and around at all at your age! Now," He turned an intimidating gaze upon the two men accompanying Renji and Grimmjow. "I'm afraid I didn't catch yer names…"

Byakuya stepped forward and dipped into a low, graceful bow. "Kuchiki Byakuya, at your service, sir."

The man nodded. "Hmm. Byakuya, eh?"

Ulquiorra did the same, coming forward and bowing low. "Ulquiorra Cifer, sir."

"Hey!" the elderly man shouted. "I remember when—"

"Now, now. That can wait. I'm afraid we have been rude, and have not introduced ourselves yet." Renji's grandfather was now completely ignoring the other two boys at his feet. "I am Abarai Ryuuma, and this is—"

"Kazemaru Jaegerjaques, that brat's great-grandfather!" The old man butt in, indicating with a jerk of his head the bluenette at his feet. "I'm the unwilling counterpart of this here scoundrel Ryuuma. His oyaji[3] was my greatest enemy, and annexed our family business fer money 'n power!"

"Ojiichan, quit it with the sob story. No one cares anymore." Grimmjow muttered.

"Nobody cares! Why, when I was yer age, I—"

"Well!" Ryuuma interrupted with a booming voice. "Let's get down to business, shall we? Renji, Grimmjow, why don't ya go into the kitchen and help the women prepare lunch?"

"There's food in this old dump?" Renji raised a suspicious eye brow.

"Just move yer ass Renji." Ryuuma growled.

Torao was shooting daggers at the kneeling red head, so Renji figured he really should leave or risk some sort of bodily harm. He took one last look at Byakuya. The raven's eyes did not even flicker in his direction.

He's probably still pissed at me…

Feeling his nerves coil tighter in his stomach, Renji turned and slowly followed Grimmjow through a door that had been nearly hidden from view.

Aside from the two elderly men in the room, there were only two other people. One disinterestedly leaned against the wall, arms crossed with a cigarette hanging between his fingers. Byakuya assumed that he was Grimmjow's father. They didn't look alike, but their body had the same lean, dangerous look. It was as though they were utterly relaxed and indifferent, but at the same time they were secretly being quite attentive— almost like they were poised to strike. His sharp, cruel facial features also resembled Grimmjow's. But with his shoulder length chestnut hair and messy fringe shoved out of his hazel green eyes, a stranger would never see the resemblance. His outfit echoed Kazemaru's, but it was much more casual. He wore a pale blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled, and a white tie. This was coupled with black dress pants and meticulously shined dress shoes. Byakuya wondered with an increasingly intense curiosity whether these outfits had any meaning.

"Takeshi, my boy, why don't you come here!" Kazemaru called to the man. "We'll soon be goin' in fer lunch. We just needa take care of some things first."

Muttering audible curses, the man—Takeshi, as he was called—killed his cancer stick before casually making for the group of four men. He walked with a laid-back, accidental swagger that gave him the appearance of a wild animal—a large cat, actually. It seemed he was almost lethargic, but one wrong move…

The other man's identity remained a mystery, as he sat quiet and still in that dim corner of the room. But Ryuuma had turned to look at him. The man shifted just enough that it was noticeable—probably out of discomfort.

"Why don't you also come into the light, my friend?" It certainly didn't sound as though they were friends at all.

The person slowly rose and stepped out of the shadows. He had cropped black hair, making his white, unblemished skin seem even paler. Within his deep, black eyes was arrogance and slight irritation. Adorning his body was a crisp white dress shirt and a black tie, paired with black dress pants and (quite obviously) professionally shined shoes. He huffed, not quite scowling but almost. He ran a slim, manicured hand through his hair and crossed his arms, a thin eyebrow arching expectantly.

Byakuya couldn't prevent the surprised gasp that passed his lips. "Otousan?![4]"

His father shot him an icy glare. "Hold your tongue." He murmured.

"This," said Ryuuma, gesturing toward Byakuya's father, "is Kuchiki Sojun."

Sojun nodded at the two Jaegerjaques men in place of bowing. Nodding was as respectful and humble as this man would get. Needless to say, he completely ignored his son and Ulquiorra.

"Sojun's father, Kuchiki Ginrei, wished to keep himself and his descendants out of Seireitei. This was Ginrei's father's dying wish, was it not?"

"However," Sojun interrupted, "just in case history ever came back to haunt us, we continued practicing swordsmanship, handling firearms and learning hand-to-hand combat. It's really no surprise that a man with the name of Abarai would be the one to drag my son back into this."

Ryuuma chuckled; though it was evident he was simply putting on airs. "Well, anyway, since we have not heard from—er—what was the name?"

"Ulquiorra, sir."

"Yes, right. Since we haven't gotten much outta you, yet, answer this: can you fight?"

Ulquiorra tilted his head a bit, and his bright green eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "What do you mean, sir?"

"Doesn't matter!" An impatient Kazemaru bit out, slamming his cane onto the floor. "Just answer the question!"

Ulquiorra rested one hand on his hip and closed his eyes. Byakuya knew he was struggling not to let his irritation show. Thank the gods he had so much patience. "Yes," he finally replied, his tone bordering on the edge of arrogance. "I can fight."

"Alright, but what can ya do, hmm?" Kazemaru growled, taking the little interrogation upon himself. "What good're ya in a fight?"

Ulquiorra shrugged, putting on a laid back appearance. "I don't know what good I'd be. I can do a lot of things… I suppose you could call me… a jack of all trades when it comes to fighting." Realizing by the look Kazemaru gave him that Ulquiorra couldn't answer his question like this, he continued with a sigh, and probably, Byakuya surmised, felt rather put upon by having to answer in full detail. "I excel in hand-to-hand combat. I can utilize any firearm you give me, although my real skill lies in sniping. And I am very good with a sword. That is all."

Ryuuma nodded, but Kazemaru snorted.

"We'll see how those skills play into a real fight…"

Byakuya rolled his eyes. No idiot could lie about his skills to a yakuza boss unless he wanted to die…

"What about you, Kuchiki boy?" Kazemaru wheedled.

The raven haired man sighed. "I am essentially the same as Ulquiorra, except that when it comes to firearms I'm better with handguns and rifles. Also, I can double wield when necessary."

Ryuuma nodded again. "Well, this is all I wanted to know. Let's get goin' to lunch. After yer food settles, we'll see what you've got, hmm?"

With this, they were ushered into the door that Renji and Grimmjow had disappeared into. And just as well, too; Byakuya's stomach was churning with hunger.

Renji stared at his lunch with an expression akin to contempt. He felt uneasy, and it unsettled his stomach. How good of a fighter was Byakuya? How confident should someone like Renji—who'd been fighting for his life since he was born—be in someone who'd most likely lived a pampered life of luxury? What if Byakuya wasn't good enough? Damn it, he thought, his anxiety rising, I should have assessed his skills before we came here…

The door at the end of the room creaked open. Renji eagerly looked up from the bowl of ramen in front of him to see Byakuya glide gracefully inside, with Ulquiorra at his heels. Others walked in after him, but Byakuya was all Renji saw. Those dark eyes did not even deign to glance in his direction. Renji sighed, carefully picking out a spiral fishcake from the sea of noodles. He was already sitting across from Grimmjow. Byakuya slid into a seat on Grimmjow's left, and Ulquiorra sat on his right. At Renji's sigh of frustration, a blue eyebrow was raised suspiciously.

"So, uh." Renji cleared his throat awkwardly, sipping some water for moral support. "This is my mother, and uh, Kaasan[5], this is Byakuya."

A slim, delicate looking woman with golden brown hair fixed in a messy bun stepped up to Byakuya. She handed him a bowl of ramen and some water. She wore a sleeveless black dress that came down about 3 inches below her bottom, and that seemed to cling to her like paint. Renji couldn't understand how his mother could work in that sort of thing, let alone those horrifying stiletto boots. Her décolleté had a snake that wrapped around to the front from the back, and her shapely upper arms were also fully tattooed.

"Hello," she smiled sweetly at Byakuya. "I am Abarai Yuka. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Hello, ma'am." He murmured, along with a quiet thank you.

"Neesan[6]," Grimmjow interjected. "This is Ulquiorra Cifer."

"I am also pleased to meet you." Yuka smiled genially at him as well.

Ulquiorra nodded, muttering something that sounded like hello, and Yuka placed a bowl of ramen in front of him as well.

After his mother left, Renji scooted down the table a bit so that he was in front of Byakuya.

"Hey." He muttered, glancing up at the other man like a chastised puppy. "Are you mad at me?"

Byakuya didn't respond.

"Hey. Seriously."

No response.

Renji growled in frustration. "Stop being such a little bastard!" he hissed. "Ya didn't have to come with us! You had every opportunity to leave once you knew what was goin' on! No one was forcing ya—"

He was silenced by the venom in his boyfriend's eyes, which had darted up very suddenly to regard the redhead. It was such a fearfully cold gaze, Renji could swear the temperature of the room was dropping.

"I realize." Byakuya finally replied tonelessly. He took another mouthful of ramen before dabbing elegantly at his lips with a napkin. "We will discuss this later."

"No!" Renji almost shouted. The heat rose to his face as he felt everyone's eyes suddenly on him. "I mean, is this really what you want?"

Byakuya shrugged. "I suppose it is, and even if it isn't, it is too late to be uncertain now."

Renji nodded meekly and shut his mouth. If Byakuya changed his mind now, he would die. Maybe not right now, but it was Saturday. He wouldn't make it to Tuesday, of that much Renji was certain.

"Wonderful ramen, girls! Oh, 'n this tea is exquisite!" Ryuuma boomed. "But ya know, us men woulda preferred sake…"

"No sake for you!" An old woman spat. "You know ya have to watch yer alcohol intake."

Ryuuma let out a defeated sigh. "Yes, dear… Ah!" he exclaimed, as though he were just realizing something. "Boys, this is my woman."

"Hi, there, kids. My name's Abarai Katsumi. Make yerselves at home." She smiled warmly, like any normal grandmother would when meeting her grandson's friends, before returning her glare back to Ryuuma.

"Thank you, ma'am." Byakuya replied.

"So." Ryuuma suddenly prompted at Byakuya and Ulquiorra. "Do either of you know a man by the name of Ichimaru Gin?"

The two men in question exchanged glances across Grimmjow.

"No, sir, I'm sorry, but I don't think we do. I can't even say that I've heard the name." Byakuya returned, speaking for the both of them.

"Torao, hand them the picture."

"Yes, sir."

Torao stood and walked over behind Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. He carelessly flung a small, wallet sized photo onto the table so both men on either side of the bluenette could see it.

"This man," said Ryuuma in a graver tone, "is, as you could now probably deduce, Ichimaru Gin."

Byakuya leaned over, peering closely at the picture with a look of concentration. Ulquiorra stared at it apathetically. It was a pale man with cropped, white hair and cruel looking eyes. Byakuya blinked. Renji could see his mind working.

"Actually…" He began. "I think he used to go to my high school…" He shook his head. "I haven't seen him for maybe… seven odd years, though. Although, I'm not sure…"

Ulquiorra shook his head. "I've never seen him before. But I didn't go to the same high school as Byakuya."

Ryuuma nodded. "That is just as well. Thank you boys!"

Renji caught Ulquiorra shooting a questioning look at Byakuya, who simply shrugged and went back to eating. Seeing that everyone else had gone back to their lunches, Renji leaned forward towards Grimmjow. But what he had to say was for Ulquiorra and Byakuya.

"It's normal that Ojiichan would ask you guys about that snake." Renji whispered. "He was born into our family, but he betrayed us when he was twelve. Granted, he wasn't old enough to actually be a full-fledged member of Seireitei. But in addition to confessing to his actual crimes, he confessed to thought-out treason. He escaped. No one knows how. You could basically say he has a price on his head. Except, it's tough cuz now he's one of the top members of Quincy." He sighed. "That's all I can say fer now, but that's why that old geezer was askin'."

Byakuya bit his lip thoughtfully. Renji wondered briefly what was on his mind, but the ever silent Ulquiorra interrupted his thoughts.

"Were you ever close?" he asked softly.

"Hell no!" Renji's eyes widened with disgust. "Not with that creep!"

Grimmjow laughed. "Exactly! That guy…" his expression almost managed to take on a serious quality for a moment. "He has no soul."

Byakuya arched an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well," Grimmjow exchanged a somber look with Renji. "His smile…" He began, with visible difficulty. "He smiles all the time. But always… His eyes are always empty. Except when he's torturing someone…"

Takeshi very suddenly sat down next to Renji.

"What do you want?" Grimmjow muttered.

Takeshi shrugged, clearly not bothered by his son's disrespect. "Get ready soon."

"Fer what?"

"Fer a fight." Apparently thinking he had said enough, Takeshi casually took his leave of the young men to finish his lunch.

"Sojun." The commanding quality of Ryuuma's speech turned everyone's heads.

"Hm?"

Renji was honestly amazed at how this man was able to keep his arrogant composure under Ryuuma's demeaning and almost hostile gaze.

"What sword does your son practice with?"

The regal Kuchiki shrugged and replied airily, "Whichever he fancies at the moment."

"Bah!" Kazemaru spat. "Where is the consistency in that? Where is the tradition? Where is the love for the sword?"

"Now, now, Kazemaru…" Ryuuma apparently tried to sound placating. "By any chance…" he continued, looking at Sojun, "Do you, by any chance, know the location of the sword called Senbonzakura?"

"Ex-Excuse me?" Sojun spluttered, losing all of his previous poise. "That thing died with our ancestor, Kuchiki Byakuya! I'm sure you, as an Abarai, know this…"

"Ah, but I, as an Abarai, also know that my ancestor, Abarai Renji, would never have left his beloved captain's faithful sword to rust and rot away on the bloody battlefield."

"I'll find it." Byakuya blurted, surprising everyone. Even he looked somewhat dumbfounded at his own outburst. A pregnant silence filled the room as everyone gaped dubiously at the quickly reddening man.

Finally, Ryuuma broke the silence. "Come again, boy?"

Renji cringed inwardly. This guy just suddenly says something like this… He's not thinking at all! I bet the pressure of this situation is getting to him… This idiot… Shit… He's fumbling… He's fumbling!

"I-I'll-I'll find it." He said again. Although he probably only said it again for the sake of being consistent… He's too damn prideful to take important words like those back on a whim… "I-This is… I wouldn't normally say something so rash, but… I just… I have a feeling. This sword… I'll find it. I just know that I will. It's like… I feel like it's inevitable." He flushed a bit, but didn't break Ryuuma's gaze. Renji was secretly very proud of him. "I realize just how incredibly foolish this sounds, but—"

"No." Kazemaru injected firmly. "No, it is perfectly clear—to me, at least—what you are trying to say." With a glare to Sojun, he added, "Those of us with a true love for the sword understand your meaning perfectly."

Byakuya flushed a pale pink. He didn't appreciate so much attention turned on him for so long. But he brought it on himself…

"Anyhow, moving on…" Ryuuma now drew the attention back to himself. "Let us now test these abilities you say you have." He gave a dangerous smirk. "You could think of it as an initiation of sorts. Let us return to the ball room."

The redhead had to roll his eyes. Ball room? He made a face at that dingy, disgusting room with the high ceiling, being called a ball room.

The men all followed Ryuuma into the spacious room, but he stopped just outside the door.

"Hey, girls!" he called back into the dining area. "Come out when you can! You can watch this if you'd like." Letting the door swing shut behind him, he followed the others into the center of the room.

"Takeshi, Torao, bring over the goods, please. Everyone except for Renji, Grimmjow, Byakuya and… er…"

"Ulquiorra, sir." He bit out irritably.

"Yes, yes. Everyone but these four will eventually be standing at the perimeter of the room."

Takeshi and Torao dragged out two large, long, black wooden boxes. Renji had seen them before. The lids were kicked off of them in the midst of the four young men, and what was inside provoked expressions of awe from all, even from the stoic Ulquiorra. Renji sighed, meeting the unusually level gaze of Grimmjow.

The redhead turned a sidelong gaze onto his grandfather. He appeared to be experiencing some sort of unholy pleasure from pitting friends against each other. Ryuuma grinned, and Renji shuddered. Reminds me of the snake…

"Choose your weapon."

A/N:

1) Ojiichan - grandpa, gramps; In this case, Renji was referring to his grandpa as "Gramps", which is very casual and informal. Definitely not "respectful" in terms of the situation that he's in right now.

2) Outousama - father (-sama makes it respectful and it makes the father important)

3) oyaji - Old man, likefather

4) Otousan - father

5) Kaasan - mom

6) neesan - means big sister, but it's used in yakuzas to refer to the women. To clarify something, although these characters are referring to their biological family members as such, their loyalty is really to the yakuza. They would follow orders even if it meant killing their own mother, basically. The yakuza itself is a family. So it can get a bit complicated, I suppose.

Hope you enjoyed this, even though it took a little over a month to get out (I'm counting from the time I posted chapter 3 of my SasuNaru fic, which is when I started this chapter 2). Tell me what you think about the characters. Also, I would have made it longer, but unfortunately time didn't allow and I would have felt rushed.

Please remember to check my profile every so often, as I post updates on my stories on there in terms of where I am on each chapter. This fic will now be going on a temporary hiatus while I work on chapter 4 of my SasuNaru fic, and will be taken off of hiatus when that chapter is posted, because at that point I will be ready to begin chapter 3 on this Bleach fic. :)

Please review! I really appreciate reviews!

(20 June, 2013) I edited this chapter again. Weeee! I hope it's satisfactory! I'm going through and doing this for all of my fics... You can check out My profile to see everything that I'm doing! It's really organized! :D