As The Pendulum Swings

Disclaimer: Again, I have given up hope of ever owning any part of Bleach. So long Byakuya, I guess we were never really meant to be, huh? –Insert ridiculous laughter here-.

Note: I'm sorry for those who felt that I made them wait too long for this. I was a little preoccupied working with school and then a sudden inspiration for a different story. Sorry sorry sorry!

I would just like to remind everyone: Things can come out of left field. Anything can happen. Hint, hint. Anyways, I like to think that this is where the plot truly begins. It is set about nine months after the last chapter and thus, in that amount of time, many things have transpired. I hope that the fast forward of time isn't a turn off, it's just that, the actual act of Aizen's *bleep* happens nine years after Urahara's promotion. Need to find a way to make time go by somehow, right?

As per usual, many thanks go out to the following people: Xenocanaan, Ukitake-chan, monsterai, Gimlet, Leesgirl17, Sessyhylover978, Alessa-chan, Rukia23, for either adding the story to their alerts list or adding it/me to their favorites list. It's truly an honor. I'm serious. Haha

To bluedione: Please know that your review completely took me by surprise and that it really made me feel good about the story. Because of you, I'm actually re-checking my story line, because I want to make it as best as I possibly can. Thank you, too, for adding the story to your C2, I'm so, so thankful for that.

Thank you to another anonymous reviewer ':-)'–anonymous reviews are awesome too. To Anihana, boy oh boy do I have some things to tell you. I'll PM you soon, I can't contain my excitement. For I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010 you have no idea how much your constant reviewing has uplifted my spirits. Thank you so much. Gimlet thank you too for the constant reviewing, you really are awesome. Last but not the least, thank you to xenocanaan for leaving a note at the last chapter. Hope you keep enjoying the story.

I know that this has gone on forever already, but just one last thing, I promise, then it's on to the story. I have to give another really big thank you to Rukia23 because I treasure her for being my beta. Honestly, an amazing beta to have. 1. She puts up with my constant need for advice. 2. She leaves you reviews as encouragement even if she's already encouraged you enough just by replying after editing the chapter. 3. She's an amazing writer herself. Amazing writer = amazing beta, remember that. The fact that she's quick and efficient is just an added bonus.

Song Recommendations: A repeat of "Velonica"by Aqua Timez.



Chapter Seven
Momentary Lapse of Apathy



The serenity of the gardens that surrounded Juushiro's home was exceptional as he and Kaien sat on the porch. A helper approached slowly and shyly from the garden path, a tray with a pot of tea and two finely crafted cups in her hands, barely remembering how to breathe as she came in close contact with the two most good looking men in the thirteenth division. Then again, Juushiro had been a favorite amongst the ladies since the time he spent under the Commander-General. All modesty aside, it was common place for ladies to stop and swoon at the sight of the jyusanbantai taicho.

"Thank you," Juushiro said to the maid as she finished filling their cups, his eyes still watching Kaien intently as if he were waiting for an answer.

Kaien, huffed, slightly annoyed with his captain's persistence. He took a long sip of his tea before repeating himself for the hundredth time, "I'll say this one more time. I have no intention of serving as your lieutenant."

Juushiro laughed, knowing better, "Don't say it one more time, you'll just disappoint me."

It was a little game they liked to play, akin to cat and mouse. Juushiro offered and on occasion pleaded and Kaien refused point blank regardless of the fact that he already felt the position and acted accordingly. The thirteenth division third seat certainly liked playing hard to get. At this rate, the thirteenth squad could be without a lieutenant for as long as the tenth squad had been.

"I've told you, there are a number of people more worthy of a promotion than me," Kaien replied.

"A sense of duty," Juushiro noted, complacent and sipping yet again at his tea. "Well, I suppose that is so very like you."

"I wonder sometimes why you didn't take Byakuya or Kumiko as your lieutenant, much less into your squad," Kaien thought out loud, setting his cup down, "It would only make sense. They were both your students and I'm sure they'd do anything to be in your squad."

Juushiro smiled at the mention of a common assumption. Kyoraku frequently reminded Juushiro of this, certain, like everyone else had been, that Kumiko and Byakuya would become members of the thirteenth division. People often forgot that the circumstances didn't allow for that to happen. And besides, the two could only remain Juushiro's students for so long.

"I thought about that for a while, to be honest," Juushiro told Kaien, "but the situations then really worked against it, at least in Byakuya's case. Being from a lineage of nobility ensured that he would become a member of the sixth division, in fact, Byakuya was so adamant in becoming his grandfather's lieutenant that he refused to become a Shinigami if his request was denied. As for Kumiko, Shinji stole her before I could even write the request out."

"He has a habit of doing that doesn't he?"

"I believe so."

"And you were okay with that?"

"Of course I was," Juushiro chuckled, "Shinji is a good captain and teacher. There is only so much knowledge that one can share with another and both Kumiko and Byakuya needed more than just one man's perspective and experience. Apart from that, they needed to make their own mistakes and learn from them. Everything turned out well in the end, as you can see. Kumiko's a captain and Byakuya is already guaranteed to be his grandfather's successor. Had Byakuya not been a Kuchiki, he would have been a captain a long time ago. I am very proud of them both."

Kaien nodded, feeling lucky to be under the guidance of his captain. He was certain that the progress an individual Shinigami made was always partly attributed to his leaders. A reflection of some sorts to what their superiors are like. Juushiro's voice broke his tranquillity.

"By the way," his captain went, "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" Kaien inquired, refilling his tea cup.

"Apparently, amongst this year's new recruits, there's a real genius, the likes of which we haven't seen since yourself."

"I'm really no genius," Kaien replied with modesty and curiosity. The only stand out recruits that he had heard of so far were Komamura Sajin and Kaname Tosen both of whom were already given positions in the tenth and fifth squads respectively.

"Apparently this kid graduated from the Shinigami Academy after only one year."

Kaien choked on his tea. The idea was preposterous, "One year? That's really something."

"Isn't it? He's quite young, but I heard he obtained a seated position as soon as he was assigned to a division."

Kaien sat back and rested his weight on the palms of his hands, "Man. A seated officer at a young age huh? This must be some scary little genius we're dealing with here." Kaien laughed good naturedly, "I guess this puts me one step further away from that lieutenant position, huh?"

"You don't have to sound so happy about it," Juushiro semi-scolded his third seat to which the man in question grinned sheepishly, scratching his neck.

"So what division is he in? Where was this genius kid assigned?" Kaien asked, eager to change the subject.

"Oh, I believe that he was assigned to the fifth," Juushiro answered.

"Wasn't Hirako set on getting that Kaname guy?"

"He was but Genryuusai-sensei was quite convincing," Juushiro smiled, thinking of how Yamamoto had also convinced him in the past not to fight for claim over Kumiko. "Kaname Tosen was placed in the ninth division. The General seems convinced that Shinji's guidance will be the most beneficial for the youngster and that Tosen would be better suited under Kensei's watch."

Silence fell between the two as they finished their drinks and basked in the serenity of their surroundings. It was always the preferred setting to a day and like someone had said, no news was good news.

"So what are we doing today, taicho?" Kaien asked after the short momentary lack of speech.

"I believe that Kumiko, Kyoraku and Shinji will be joining us for some tea," Juushiro said.

Kaien groaned. He wasn't sure how much more of his taicho's herbal tea he could stomach.

---

They had just finished their first cups of tea when the hell butterflies came. All captains to the first division for an emergency meeting was the message that they all carried. In no less than five minutes, the captains were all assembled, standing alert and waiting for the arrival of the commander general. Only Urahara Kisuke seemed to know what was going on but left the talking to be done by the sotaicho as was instructed. Commander-General Yamamoto arrived soon after the initial assembly of the Imperial Guard captains , and took his rightful position at the head of the room.

"The twelfth division has detected a massive influx of hollow activity in the outskirts of the Inuzuri district in the Rukongai," Yamamoto began, delivering the information quickly and succinctly just as the circumstances demanded.

The surprise on the faces of the captains was undeniable. Shihouin Yoruichi was the first to voice her shock, "How is this possible? The growth should have been detected while it was still premature."

"We have yet to find an explanation," Kisuke answered, looking somewhat alarmed himself, his eyes downcast. "The appearance was sudden, a weak pulse for a few moments which then grew exponentially in the next."

"Let's not worry so much," Shunsui smiled behind his straw hat, "We've dealt with similar situations before."

"The Central Forty-Six Chambers have instructed an immediate investigation and eradication of all hollows found. Kuchiki-taicho, Hisashi-taicho, your senior officers have been notified to ready their subunits for combat. You will take your squads straight to Inuzuri and contain the enemy. Shihouin-taicho, Muguruma-taicho, your squads are to perform full sweeps on the seventy eighth and eightieth south districts to ensure that the hollow have not spread. Eliminate any threats. Unohana-taicho, ready your relief squads to be dispatched as needed."

There were collective nods of understanding as the orders were given. Each of the specified captains were ready to leave as soon as they were given the signal. Yamamoto gave his captains a once over to confirm that they all understood their orders.

"All other captains, have your squads on standby lest the threat is worse than we expected. Urahara-taicho, watch for any new appearances. Have a hell butterfly ready to inform me immediately if there are fresh developments."

"Hai, Yamamoto-sotaicho," Kisuke responded.

"Dismissed."

Their exit from the chamber was calm as they, like they were trained to do, kept their composure. No matter how big the threat, the captains were to maintain a calm and level head. It was the only logical thing to do to ensure a successful mission. Shinji fell in step with Kumiko as they made their way out of the meeting hall.

"Have fun," was all he said to which Kumiko nodded with a smirk before disappearing from his side, flashing towards her division.

She jumped up, knowing well how much faster it would be to travel via rooftops to get to her squad's barracks. She felt the familiar presence of Kuchiki Genrei and made out his face a few feet away from her. There was no trace of the sickness that he had been suffering through in the past few months. He certainly lived up to the high standards of his clan.

"I'll see you on the battle ground, Hisashi-taicho," he said with his deep voice.

"Be well, Kuchiki-taicho," Kumiko responded before they flashed into opposite directions.

Kumiko was satisfied to see that the senior officers had properly readied each of their units quickly and proficiently. Among them, she easily spotted Soujiro, Sajin and Rangiku who had all been promoted to third, fourth and sixth seat respectively in the last nine months. The captain landed easily in front of her senior officers. She quickly stretched her hand out to her side, a feint glow emitting from her palms. Her subordinates watched without surprise as a katana began to materialize.

A soul slayer is a manifestation of one's soul, she had told them when she first performed the act, You should all be able to do this with no trouble in the future, even if most of you choose to keep your zanpakutos physically present at all times.

Kashi-Kami had fully materialized in Kumiko's grasp. She quickly secured her zanpakuto in her obi as she stepped forward to address her squad, "There is a large appearance of hollows in the Inuzuri district. I want everyone to keep their wits about themselves. Remember your training and you will all be fine."

Serious eyes returned her moving gaze and she was satisfied that they were all fully prepared when she continued, "I would prefer that each and every one of you return here unscathed. If you feel that you must, for some reason, acquire wounds then let's keep them to a minimum. Is that clear?"

"Hai, Hisashi-taicho!" was the collective response.

Kumiko eyed her three most promising officers, beckoning Soujiro forward. The normally fidgety third seat was impressively composed, a hand resting on the hilt of his zanpakuto as he stepped forward.

"Soujiro, you are my acting lieutenant," Kumiko said as she tied her hair into a more secure ponytail. Soujiro smiled and nodded. "Unless you feel that you are not up to the task."

"It is an honor to act as your lieutenant, taicho," Soujiro responded, a smile present in his eyes rather than his mouth.

"Good," Kumiko allowed herself to smile in reply, grasping Soujiro's shoulder, "Make me proud. Sajin, take command of Soujiro's unit. The rest of you, double up and merge. Let's move out. I'd like to be first on the scene."

They moved rapidly with the efficiency that was only achievable by constant drilling. Despite the circumstances, Kumiko could feel the pride that swelled in her chest as she watched her squad move forward. They passed the twelfth district of the Rukongai quickly, but not as fast as the captain would have liked. Kumiko stood on a pool of her reiatsu, watching the Shinigami continue to move forward as she called for Soujiro to join her, Rangiku and Sajin taking charge of leading the units.

"Stay back with the units," she decided, "I'll shunpo ahead with Sajin's unit. I want to be able to survey the grounds and strategize before the squad arrives. Stay alert, Soujiro."

"Hai, taicho."

---

"Report."

"Acting lieutenant Takeshi is leading eight units," Byakuya told his grandfather as their own division ran forward and through the Rukongai. They weren't far behind the tenth division. "Hisashi-taicho has taken her two advanced units up ahead to get to the threat faster."

"Good," Genrei approved, "I would have done the same. Take our advanced guards up ahead and assist Captain Hisashi as a second wave. Let her know that we are not far behind."

There was a quick flash of disapproval in Byakuya's eyes but no verbal hint of resistance to Genrei's orders as he nodded his head and made his way to inform the sixth division's advanced guard of their orders. They moved quickly, flashing through the streets of the many different districts. Byakuya, who led the units, followed closely by third and fourth seats, allowed a scowl to mar his features for just a few moments. His grandfather was aware of the efforts that Byakuya put into avoiding Kumiko and he sent him ahead anyways.

'What are you so angry about, Byakuya-kun,' said Senbonzakura, 'Wasn't it you who mentioned that your duties as a nobleman and lieutenant were your first priorities?'

'I'm not in much of a mood to banter with you today.'

'You were bound to have to interact with her sometime,' Senbonzakura continued, 'And besides, I quite like her. You two were wonderful together.'

'We were never together.'

'You can't hide things from me, Bya-kun. The flowers always bloomed when you were around her.'

Byakuya ignored the last of his zanpakuto's statements. He felt her reiatsu before he even heard the howls of the hollows and the cries of nameless Shinigami already in combat. Byakuya picked up his pace, nearly leaving the guard trailing him behind as he drew Senbonzakura from her sheath. He positioned himself in the air, concentrating on maintaining his reiatsu made platform. He truly did prefer staying in one place when he fought, but that was only best suited for when he released his zanpakuto. He wasn't going to do that just yet. A hollow materialized in front of him. It barely even had the time to howl before it was purified.

Kumiko was some few hundred feet away, watching her squad hack down hollow after hollow. She let them take care of the minor hollow, only stepping in when the spirit energy seemed a little too high to risk it. Amidst the sweat and stench of hollows, she could smell the light, ever lingering scent of sakura blossoms, his distinct reiatsu followed soon after. Kumiko held her breath for a moment and turned her head in the direction of the sixth division lieutenant. He was breath taking even in battle. His hair had grown longer since she last saw him and it looked as if he had taken to wearing his hair down now rather than the high ponytail he used to prefer. It gets in the way of my fighting he used to say when she teased him about wearing his hair like a girl.

She flashed towards him, cutting down a good half a dozen hollow on her way. She could feel the rest of her squad nearing. By the looks of it, so could Sajin. His masked head had turned to the north before he brought forth another materialization of his shikai down onto a fairly large amount of the enemy.

"Bya-," Kumiko began, correcting herself instantaneously, it felt wrong to say his name. "Kuchiki-fukutaicho."

"Kuchiki-taicho wishes for me to inform you that they are not far behind," Byakuya said, eyeing his surroundings –his units seemed to be holding their own; her slip up had not been lost on him. "He sent me ahead to assist you."

"Arigatou," Kumiko replied, "Have your units spread out. The numbers here are dwindling but something tells me that there are more on their way."

Byakuya did as he was told. He hated the fact that he was taking orders from someone that was below him in class –Senbonzakura gave him a good mental swat at the head for that thought- but in the battlefield, there was no dispute that she outranked him. Nobility had no bearing when combat was involved, no matter what the Kuchiki elders liked to believe. He had to admit to himself though, Kumiko looked to be right in her decision. Even if the rest of their two divisions were nearby, he could feel the rise in spirit energy as well. Something bigger was coming.

"Menos!" cried the sixth division third seat, Hiroki, as a crack sounded through the air and a rip in the sky began to form.

Kumiko scowled. There had to be something drawing the mass of hollow to the Rukongai. Whether it was an intentional bait or not, she had yet to consider, as her first priority was to eradicate the hollow. She heard Soujiro call out to her as the remainder of the tenth division finally arrived. Soujiro was at her side in an instant, drawing his zanpakuto, looking to the ripping dimensional space in the skies.

"I want all units prepared," Kumiko directed quickly, "The ripping in the sky means Menos. Once that space is fully opened, a handful will be stepping through. They should pay attention to the minor hollow first. If a menos attacks them, they should regroup and attack as a unit. I don't want any casualties."

"Hisashi-taicho."

Kumiko turned to face Genrei and quickly acknowledged his presence, "Menos."

"We'll need to take our lieutenants with us up there," Genrei strategized. "When they pass, we should be the first to greet them. Should any pass us, I'm sure that the combined efforts of our squads can handle them."

The first of the menos thrashed its head through the space, its cry nearly defening as it forced its way through. Red light glinted at the bridge of the menos' nose, its mouth opening to enable the charge of cero that built up before its face. After the first, another forced its way through the space left. Byakuya joined his grandfather quickly, certain that they would be heading towards the menos to hopefully get rid of them before they passed the invisible barrier that they would form. Soujiro, too, joined Kumiko after he relayed the taicho's orders to the squad.

"What do you think, Hisashi-taicho," Genrei questioned as he released his zanpakuto.

"I'd say there are about eight of them," Kumiko replied, as her Soujiro and Byakuya followed Genrei's lead. Thousands of cherry blossoms littered the skies in malevolent beauty.

"An equal split of the burden then, I'd say," Genrei announced. "Byakuya, has a perimeter been set."

"Any menos that get past us will be met by the advanced guards," Byakuya responded as Senbonzakura enjoyed flittering through the skies, waiting eagerly to be sent forth by her wielder.

"Cero!" Soujiro warned with urgency as a red beam shot itself from the menos' mouth and towards them.

Genrei took a moment to stand amused when both Kumiko and Byakuya raised her hands in sync, sure that their thoughts were parallel to each others. They had both, after all, been trained by Ukitake Juushiro and though they had adapted his style to form their own, the principal behind it all was still the same. Even if they were opposites –coming from different castes in society, differing in mannerisms and personalities- they were very much alike in thought and style.

"Hado number thirty-three, Soukatsui!"

The combined bursts of powerful blue spiritual energy shot from the cupped palms of their hands, careening forward and covering a wide berth. The cero and soukatsui crashed into one another, the destructive force behind each blast cancelling each other out and fading quickly. Both captains took the dwindling purple light as their signal to attack, shooting towards the menos and followed quickly by their particular second in command.

"Command the earth and skies, Kashi-Kami!" Kumiko yelled. A feint purple light lined her zanpakuto and Soujiro watched as his taicho pulled the light apart into two, her katana transforming and splitting into two separate swords. She swung the two blades with a grace that she only possessed in battle, quickly slicing through a stray hollow. Soujiro guarded Kumiko as she shot higher up into the sky.

"Danku-kin Kamikazee," Kumiko whispered to herself. The wakizashi of her two swords glowed white, its blade disintegrating. She swung it down forcefully, a blade like flash in the sky crashing down onto the first of the menos, severing it into two. Less than a second later, the tenth squad captain delivered an underhanded swing with her second sword at the command 'danku-kin Kashipome', a pillar of green light flushing upwards and slicing the menos once more. The hollow disintegrated with a cry. At this rate, the most tedious part of this whole battle would be over in no less than two minutes.

---

"Baka!"

Byakuya would later berate himself for doing so but he couldn't help it. At the sound of Kumiko's frantic voice, his head spun, searching for the woman. She had just finished dispatching another one of the menos, her acting lieutenant close behind her, breathing heavily. He spotted her quickly, her purple hair made her easy to find, and traced her line of vision that had her so worried. They had underestimated the amount of menos and another hole formed in the sky, two more of the beasts climbing out of it. As his eyes met the object of Kumiko's attention, he scowled and swore under his breath.

It was feasible for a lieutenant to handle a menos without much trouble. Three seated officers was a possibility, but not without suffering from injuries. A singular seated officer –and a fifth seat no less- was practically unheard of. It was best to leave such things to a captain, or at least someone of captain class. It was quick and easily taken care of. Apparently Matsumoto Rangiku had not been told of that fact or at least she didn't pay any attention to it. Rangiku broke away from her unit and ran towards the menos. Even with her zanpakuto released, it would not be able to protect her from the cero that was charging at the hollows mouth. Byakuya heard his grandfather grunt and tore his eyes away from the events for just a moment to dispel one of the two menos ganging up on Genrei with Senbonzakura. Even if Genrei and Byakuya were captain class Shinigami, it didn't mean that more than a group of menos was just as easy to dispatch as a lone one.

Soujiro saw it as soon as he heard his captain swear. They had finished going through their line of menos but some of the damned creatures had come in another way. Rangiku could be such an idiot sometimes. Kumiko flash stepped towards Rangiku. Trusting his captain to take care of things, Soujiro ran towards Rangiku's abandoned unit to take charge for the mean time.

"The goteijyusantai should have been informed of the menos by now," Soujiro said, mostly for his own benefit, scanning the surroundings for any sign of back up. "Where are they?"

Rangiku tightened her grip on her katana, unable to do anything other than stare at the red light forming at the mouth of the menos. She was such a fool to think she could handle it on her own, to want to impress her captain like Sajin and Soujiro had always done. The menos howled and in the next second the cero blasted. She raised her arms up against her face in a vain attempt to protect herself. There was no pain, just a dull throbbing in her head. Rangiku's eyes fluttered open, her eyes widening when she saw her savior.

"Bakudo eighty-one, danku!"

Gritting her teeth, Kumiko held both hands up and concentrated hard on the kido spell she was casting. A golden rectangle manifested in the sky, creating a shield to block the cero blast. Sweat began to form on Kumiko's brow. Danku was a level eighty-one kido spell and despite her prowess in kido, she was worried that the haste in which she cast the spell would take away from its overall strength. Some spells she didn't need the incantations for, but danku was a spell that she was still mastering. She leaned forward, bracing herself. Upon impact, the blast shot her backwards a few feet. She swore. If she was hurtled back anymore, she'd hit Rangiku who was still lying on the ground, paralyzed by her shock.

The raise in Kumiko's reiatsu caught Byakuya's attention once again. They were being backed up by the seated officers now, allowing him to gaze around himself. His scowl reformed when he saw Kumiko take one hand away from her spell.

"Baka," Byakuya muttered, knowing full well that it was taking away from the strength of the kido spell.

Kumiko held her hand up to Rangiku and shouted quickly, "Hado one, Sho!"

The barrier that was protecting her from the blast began to crack. In a few moments it would break and she would be hit by the tail end of the cero. She took one last look at Rangiku's body to make sure that she wouldn't be hit by the impact. Satisfied, Kumiko allowed her spell to dissipate and pooled her reiatsu around her body.

Panic filled Byakuya's body when he saw Kumiko allowing her spell to fade. How stupid could Kumiko be to allow the cero to hit her. Whether the blast wasn't as threatening as the initial hit, it was still guaranteed to injure her. He flashed towards her, getting ready to move her from the area. Genrei was leading the seated officers towards the last menos and finally end the fight. Byakuya was close to Kumiko now but he was beaten to the tenth division captain by the large fourth seat, Komamura and third seat Soujiro. They picked Kumiko, who seemed to be conscious, and moved her to the side where they fussed over her.

"Tch," Byakuya said to himself, unsure of the feeling that was clouding his senses, as he fell back to assist his grandfather.

"Taicho, daijoubu?!" Soujiro asked frantically.

Kumiko gripped at her upper left arm, feeling the blood flowing out of the wound that the cero had caused. She pushed herself up and thanked Sajin and Soujiro, instructing them to find Rangiku and make sure she was okay. They obliged, knowing that their taicho wouldn't let them doddle over her. She was much more prideful that that. Kumiko walked towards where she fell, stooping down to pick up her zanpakuto.

'I'm sorry, Kashi-Kami,' Kumiko told her zanpakuto, 'Please understand that I had to set you down in order to protect my subordinate.'

'We know our master well, Miko-dono.'

The battle wore down as the remaining lower level hollows were exterminated by members of the tenth and sixth squads. Byakuya surveyed the area, taking a tally of injured and, god forbid, casualties. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kumiko doing the same, standing atop a concentration of her reiatsu in the air, still gripping the cut on her arm. He shook his head, disapproving of her babying her subordinates. The woman, Rangiku, should be punished for her stupidity. A short distance away, he noticed a group of people that had strayed into this unfortunate path. Thanks to the alert units, apart from a few bruises, they all appeared to be fine, save one small figure that was still crouched over on the ground. With no one to send that way, Byakuya made his way towards them.

He watched the figure attempt to stand, catching it when it lost balance. Blue eyes stared back into his own indigo orbs, some few strands of shoulder length black hair falling into her eyes. He steadied her and let go of her quickly. The frailty behind her eyes though, captivated him. He quickly deduced that apart from the unexplainable drawing aura, there was nothing special about her. The aura reminded Byakuya of someone he couldn't quite place at the moment.

"Are you alright?" Byakuya asked stoically, stepping back from the woman.

"Hai, arigato, fukutaicho-sama," the woman replied, bowing low after noticing the insignia strapped to his arm.

"What is your name?" Byakuya asked with the same curiosity and captivation that he asked another girl a long while back.

"Takezoe Hisane."

"And your companions?"

"We're all fine, fukutaicho-sama," one of the woman's companions answered, "There were some Shinigami that protected us when we strayed into this area. They were from the tenth squad, I believe."

The tenth squad. Byakuya's brow twitched, anything to do with Kumiko easily increasing his annoyance with her coddling. He took a peak at Kumiko and found her walking towards him. He tried to contain his scowl, succeeding for the mean time. There was no guarantee that the impassive look on his face would last.

"Kuchiki-fukutaicho," Kumiko spoke.

"Hai, Hisashi-taicho," Byakuya responded, turning his gaze towards her. He still read her as well as he used to, noting the light apprehensive nature behind her approach.

"What is the status of your squad?"

"Few injuries, no casualties."

"That's good to hear," Kumiko said, nodding slightly in agreement with herself, "The relief squads have arrived. Please inform your injured that they will be tended to shortly."

"Jyuubantai-taicho?" a voice squeaked.

The mentioned taicho turned her attention to the group of people that had congregated in the area. She was surprised to see them there but let a smile grace her face shortly after she registered their presence. Kumiko was a little too preoccupied with the information that Sajin shared with her, the brunt of it being that he saw Byakuya racing towards her when the cero blast hit. She knew she was being ridiculous to let hope fill her, to allow herself to think that maybe there was a chance for their friendship after all. Byakuya made it very clear that their relationship was a professional one. He was probably ordered to assist her by Genrei.

"Hai?" Kumiko questioned.

The man that spoke blushed. The corner of Byakuya's mouth twitched when he saw.

"Arigato, taicho-sama," the man looked like he was stumbling over the words. "Your squad saved us from being attacked by the hollows."

"They were only doing their jobs," Kumiko replied, "It's them you should thank, not me, but I will send word of your gratitude."

"You are very kind, taicho-sama."

"Iei," Kumiko chuckled, "It's no bother. You all seem relatively fine, but maybe you should have yourselves looked at by the fourth division, ne? Especially, your friend, she looks a little worn."

Kumiko gestured towards Hisane and the man, who would later introduce himself as Kenta, nodded, "Ah, well, Hisane-san is rather sickly. The rest of us are fine though, really. We should be heading back home."

Hisane looked a little troubled at the thought of being left alone. Kumiko placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled encouragingly, "I promise they won't bite. I just want to make sure you're alright. If it makes you feel any better, I'll have you treated at my own division's barracks and check on you later, personally. As you might have noticed, I have to have my own wounds treated."

"H-hai, taicho-sama, thank you very much."

The short and petite woman was being led towards the relief squads by Soujiro at Kumiko's orders when Genrei arrived followed shortly by Shinji and Sousuke. Genrei was completely unharmed, though it was no surprise, and quickly asked Byakuya for a report on their squad's status. Sousuke lacked his usual formality when he strode forward and enveloped Kumiko in his arms. The sixth squad captain was quick to notice the quick break of his grandson's facade, a frown marring his features, and then the rapid replacement of his apathetic mask. Maybe Byakuya wasn't as set on his resolve as he made himself and everyone else believe.

"Kumiko-san," Sousuke breathed, "When they told me you were hit by a cero blast, I was expecting the worst."

"Sousuke," Kumiko gasped, "I can't breathe."

Sousuke loosened his hug just a little and Shinji rolled his eyes, "Quit bein' so melodramatic, Aizen. It's just a flesh wound, right, Kumiko?"

"Yeah," Kumiko agreed, stepping away from Sousuke, not comfortable with the public display of affection. It wasn't something she wanted her squad seeing. It wasn't something she wanted Byakuya seeing –the thought sent shiver up her spine. "Nothing Unohana-taicho can't fix quickly. What are you two doing here? It's a little late for you to be sent as back up."

"Ol' Yama asked us to do a final sweep of the areas when the second and ninth divisions finished up their initial search," Shinji answered flippantly, tilting his head to the side and his eyes looking lazily down at his short companion. "There were some problems with the twelfth division so they didn't catch the menos until it was too late. Then my lieutenant was missing in action so I had to delay the dispatch of my units."

"Gomen, Hirako-taicho," Sousuke said, looking like he had already apologized more than once. "There was a disturbance in the barracks, like I mentioned earlier."

Kumiko looked a little surprised, "What kind of disturbance?"

"It's nothing, Kumiko-san," Sousuke replied gently, his kind smile reaching his eyes, "Nothing you should worry yourself over."

"Tch," Shinji muttered, "Any sweeter and I might just gag. Get outta here Aizen. Give the squad orders to return to the barracks. The ninth division is gonna go wild with the paperwork, I can just feel it, so you go ahead and get started on that too."

Sousuke, not one to argue with his captain, nodded and disappeared like he was told. Sighing, Kumiko shook her head. Shinji really never had very much tact before and he certainly hadn't changed when it came to that matter. The blonde anchored Kumiko to his side, hanging an arm around her neck and on her shoulder. She ignored the sting in her arm and swatted at Shinji's head.

"What was that for?" Shinji asked, annoyed.

"For being an ass," Kumiko replied.

They stared at each other angrily. The stares lasted for a good several moments as they walked towards the tents that were set up by the relief squads. And then, in the same moment, grins cracked over their faces. They argued about it enough before. Shinji pulled Kumiko closer to his side and she wrapped an arm around his waist in return. He could dish a lot of crap, but in the end, the fact of the matter was that he and just a few others were all Kumiko had and in return, she and a few others were all Shinji had. She sighed as she rested her head against Shinji's body, allowing him to lead her as they walked.

What was strange though, was how heavy Kumiko's heart was. She wasn't entirely sure how long she could keep up the charade she was constantly falling in step with. A slick breeze caught her hair, tickling her cheek lightly. She lifted her gaze to the skies as they continued to walk and beckoned from the higher beings –whether they existed or not- an answer. She wanted to know how foolish she was for trying to convince herself that Byakuya didn't mean any of it and that they were still friends. She wanted to know if what she had with Sousuke was a way to prove to her self that she wasn't damaged goods, that someone could really love her.

---

Byakuya berated himself for being so interested in matters that did not concern him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something not quite right about Aizen Sousuke. He watched as Kumiko walked away with Shinji, looking happy and carefree. His scowl returned –an unfortunate growing habit. If this was a decision that was for the best on his part, Byakuya begged for an answer to just one question: Why was he so unsure about whether or not he made a mistake.

"Rules are rules," Byakuya verbally reminded himself. Rules were in place for a reason. Without rules, chaos would soon take over and everything that people worked for would crumble. If he, a noble and a future successor of the clan, would not follow the rules, then who would?

"Byakuya, are you listening to me?"

Cursing himself, Byakuya immediately straightened his back, "Gomen nasai, taicho."

"I was asking if Kumiko was alright," Genrei repeated himself.

That was the first time that Byakuya heard his grandfather refer to Kumiko by her first name. Even when they were students together, the older Kuchiki would refer to Kumiko as Hisashi-san or Hisashi-chan when she was younger. Genrei watched his grandson expectantly and could see that the sudden change in referral to Kumiko baffled him. The clan head snickered to himself a little. Little by little, he hoped, he could show Byakuya that some rules set by nobles are a complete waste of time.

"There's no need to be so tongue tied over a question Byakuya."

"She's fine."

"And you ?"

"I'm fine."

"She took quite a hit, didn't she? And was practically unaffected too, wasn't she?"

Byakuya had to try very hard to control himself. At the time, he very much wanted to yell at her. "....She was quite...remarkable."

"You're not a very good liar, Byakuya."

"The breeze is cooling, winter should be here soon."

Inwardly, Byakuya winced – he was normally so much better at changing the subject.


[Chapter 8 Preview]:

"I'll race you to the end of the wheat field," she challenged, the slight shine that her earlier laughter still lingered in the depths of her eyes. "First one there gets to order the loser around."

"What a childish game to play," Byakuya replied, fussing over the sleeves of his uniform.

"Byakuya," Kumiko said matter-of-factly, "Are you in so much of a hurry to become like those noblemen that you hate?"

"You're going to regret it," Byakuya said quickly, barely finishing his sentence before he ran off, making use of Yoruichi's lessons here and there.

[End of Preview]



A/N: Well, I suppose it's obvious what to expect in the next chapter. (laughs) I hope the chapter was alright, and I'm sorry it took so long for me to update again. I'm actually going to have to grovel at the feet of the authors that I beta for. I went MIA on them for such a long time thanks to school. Apparently teachers like to load you up with work as soon as you get back from break thus the ensuing of hell month.

Hopefully the next chapter will be better. Ayaaaaa.

-theholysee