Chapter 25: Affairs in Order

*I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day. I went to the doctor and he prescribed some special exercises that are supposed to help with the vertigo and so far it seems like its working.

Aside from that I am not feeling my best at all. I just received word that I was not accepted into a certain program at my college and I feel horrible. I feel worthless, angry and disappointed in myself for not being smart enough or even good enough to do anything. I just… could really use a hug and a good review right now. I'm going to go back to my corner and cry some more, enjoy the chapter. TT^TT

The Serene Dancer, Byakuya IS right. To an outsider who only knows so much it would seem like Naomi is a reasonable suspect. I didn't think Byakuya would care if she left him but when you mention his pride that changes things. My teachers are having me work too. I had to write two papers along with my normal amount of homework. I hate it when teachers think their students have no lives or other classes that need attention.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, just a lot of OCs.*

"I believe that people make their own luck by great preparation and good strategy."~ Jack Canfield

The following morning was crisp and very cool Naomi noticed as she stepped out of the underground cavern she had inhabited for the past three days. She shivered and tugged her uniform tightly around her slight frame. I'm only going to get colder by standing here, better get moving. With practiced ease Naomi shunpoed quickly and quietly to the Fifth Division.

It was mid-morning so some people were still sleeping and activity in the Divisions she passed was not yet at full swing. That was good because the less people that were up meant that there were less people to see her. Yoruichi may not have seen reason to arrest her but that didn't mean others did. Naomi had a strong feeling that someone would arrest her, guilty or not.

She pushed herself to shunpo faster.

Finally arriving at the Fifth without being detained brought some feeling of relief. The grounds were quiet for the most part and filled with faint noises of members being busy. She navigated her way to her captain's office where she could feel her reiatsu coming from. The upside is she doesn't feel angry or anything, Naomi tried to cheer herself up with.

She knocked and waited anxiously to be granted admittance, which she was after a drawn out second after she knocked. Naomi slipped herself inside her superior's office and stood in front of her captain's desk. Captain Ishida was finishing another report while Naomi stood before her and tried not to fidget or fall to her knees and spill out the truth.

Sakura finished filling out another sheet of paperwork. She slowly set it aside and put her pen down before looking up at her lieutenant.

She smiled pleasantly which sent a stab of guilt and shame into Naomi. "It's nice to see you again Lieutenant Yamamoto. Enjoy your time off?"

"Yes, Captain. It was… enlightening."

"That's good to hear. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to where you have been and what you have been doing these past three days?" Her captain's tone was warm but held the underlying feel that Naomi was in trouble.

Her green eyes lowered. Do I tell her the truth or do I lie? It wouldn't be fair or right of me to lie after she defended me.

"Naomi," the lieutenant's eyes snapped up at her captain. "I would like the truth. You are up to something and recent evidence shows it's nothing good. Please tell me what you are doing."

Looks like I don't have a choice, Naomi slowly exhaled. "For the past three days I've been training to achieve Bankai which I have. I didn't tell you because I thought the fewer people who knew the better."

"And why the sudden desire to know Bankai?"

This was the complicated part and Naomi had to find a way to word this so she wouldn't sound ambitious and power hungry. "There have been some recent stirrings in my family that require my attention and possible intervention. In order to do that I need to attain a position of power and one of the requirements is to have Bankai."

"I see. Just out of curiosity, do the stirrings in your family have any connection to the recent attacks on the Gotei?"

Naomi tensed and tried to breathe out calmly, "I have thought the same captain and I don't know for sure."

Stiff cloying silence reigned over the two females. Sakura rested her chin on her intertwined fingers.

"This does shed some light on things now."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth at first. I really did think that the fewer people who knew the better."

Sakura smiled understandingly, "I know you had the best of intentions in mind." But went unspoken was you still lied to me and I don't know if I can fully trust what you say now.

It hurt and Naomi should've known better then to lie in the first place but the damage was done. All she could do now pick up what she had and move on.

"I believe you Naomi but I have two requests for you." The lieutenant stiffened and prepared herself for the worst. "One, you do not lie to me like that again and two, you and I are going to be spending as much of our free time as we can training together with your Bankai."

The first condition she expected but did she hear that last part right? She sputtered, "What? Why?"

This time her captain's smile was playful and friendly, "Well you just achieved it so you're going to need practicing in wielding it. You said this was so you can rise up in your family's ranks so it won't do for you to look so inexperienced if they ask for a demonstration. And I kind of want to this for myself too. So do you agree to my requests?"

Naomi brightened up with relief and excitement, "I agree and I think you'll be impressed by what I can do so far."

"Good and I'm sure I will be."

Naomi's reappearance on the work scene was instantly noticed. All it took was a few people to see her and word of mouth proved to travel faster than a brushfire. The people she did encounter were still nice and polite to her but she sensed a wary apprehensiveness. Who could blame them? Their superior disappears for three days and in that time another Division is mysteriously attacked and she suddenly reappears.

It wasn't just members of the Fifth who noticed her return.

Various captains and lieutenants "casually" stopped by either because of some errand or to visit Captain Ishida. But Naomi knew the real reason why so many people were passing through and she made sure to be at her desk so she could see them and they would see her and yes, that the rumors were true.

But one captain didn't deign himself to see if she really was there. Instead he sent his red-haired trained monkey to go fetch her.

Naomi easily kept herself busy with the backlog of her share of paperwork. It was mostly forms that required her signature. She didn't bother pausing in her work when she felt the presence of another until he cleared his throat.

"Lieutenant Yamamoto?"

Her green eyes flickered upward to see who was addressing her before her eye returned to her paperwork. "Lieutenant Abarai, what can I do for you?"

"Captain Kuchiki would like you to come with me. He would like to speak with you," he said trying to sound not too commanding.

"Really? So why didn't he send a message or tell Captain Ishida or how about why didn't he come here himself?" She questioned, trying not to get angry at him for his captain's condescendence.

If her questions rankled the red-head he didn't show it. "I don't know. I do know that he would like to speak with you in his office."

Of course, he wants to drag me into his territory. Captain Kuchiki wanted to pull Naomi away from the safety and protection of her captain. Captain Ishida was not afraid to stare down or talk back to the stiff noble so it wasn't unthinkable that she would physically fight him in order to protect her lieutenant.

That and Kuchiki wasn't stupid enough to arrest Naomi right under Ishida's nose.

"Do you know what he wants to talk to me about?" Naomi's gut was telling her this was a trap.

Renji shook his head, "No, he only requested that I bring you to him."

She gazed at him, searching for any hint that he might actually know what was really going on. But she found nothing. It's a trap! Don't go with him! What are you thinking? ! Her instincts screamed at her as she stood up and followed him.

Worst case scenario I break out of there as soon as possible and run straight to Captain Ishida. Or make sure my reiatsu flies out in a noticeable panicking manner and have the Captain come save me. Naomi planned as a way to reassure herself.

Renji opened the door to his captain's office like a gentleman and closed quietly behind Naomi, leaving her alone with his captain. Byakuya Kuchiki sat ramrod straight at his desk and methodically filled out his paperwork. He didn't bother looking up or acknowledging Naomi in any way and while she did sort of expect that it still stung.

The nobleman finished another form and placed on a neat stack to his left. He then set his writing utensil down and finally looked at her.

"Lieutenant Yamamoto," he coldly greeted.

She respectfully dipped her head, "Captain Kuchiki."

"I take it you are unaware as to why I called for you?"

"Yes, your lieutenant didn't tell me since he wasn't keen on the details either."

"I would like to know what measures Captain Ishida is taking regarding your mysterious absence and sudden return."

Naomi forced her face to remain calm but inside she was gaping in disbelief at him. He was the last person she pictured to have such audacity. Punishing subordinates was left up to the captain of said subordinate and it varied between captains. Some were for swift harsh punishment and others were for milder reprimands.

"And since when do have the right to interrogate or punish members from someone else's Division?" She calmly argued.

"When they pose a threat to the peace and sanctity of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads," he icily shot back.

The normal fiery passion that inhabited Naomi's soul turned into a deadly cold fire. Her face became stony and her eyes narrowed, "I would never threaten the Gotei Thirteen if that is what you are implying. I have loyally served them—"

"Until you defected."

"You know my reasons for doing so quite well! I have been and will always be loyal to my captain, my subordinates and this institution."

Byakuya's eyes had become hard as steel and his tongue just as sharp, "Your selfish reasons do not justify defection. Your so-called loyalty will be under scrutiny and if it is to be found lacking you will be dealt with in the same manner as all suspected criminals."

Naomi felt too much anger to feel any fear, "Is that a warning or a threat?"

The captain coldly returned, "Consider it a slight mixture of both. You are dismissed."

The blonde relaxed a fraction, "Very well. Oh, and the next time you want to speak to me? Don't send your trained monkey of a lieutenant to come fetch me. Either ask my captain or come to me personally."

She slammed the door behind her before he could reply.

Naomi flopped onto her futon bed, tried but in a good way. She had just returned from her sixth sparring match with her captain. It was only three hours this time, a little shorter than most sessions. It felt great to fight against someone else especially someone else with Bankai.

Kisuke and Yoruichi insisted that theirs weren't suited for sparring or training. Captain Ishida proved to be enough for her particularly when she paired her Quincy powers up with her zanpakutou. The woman was powerful and fast, only being getting a few mild burns from Kitsune's wild flames.

The main objective of their training was for Naomi to gain control and practice. It was, of course, hard at first but she grew marginally better with each swing, with each strike and with each effort. Looking back to when they first started Naomi had grown considerably better.

It had been a week and a half since Naomi came back and things were normal again. I wonder if I should do it now. Each day and night that passed Naomi wondered if now she should call meeting and declare that she wanted to become the head of the White Chrysanthemum Branch. To do so she just needed to send a letter to each Head with a date, time and reason for the meeting being called.

But there was something else Naomi wanted to do first and that was securing her little brother's safety. Her announcement would not be well received and if anyone wanted to coerce her into backing down they would either confront her or use someone against her.

Naomi knew she would never be able to forgive herself if Ryouji was hurt because of this in any way.

She rested her arm against her forehead. I wouldn't put it past Takehiko or either of my uncles to use him against me. But how can I protect him? He would be in the same amount of danger if I brought him here or put him somewhere else in the Rukongai. She drummed her fingers of her other hand against her leg in contemplation. But who sad I can only keep him safe in this world?

Naomi sat up and reached over for her phone and picked out the number she was looking for.

"Hello, Kurosaki Clinic, Dr. Kurosaki speaking."

"Hello, Captain."

A pause before, "Naomi! It's so good to hear you. How are you?"

"I'm fine Captain," she said smiling. His good moods were always infectious.

"I'm not your captain anymore Naomi unless you're planning on leaving Sakura. She's not working you too hard is she?"

She giggled, "Sorry, force of habit and no I'm not and I like work for Captain Ishida. I have a favor I want to ask."

The former captain's interest was piqued, "Oh? What is it?"

Naomi fiddled with the sleeve of her sleeping yukata, "Do you think you could keep an eye on someone for me?"

"Keep an eye on as in surveillance or watching over?"

"Watching over, specifically babysit."

"This just got interesting. Who am I babysitting for you?"

"My little brother."

There was a long pause that Naomi could tell was of shock. "I didn't know you had a little brother."

Neither did I. "It's a long story and I'll tell you all of it when we get there. But do you think you could let him stay with you for a week, if that's okay?"

Isshin chuckled, "Sure thing Naomi, it's no problem. When do you and the little guy plan on coming?"

"Four days. I'll stay with him for a few days and then I have to go back to Soul Society, it's complicated and I'll explain when I see you in person."

"I'll hold you to that. Take care and I'll see you later."

Naomi hung up and felt a sense of relief. Ryouji would be in good, safe hands away from Takehiko or anyone who could hurt him. But it might prove tricky getting Ryouji out of the house and keeping him away for a week without raising suspicion. Naomi shrugged, she had time to think it over and she knew Kazue would be willing to help. With one thing less weighing on her mind she turned off the lights and climbed into bed.

As entertaining and satisfying it would be for Naomi to see the looks on their faces she knew it was better that she was quick to leave. Branch head meetings were organized weeks or a month at least in advanced. This was her way of blindsiding them and that would hopefully give her advantage to her plan. She also did not clearly state her reason for the meeting but vaguely said something about an issue that concerned them that needed to be addressed.

This would certainly stir things up and possibly put people in a panic. The only one who probably wouldn't be panicking would be Katsutoshi. She had never seen him panic or look distressed. Naomi doubted he even knew what panic felt like.

The short timeframe and vague reason would also make inconspicuous shady dealings and plans difficult. That would give her another advantage because her father and uncles would be fairly unprepared because they don't know what to prepare for and they won't have time to figure it out.

Kazue was able to organize his part of the escape and came up with a story to cover for his absence. Naomi informed Captain Ishida truthfully of what she was going to do and her captain made sure Naomi knew she had her support. Naomi wrote out the formal letters to her father, grandfather and uncles, had them sent and then retrieved her brother.

By the time they read the letters Naomi and Ryouji had taken their first step into the World of the Living.

*A surprisingly long chapter considering how busy I've been and how I'm feeling now. I only went into detail concerning parts I thought were important to the story.

The bit between Naomi and Byakuya was unplanned but seemed fitting. It added to the kind of drama and stress Naomi will be facing. The next chapter should be more fun and fluffy because Ryouji's going to have an adventure and new experiences. So please review and reassure me that I'm not a waste of a person. I'll post again March 7th.*