Tairei9: Hi everyone. Here is the next chapter.

Renji: I'd hate to be the one Taichou goes after next.

Tairei9: …

Renji: Hey what's wrong?

Tairei9: Nothing you need to be concerned about yet.

Renji: What do you plan on doing now?

Tairei9: I do not own bleach and I give full credit to the creators. Read!

Chapter four.

"She's at the grove right?" Ichigo said as they flash stepped to their destination.

"Yeah," Byakuya said, "I don't like it. Tousen shows up right around where she is and leaves her alive…"

"Well she has beaten the crap out of him before," Ichigo reasoned.

"Yes but he might mot have been fighting to kill then," Hisagi said.

"True," Yumichika said quietly.

"Hey is that Rangiku-san?" Satoshi said pointing in the direction of two women walking.

"Hinamori, Rangiku!"

"Aha! Kuchiki-Taichou," Hinamori said, "Kurosaki-san, Hisagi-san, Kurotsuchi-san, Yumichika-san!"

"Where is Kumiko?" Byakuya asked immediately.

"I don't know. She suddenly said that she had to go somewhere?" Rangiku said, "Geez right in the middle of-!"

"Of what?" Byakuya questioned.

"N-Nothing," Rangiku said waving her hands nervously in front of her.

Byakuya glared his famous glare and they cringed underneath it. But did not say anything.

"Byakuya," Ichigo interrupted, "We should go find Kumiko."

"…fine."

They flash stepped to the grove but found no one there.

"…No one's here," Satoshi said finally. Everyone glared at him.

"What?"

"Stop stating the obvious," Yumichika said flatly.

"I wasn't expecting you all to come."

Everyone froze at the sound of that voice. They all looked around slowly.

"AIZEN!" Ichigo yelled and immediately grabbed his zanpakutou.

"It's a shame," Aizen said arms crossed, "After months of prying to find out a way to trick her into coming here, she doesn't even show up. I never knew a girl who didn't like talking about feminine things."

"Well now you know," Hisagi said jerkily.

"What do you want with my daughter?" Byakuya said narrowing his eyes.

"My, my, so quick to get to the point," Aizen said, "Simply give her this message. Yumiko Osamu Umeko Aiko Ran Emiko Saki Osami Dachi Eri Akiko Daiki."

"What?"

"Long name, no? Well Sayonara."

"Wait!"

But he was already gone.

"Damn!" Ichigo said and Byakuya turned around.

"We need to find her," Byakuya said, "Now."

"H-Hai."

Scene change

Kumiko fought with Zaraki with such force that one would doubt it was her. She had a cut on her cheek and her kimono was torn.

"Had enough yet?" Zaraki asked.

"Nope," she said and charged at him again.

He wanted to fight with her, for some reason. She had decided not to go, it didn't feel right. Zaraki had agreed with her.

"You don't know who it could have been. It might have been Ichimaru or Tousen," Zaraki said.

"KUMIKO!"

Kumiko turned at a very inconvenient time. Zaraki slashed her side and she jumped away, holding her sword still.

"Good, you didn't let go of your sword," Zaraki said, "Just don't get distracted!"

"Hai!" she said, but someone came in between them.

"Otou-san!" Kumiko said irritated. He ignored her and said, "What are you doing Zaraki?"

"Fighting," He said flatly, "And your interfering. Now move unless you want to fight me together."
"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya said flatly.

"Fine, fine," Ichigo said and in a flash Zaraki was tied up.

"Hey, let me go! Let me at him!"

"Sorry Zaraki I'll fill you in a minute," Ichigo said disappearing.

"Hey what was that about?" Kumiko said, putting her hands on her hips. Then grimaced slightly, clutched her side.

"Damn it," she muttered. She closed her eyes and she healed her wounds. When she finished, Byakuya grabbed her wrist saying to the others, "Go tell Yamamoto immediately."

"Hai!"

"Otou-san what-!"

"Why did you not tell me about the note?"

"Oh that," Kumiko said, guilt building up in her gut again, "Look I didn't go cause it was too strange. I didn't want to worry you... I'm sorry..."

"I'm upset because I had to find out by other means," Byakuya said flatly, "You should have gone straight to me, not your co-workers."

"Friends," Kumiko said quietly.

"Co-workers. Their people you work with."

"They're my friends too..."

"Hm."

"If you don't think their friends, then why do you leave me with them so often?"

"Nani," he said with narrowed eyes, "Look this is not about me. Do you know that if you went there today, you would have died?"

"What?" Kumiko said raising an eyebrow.

"Aizen sent that note," Byakuya said flatly.

"Aizen?" Kumiko said softly.

"Yes now, quiet," Byakuya said walking towards home.

"Now how come you didn't come to me?"

"I thought you asked me to be quiet."

"Kumiko."

"well…" Kumiko hesitated, feeling guilt build up even more.

"What?"

"It's just... I guess I'm just too used to going to them instead of you."

Scene change

"Names?" Yamamoto said flatly.

"Yes, names," Hisagi said.

Yamamoto looked at the paper, slightly baffled. He Aizen was strange but names? Did Kumiko know these people or something?
"Where is Kuchiki-Taichou?"

"He took Kumiko home, I believe."

"Right…"

Scene change

"Geez, tough love," Yoruichi said, "I guess we really do have to stop going away."

Byakuya was lying in bed with Yoruichi stroking his hair.

"It's funny, I see so much of you in her," Yoruichi said.

"Hm?"

"She's got your eyes, the firm impassive nature, damn she's even got your glare!"

Kumiko, who was outside the door, froze as she said this. But then rolled her eyes. She pushed her hair back as she listened on.

"She hasn't grown up yet; she still acts like a child."

"True…"

Kumiko then looked down with a disappointed look and continued walking.

"But you know what, that's not entirely her fault," Yoruichi said, "She's been one and acted like on for so long, it just became part of her personality. Oh come on you know how long she's acted like one. In the real world, time feels different than in Soul Society.

"Hm, then I'll just have to break her of it."

The next day.

"Crap," Kumiko said standing up.

Byakuya had taken her to train and he was being merciless. He was going all out trying to make her go all out. The only problem was…

…she couldn't.

"When I tell you to do something you should listen!"

Sebonzakura went at her again and she flash stepped into a tree. She hid, trying to make a plan.

"Hiding is useless. Or is that all you can do in that state?"

"Damn it," Kumiko thought then said out loud, "Listen to me, please! I can't do that!"

She quickly flash stepped to another tree as Sebonzakura attacked the one she was previously in.

"Why would that be?" Byakuya said, "Listen, you have to grow up and not hesitate to hurt someone. If you don't…"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Kumiko's fist came in contact with his face and she hissed tears strung in her eyes, "I TOLD YOU I CAN'T!"

"Watch your mouth," Byakuya said lowly and he slapped her across the cheek.

Suddenly, a blur hit Byakuya, knocking him to the ground.

"Stupid Byakushi," hissed Yachiru, "How dare you hit Miko-chan!"

"Stop being a cold bastard and listen."

"What do you two think your doing, Ukitake, Yachiru," he said flatly.

"Stopping you from making one huge mistake," Ukitake said, "I was the one who told her never to go seriously on someone, unless she has to."

"Nani?" Byakuya said.

"Yes, and I agree with him."

"Urahara," he said deadly like, "Get off me already!"

He threw Yachiru off and she flipped away, hissing like a cat.

"When Kumiko was in my squad, I trained with her to release her zanpakutou," Ukitake said, "With Urahara's assistance. It took about a month to get it right and when we did…"

"It was total chaos," Urahara said, "Her zanpakutou true power is only meant to be deadly. And very suffocating. We used it not knowing what it would do…"

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Byakuya said getting to his feet.

"Because we thought if you knew, you would have her immediately taken from shinigami duty."

"Of course! It is too dangerous to have a zanpakutou that can't be controlled!" Byakuya snapped, "Kumiko until the day you can control it, I refuse-!"

"No…"

"I said I won't allow it!"

"No."

"Kumiko-!"

"I said NO!"

Suddenly, he found himself on the ground and Kumiko stood over him glaring down at him with a disgusted tearful look on her face.

"You still don't get it do you," Kumiko said, "You can't stop me from being a shinigami. For longer than I remember, I was able to swing a sword. Since I was young, I was either fighting Urahara, or hollow, or racing Yoruichi-san. I have been fighting for so damn long; I can't bear not being a shinigami. I was born one and I will die one," Kumiko turned away walking, "That's all I know how to be. I'm nothing good for anything else. Not a lady or a noble."

"…and you can't force me to be anyone else…"

Kumiko disappeared leaving a very stunned Byakuya and Ukitake. Urahara looked very sad and regretful.

"So she finally said it," Yachiru whispered.

"Eh?"

"The reason I liked Miko-chan so much was because she was like me," Yachiru said, "Raised to fight. But she tried to change when she was taken in by you. She thought she was never going to be good enough to make you happy. But she could never…"

"Never what?"

"She thought she could never do it because she thought she would never be like Hisana-sama," Yachiru said, "She thought if she behaved like her, she would make you happier. But everyone kept saying she was like you, making her feel down that she couldn't even do that."

Byakuya was silent. Then he said, "Excuse me…"

Change scene

Kumiko sat looking up at the moon with dread in her heart. She knew she had the done the unthinkable. She knew it was just her, but her cheek still stung. She wish she hadn't shouted at him, like that. It was not his fault, he didn't know. She should have tried to explain better. He had done so much for her...but she ended up disgracing him. Standing up, she looked up at the moon again, and for some reason, the loneliness look to it seemed to match her...

"Beautiful isn't it?"

Kumiko looked over towards Byakuya's voice. He approached her saying, "I always find the moon quite calming.

"Calming...," Kumiko said softly, "It's seems lonely to me."

Byakuya looked at her surprised and Kumiko looked away shamefully, "I'm sorry, I did a terrible thing to you today... I'm sorry."

"Kumiko…"

"What is it?" she said as she felt him come behind her.

"Why would you think I wasn't proud of you," Byakuya said, "Or happy that I had you?"

"…I don't know," Kumiko said, "I guess I was just used to people leaving. I just wondered…"

"If it was because of you," Byakuya finished. He was silent.

"Kumiko, I'm sorry. I was being very indecisive earlier."

"…you have your mothers smile," Byakuya said finally, "And you have the same sparkle in your eyes when she laughed…You are a lot more like her than you are like me…trust me on that one."

She laughed and flung her arms around his neck. He sighed and hugged her back.

"You also have her petite figure…which brings me to another thing."

"Nani?" she asked yawning.

"The only boyfriend you are allowed is if he can put up with me on all levels, love you continuously, and that he has straight morals."

"Basically, wait two years for men to mature," muttered Kumiko and said, "Deal."

"Good girl." Byakuya said, releasing her. They continued down the porch and Byakuya said, "I met your mother under a full moon."

"Really?"

"Yes," Byakuya said, exhaling deeply, "I did, it was quite enchanting."

Kumiko looked back at the moon with a small smile.

The moon seemed less lonely now.

Tairei9: Too. Damn. Long! Please be nice and review. So what is it that Aizen want with Kumiko, and what is behind all those names?

Aizen: You have not used me a lot...

Tairei9: When do I ever?

Aizen: ...