"Revered elders of the Kuchiki clan, you have my gratitude for taking the time to meet here with me today." Byakuya gave his formal greeting and bowed, taking a moment to prepare himself for what was coming.

"It is an honor to answer the call of our clan head." One of the elders said as they all bowed in return. Byakuya could not help the corner of his mouth twitching upward. We'll see about that when this meeting is finished.

"Are we to assume that this is in regards to your marriage requirements?" Another elder asked. This time, Byakuya let his mouth curl into a small smirk.

"Yes, that is the matter I primarily wish to discuss, among a few others." Another deep breath, and he pulled a piece of paper from within his uniform, looking it over one last time before he addressed them all. "I have quite a lot to say, and it would be easier for me if I were not interrupted. If you have any questions regarding what I have to say, I will listen to them when I am finished. If you have any questions for me that pertain to matters that have not yet been brought to my attention, I will hear them now."

Now the elders were curious. None voiced any other concerns, and readily allowed the Shinigami Captain to speak.

"As you all know, I defied our customs once in order to marry a woman from the Rukongai, and yet again to adopt her sister as was her dying wish. Afterward, I was quite convinced that my days of rule breaking were over, put behind me with my hotheaded youth. When my sister was sentenced to execution, I readily followed orders until Ichigo Kurosaki rescued her and put into perspective what it meant to be an older brother.

"Now, you have asked me to remarry and produce an heir to the Kuchiki family, regardless of my personal wishes. A century ago, I would have done what I believed to be my duty and taken a wife that was found suitable by my elders. However, I have spoken in depth with a number of men and women who's judgment I have come to find beyond reproach, and their advice all seems to agree with what I feel to be right in my own mind and heart.

"As such, there will be some changes to the structure of the Kuchiki clan, effective immediately. In the words of Captain Kurosaki himself, our traditions, political agendas, priorities, and general attitude are 'complete and total bullshit'. After a great deal of thought on the subject, I find myself agreeing with him. The first change that I am making is that arranged marriages are to come to an end. We will be taking the Shiba approach and allowing all members of our family to marry who they wish, when they wish, and only if they wish to do so. The Shiba clan has survived just as long as the Kuchiki clan, so clearly our way is not the only way to survive.

"Second, and probably more important, the elders will no longer hold authority over the clan. Instead, the clan head will choose up to three of the elders, as well as up to three other individuals to act as advisers to aid him in making decisions that will effect the clan as a whole. We will discuss the individuals who will be taking these rolls at a later time.

"Third, and this should go without saying after my first point, but I shall not be remarrying as you have demanded. I will not marry on any terms but my own, and those of the woman I may or may not choose to spend my life with. Fourth, all traditions of the Kuchiki clan will be reviewed by a panel of men and women between the ages of 50 and 200 with the goal of eliminating things that are outdated or lack all common sense to the world we now live in. Shinigami as a whole sat in stagnation for many centuries, but times are changing, and to survive and thrive as we all desire to do, we must change with them.

"Fifth and last for this meeting, I am naming Rukia Kuchiki as my successor as head of the Kuchiki family, until such time as I produce an heir. If I should die without producing an heir, then the decision to have multiple heirs to support both the Kuchiki and Shiba clans, or to join the clans will be hers to make. Thank you for your time and patience. I also will not be answering any questions, I believe I made myself perfectly clear."

Byakuya turned and left the speechless men and women behind, sliding the door closed between them as he left the meeting room. He felt better than he had in centuries. Since his father had died and he had been forced to adopt the roll of cold and formal noble that he never really wanted. His grandfather had been sad to see him change to fit the mold the other elders pushed him in to, but it hadn't been a choice he was able to make at the time.

He looked at the piece of paper in his hand and chuckled quietly. Ichigo's handwriting, neat but sharp and quick, answering the question he had been asking himself for decades now.

"Ichigo… The clan elders wish me to marry and produce an heir… You have never let anyone impose their will over yours when something mattered to you, and you were even able to sway me, which many, including myself, had thought long since impossible. What would you do? How would you reconcile your position and duty as clan head with your own desires and beliefs?" Byakuya asked across the breakfast they were sharing in the Sixth Division gardens.

"Since when do you come to me for advice? I thought this was always supposed to be the other way around!" Ichigo grinned and then smiled sympathetically at his brother in law. "Give me a day to think it over. I'm not that good at giving advice on the fly."

"A day is a small price to pay if you have some grand secret to defying all obstacles to follow your heart." Byakuya sighed and leaned back. This had become one of his favorite parts of the week. On weekends, his sister's husband would come by and eat breakfast with him. It had started as a sort of test and punishment when Ichigo had been courting Rukia, then a reluctant truce when they had their son and wanted him to know his uncle. Now it was a time they set aside happily.

For Ichigo, Byakuya represented a patch of predictable sanity and calm among the whirlwind of lunacy that was his usual company. For Byakuya, Ichigo was someone that he was able to remove the cold hearted noble mask and allow his emotions, however trivial they may be, to show on his face. It was a luxury he could never explain to be able to laugh at a crude joke, or scowl at an unpleasant memory.

Byakuya dropped the paper on a table as he passed. 'Decide what matters most to you and protect it, consequences be damned. It'll all work out in the end.' He could not imagine how he would have reacted a century ago, before the young man had gained his unwavering faith and respect. He came to a stop as someone stepped in front of him. The dark hair and skin, coupled with the golden eyes immediately screamed Shihoin, but the expression on her face was not once he recognized. For a moment, he thought he was mistaken but there was no mistaking her voice.

"Byakuya… You finally grew up. I'm… I'm very proud, and quite honored to have once called you my student. Lord Kuchiki, your grandfather would be very proud of you." Yoruichi bowed and then hugged the shocked noble. "I'm sorry I left, all those years ago… When I came back and saw the short tempered kid I used to tease had become so cold, I thought you were as lost as my Little Bee. I'm glad to see you are every bit as strong willed as you were as a child. You'll make the Kuchiki Clan truly great again." She stepped back and smiled at him.

"You were listening in, weren't you?"

"Of course. You think there is a single secret conversation or sultry moan that the Onmitsukido don't know about? I still have a little left to teach you, then."

"I look forward to it, Bakeneko."