A/N: Sorry for the late update! Don't fret though, I made sure to make this chapter action-packed!

heleana1- Here it is! Thanks for waiting!

monsuno power - I hope this chapter surprises you :D

You hissed at the lady in front of you. "Are you planning something again?! Don't you see that it only causes pain to –"

Lady Hisana holds up her hand to stop you from talking. "You don't have the right to talk about pain especially ones that concern him."

"Excuse me?! You think that after what I've been through is not enough for me to understand what pain is?! I've lost people, caused pain to them, and you think I have to see worse?!"

The atmosphere around you shifted, something heavy lingers around the air. You noticed that it was her reiatsu permeating your inner world. You looked around to see if you can sense Zetsubou but you can't; either because he's concealing his presence and attack you in surprise or he's just not around you at the moment. You hoped it was the latter but it's too good to be true especially when he has sided with this monster.

"Your puny months of experience is nothing compared to what I have endured before and after death." Her tone of voice changed, and suddenly her appearance as well. Cracks appeared under her right eye which is now dyed in red.

Instincts tell you to run but with no zanpakuto and no sense of direction against the darkness surrounding you, you might as well face her head on than tuck your tail.

Suddenly, she produced a zanpakuto; holding it aloft her right hand. It engulfed itself in black flames, ready for battle. You inwardly cursed at said sword, 'Zetsubou, you traitor.'

The cherry blossoms beneath your feet scattered away. As they disappear, a ring of black flames quickly encircled you and Lady Hisana. The waters around you evaporate, and you're left sweating and panting as the heat feels like it's roasting you alive. There was no escape in this circle you're trapped in.

"What's the matter? I've even barely started." 'There she goes again with that sweet venomous voice.'

This is do or die.

The Captain of the 6th and Aoi Fushigi rushed towards the 43rd district of Rukongai. Byakuya left the squad in a haste that he didn't have time to 'leave' the squad to his fukutaichō. But he has more pressing matters than that, he can't sense your reiatsu and instead he's showered with his late wife's presence.

As the two of them approached your former residence before becoming a full pledged Shinigami, both of them were greeted with a sight of a flaming ball of black fire. They a stopped a few feet away from the flaming sphere to avoid getting scorched by its heat.

"I can faintly sense her inside that crap! How are we supposed to break that thing?!" Aoi Fushigi fumes as she's distress on how to save you from the clutches of that evil woman and that disloyal sword.

Byakuya silently considers all his options. He can try to attack the sphere using Senbonsakura but he thinks that the immense heat will burn away the petals. Going Bankai is out of the question considering he might kill you while he destroys that flames. Kido will not suffice in this kind of situation.

Calling the attention of other Captains is also not plausible; this problem is between the issues of his late wife, you, and him. This already escalated before, and Byakuya is not wishing for a repeat. Causing commotions within the Gotei will also reflect poorly on his standing as both a Captain and a Kuchiki leader.

Byakuya frowns deeply at that.

The pride that he has upheld within years and years of maintaining his reputation and glory is now hindering him yet again in making decisions. How easy would it be to just let it all go and do the right thing – but that was not something that came natural to the stoic noble.

'When,' Byakuya thought to himself, 'when have I started to become like this?' He thinks back to his childhood; his mother, who he never got the chance to meet; his father, gentle and kind, taken away to early from him; his grandfather, strict and the epitome of the Kuchiki clan's success; his teachers: Ukitake-taichō, Kyoraku-taichō, Yoruichi, and Tachibana-sensei, the people behind his attained skills and poise in the battlefield; Hisana, his late wife, fragile yet her determination made her strong, a sister looking for forgiveness, the one that melted Byakuya's heart; Rukia, his adopted sister, the one who taught him that family is important; Abarai Renji, his lieutenant, who's ready to defy a given order given the right situation, both brave and sometimes stupid; Kurosaki Ichigo, the invader that made him realize that sometimes doing the wrong thing is the right thing; and then there's you, a seemingly normal Shinigami, a young girl who carries the burden of his late wife's wish, a person who keeps fighting against the odds, the mystery to Byakuya's heart.

A blast of heated wind throws Byakuya out of his reverie. He blocks the harsh heat to his face with his hand. 'This heat could contest Sōu-Taichō's Ryujin Jakka.' He looks towards Aoi Fushigi who is currently engaging herself in a futile battle against the ball of fire.

The female spirit growled in irritation for the nth time. Her patience was thinning out; if none of her attacks are working then she has no choice but to use her Bankai. She glared hard at the black flames, "Ban –!"

"Do not even try to do something that would harm your master." Byakuya calmly stated as he clashed his zanpakuto to Aoi Fushigi's.

"If you have a better plan, then now's the time to tell me that." She spatted.

"You will step away from that thing." A voice boomed a few meters from the two. Byakuya stoned his facial expressions as he recognized who it belonged to.

"Why would I do that?!" Aoi glared at the woman she doesn't recognize.

Byakuya took over before Aoi loses her temper altogether. He stared at the group of assassins surrounding them. "What is your business here, Soi Fon-Taichō?"

The Captain of the Onmitsukido smirked confidently at the noble. "This is a direct order from the Sōu-Taichō," Byakuya glared at that, expecting the worse, "we are to contain Hisana Koizumi within the cells of Squad 2 as per her... issues." She pauses and gazes towards the black flames, "but seeing the situation right now that might be impossible. Thus, we are to eradicate her and all those who stand in the way." The assassins stand alert.

"Bitch." Aoi Fushigi muttered under her breath. Byakuya would very much like to agree with her.

Soi-Fon snapped her fingers and her subordinates scurry at the back to retrieve a box wrapped in sigils. A member of the Kido Corps chants something incoherent towards the box. The sigils start disappearing one by one until the box opened.

The Captain of the 2nd approached the box warily and grabbed a hold of its content. She slowly pulled it out of the box and revealed out in the open for everyone to see. Byakuya's eyes widened; he's familiar with the Research and Development Department's sealed weapons, and he's looking at one right now.

"What are you gonna do with that bell?" Asked Aoi who suspiciously glares at the rusty object.

In an instant, Byakuya was gone from Aoi Fushigi's side as he flash stepped to where Soi Fon is. Senbonsakura's thousand blades came down on the captain but she was nowhere near Byakuya.

"Are you rebelling against the orders of the Head Captain, Kuchiki Byakuya?" Soi-Fon angrily asked as she gave the forbidden bell to one of her subordinates and drew her zanpakuto.

Byakuya's answer came in a fury of sharp petals.

*your inner world*

"Are you done already?" Lady Hisana whips her zanpakuto to the side to wipe the blood off it.

You're on all fours, bleeding badly, but you still manage to send a glare towards your adversary. "I hate you."

Lady Hisana stares blankly at your weakening form. She doesn't understand why you even tried to fight her weaponless. She admitted to herself that your surprise casting of kido, albeit directionless, did caught her off guard but it was not enough to deter her.

It was only your speed that carried you this far. Although you weren't fast enough to dodge some of the flames that she hurled towards you, you still held up yourself well. Nonetheless, it was time to end this. The lady walked towards you, readying her blade in a striking stance. She kicks you hard on the jaw making you lie upwards. You tried to glare at her still but the upside down view was not helping.

"Any last words?" She said as she pointed Zetsubou's tip to your chest.

You gathered up the blood inside your mouth and discharged it near her foot. 'This is it huh?'

You closed your eyes but opened it again in reaction. Searing hot pain blinded you as you felt the blade go through you and out. Blood poured out of your body, you inhale and exhale in short breaths; the warmth inside your body slowly surrounds you in red.

'Ahh, I screwed up.' Your eyes fight to stay open but it was hard. 'This isn't what I wanted.' You looked to your side to find that the flames had disappeared and the waters were slowly creeping its way in again.

"Go to eternal slumber, Hisana Koizumi." Was the last thing you heard.

But the last thing you saw was a petal of cherry blossom.