Sakura sat stiff as Byakuya tied a black choker around her neck. Matsumoto had conveniently disappeared. Sakura would have objected to this under normal circumstance, but right now she was just pleased that he was avoiding their previous conversation. After requesting her to repeat the performance, Matsumoto had left saying something about Toushirou and his temper, after that he had not even said a word of it and had asked her to stay still.

Oh God why did the person you want to hide a conversation most from always ends up hearing it??

"Is this necessary?" Sakuraasked avoiding his gaze.

Don't blush, don't blush...

"Yes, it is important to avoid as much mischief as possible," he answered coldly

Sakura looked away as Byakuya brought his fingers back, so they would not graze her face. He noticed it but as always avoided it.

"Only a shinigami can untie it," he told her, "so don't try to."

"It itches," Sakura lied scratching it.

"That is not possible," he answered her calmly

He just sat like that infront of her expressionlessly; did he want something? Sakura felt guilty, why did she feel this way? Maybe she had insulted him more than he had her, and he had been just looking out for her. Infact it was Renji he had been mad at. And a person like him, she knew that her little joke was much more insulting for him, then it would have been for anyone else, and he didn't say anything about it to her.

"Byakuya-sama," she said softly, "about that insane thing…"

"I never called you insane," he added to her guilt, "I just criticized Renji's lack of responsibility. As a lieutenant he cannot afford such an error in his person."

Sakura looked up blushing, "I am sorry, I went over board."

His eyes remained plain, "I do understand it, why you were infuriated at it; I just think as a guest you should be taken care of completely."

"I am sorry," she repeated clutching her clothes, "I didn't want to upset you."

He remained quiet for a while; then spoke softly, "You can be very useful to us without doubt, but it is also that you are in danger. Hitsugaya-kun thinks that it might be better to not tell you, but I think that you should know to avoid any more misunderstandings."

"What is it?" Sakura asked him, they had this type of a conversation before though it was too vague.

"You know of the Espada, of Sosuke Aizen??" He asked her, she nodded.

"They might be after you," he said simply.

"And?" she asked surprisingly calm, "why would they be after me?"

"Because you ruptured the spirit paths," he repeated his previous sentence, "they are far more ahead of us in knowledge, and it is possible that they might discover you and your abilities. Now that you have been inside soul society it is most important that…"

"I haven't been anywhere important," she said a little frantic edge to her voice

"They don't know that," he answered, "and you might not have been in the confidential areas but you have been to many places, you just need to remain out of the light and hidden."

"Why did you allow me to leave the room?" she asked, "if that was the case you should have just left me in this room. How could you be so careless, aren't you supposed to be a captain?"

He stared back stunned at her response. Deadly Stillness hung heavily in the room. She couldn't believe how stupid soul society was being.

"Can I see Toushirou?" she asked him. He seemed a little surprised at her using his name like that, but Sakura wasn't in the mood for honorifics. She had become a danger to them, how could she think calmly.

"I will request him to meet you?" he said, "or would you like to meet him?"

"I am not leaving this room," she answered. He stared back at her for while, nodded and left her alone.


"Why not?" Ichigo asked Rukia angirily

"You can't just run into soul society because you feel like it," Rukia replied ,"What reason will I give for you?"

"Tell them I need to meet Sakura," he answered ,"I need to talk to her."

"She might not be here long," Rukia said cutting him off ," so there's no need."

Ichigo looked taken aback ,"so they have found a way to send her back?"

"I have recieved such news,"Rukia replied nervously ,"so yes it is possible. But for that it is necessary that she recieves as less contact as possible, and remains at soul society."

Ichigo grumbled but remained quiet. Rukia felt bad, but went along with it. She had lied, just like she had been told to.


Sakura was waiting patiently for Toushirou. She wondered if Matsumoto will be coming with him. She would kill her for leaving her alone.

"Come in," she answered quickly to a knock. Toushirou entered, alone, with a confused expression. Why had she asked him to come? She didn't know, she just knew that she wanted it at the moment

"I thought Matsumoto-san would be with you," Sakura said.

"She can't come with me everywhere," he answered her and sat down, "you said you wanted to talk to me? Why?"

The next fifteen minutes passed in Sakura explaining to him what had happened, how she wondered about Espada, her doubts about Espada and her anger that soul society was being careless. She just needed to talk to someone, someone who wouldn't tease her, be annoyed or get angry at her. He was surprised that Byakuya had told her everything, and didn't seem very pleased at it.

"We did," he said, "decide to lock you up in a room in soul society. That was the basic reason to bring you to soul society, to train you and to protect you, but in a way that won't be harmful to us."

"Then why didn't you?" Sakura asked, "Now I am a threat to you."

Toushirou too seemed surprised at her reason of worry and said, "It was requested for you to be allowed to move around, because your emotional state was delicate and if it was required for you to be trained as an ally for us, or to be protected, locking you up would have the worse effect. So it was thought better to let you relax. This was faced by strong opposition though."

Sakura knew he was right, she might have gone crazy if she had to stay alone all the time.

"Thankyou," Sakura smiled, "for coming all the way to see me. I know you are so busy, it must have been annoying. But I haven't seen you since I got here so..."

What am I saying? It's not like he's my best friend.

"Has your ability improved?" he asked her avoiding her question, "Captain Kuchiki told me all the observations he had made of your ability."

"He treats me like a guinea pig," though she said that, she smiled to herself softly and in kind of a daze. Toushirou mumbled something about some records to be taken care of and got up. Sakura clutched his sleeve, he turned back staggered

"Please," Sakura said, "stay for a while. I feel something heavy on my heart. I want someone I can talk to."

Toushirou's cheeks darkened and he sat back down slowly. Sakura let go of his sleeve when she was sure he wasn't going. What's wrong with me? She looked up at him suddenly and abruptly approached him….

"What?" he asked her unconsciously skidding back

"Did you request for me to be allowed to roam around soul society?" she asked him, unconsciously leaning closer

He hesitated and mumbled almost inaudibly, "Well it's not like I wanted to lock you up or anything, I just thought for your safety…"

Sakura stared at him, "Then Matsumoto-san? Rukia-san??"

He shook his head, "It wasn't them….."

"It was a joint decision?" she asked him, not moving from her position.

Toushirou looked at her face annoyingly, when he noticed the black choker on her neck. He pointed to it, "What's this?", while he pushed her back slowly.

"Byakuya-sama," she answered, "put it on me, so I can't fool anyone with my transformations again."

Toushirou seemed to remember something, and he glared up at her, "What were you doing becoming me? And kissing that girl?? What the hell were you thinking??"

Sakura squeaked, "I am sorry, it was just that…"

"Do you have any idea what rumors she is spreading in the girl students? Some of my own fellow shinigami called me a pedophile..."

"Pedophile?" she laughed," it doesn't make sense; you can't possibly be a pedophile..:

His face reddened in anger, "What is that supposed to mean? I am older than you are…"

"What's wrong?" she asked him,"Oh come on she black mailed me."

"Blackmail?"

"Yes," Sakura smiled, "she said that she would tell Byakuya-sama what I had done if I didn't do what she said."

"What?" Toushirou looked at her,"And you had done what exactly?"

Sakura explained to him about how Byakuya had seen them training, about he had kind of insulted her, how she had been angry, and how she had made fun of him. Toushirou listened silently as she proceeded. The conversation somehow again drifted back to how she was a danger, and how she wished she hadn't come to soul society.

"I would like to see it," he said awkwardly wondering if this will cause her to forget that case for a while

"What?" she asked him

"You using your ability," he said ,"can you try for me now? But stop if it hurts at once."

"It's alright," she answered him ,"it's not that hard anymore, not where the person isn't..."

"I know," he cut her off ,"Byakuya told me that."

The next half an hour passed Sakura telling him all the things that she was seeing, afterwards Sakura fell back from exhaustion and was asleepin ten seconds. Toushirou was about to leave at first but then decided to first cover her with her sheets. Then he placed a pillow under her head.

"Come in," he said softly in response to knocking, it was Matsumoto.

"Why did you knock?" he asked her ,"you knew I was here."

"I didn't want to jump in if things were getting heated," but her grin fell as her eyes turned to Sakura, then she smirked ,"Ohhhhhh...."

"Don't let your mind wander off," he said ,"She got exhausted from using her inner ability."

Matsumoto's grin was in place ,"How adorable..."

"Shut up," he said coldly exiting the room. Matsumoto looked back at Sakura for a while and followed him out.


"Have you made any progress?" asked the almost elegantly dressed brown haired man, sitting back casually with a soft smile on his face. A person would know he is cruel from his eyes but would be captivated by the raw kindness of his expressions.

"We have Aizen-sama," replied his blind subordinate,"the person is without doubt not in the real world anymore. It is thought then obviously that that person is in soul society."

"It means that they have figured it out?" Aizen asked

"I would doubt it Aizen-sama," he replied,"that they would be able to comprehend all of the aspects, though I cannot say for sure."

"True," Aizen smiled,"be prepared this time, I would not stand another failure, or another insult. I would not forgive any of you for another disappointment, is that understood?" His voice was velvety and had the ability to wrap a heart from outside and scorch it from within.

"Yes," the man bowed deeply,"Aizen-sama." The rest bowed as well.

"Keep on his trail," Aizen said,"and do it as quickly as possible, no mercy and no pity."

"Yes," the man repeated,"you can count on me, Aizen-sama."


"Have you found out anything?" Tsunade stromed at the ninjas infront of her. Just like every other day no reply came. No reply ever came. Naruto walked out of the Hokage's room and walked towards the house where Sasuke was being kept.

Sasuke seemed to have lost his will, his power and his anger. At the moment he was confined in an old house, he couldn't escape the chakra barriers unless he wished to die.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he entered. Sasuke was in the main room of the house. He was sitting at the large window pane looking out at the sunny morning, his eyes glazed and his face stony. He turned to look at Naruto as he entered.

"And?" he asked

Naruto shook his head ,"There has been no news yet, but they think more now that she didn't die there, no clothes parts, blood....body parts have been found. They think that she was kidnapped."

"By who?" Sasuke's voice was husky ,"who would want to? who would be able to? There was no one there."

"Sasuke," Naruto began again ,"they might forgive you.."

"They will not," he answered ,"and I don't care."

"They are considering the choice that you were manupilated and used by the Akatsuki," Naruto continued as though Sasuke hadn't said anything ,"and they have sent a search party for Sakura. All the villages have been informed and..."

"She's not here," Sasuke whispered ,"I have told you that she isn't. She is gone forever, but she didn't die at the hands of the enemy."

Naruto sighed and bit his lip. Sasuke had been saying that for the past few days, but no matter what anyone did he wouldn't tell why he thought that. But one thing was for certain, that he cared that she was gone. When talking of her, that was the only time when there was the slightest life in his eyes.

"You don't need to take my side," Sasuke said ,"I have done enough already to trouble you."

"We were a team," Naruto said ,"You are back and Sakura will be back soon, then we will ..then we will...so don't worry Sakura will be back."

Sasuke stared at him ,"Despite that I told you not to, you have been continously protecting me here. So in return I will apologize."

Naruto looked at him angirily ,"Don't be sorry. I am doing this because I loved you, you were my friend and my team mate."

"Not for that," Sasuke looked blankly out the dusty window ,"for consoling me for Sakura's loss, when you are the one who loved her the most. You are the one she loved the most."

Naruto lost his composure and fell down, tears trickled down his cheeks and he burried his face in his hands.