Summary

The war finally begins to make precedence, and Byakuya begins preparations for battle. A last minute visit to Kagome is in order...

A/N: Ahh, time for the actual plot of Bleach to move along. And for this story too! I hope you guys enjoy! Sorry about how long it took to get this out there. There is actually a valid reason other than procrastination this time.

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Letting loose a calming breath, Byakuya threw himself into another kata as he continued to wait for news from Rukia. She'd been gone for almost two months now, and he deliberately put himself to work anywhere he could to keep the solitude at bay. It was ironic. Not so long ago, he'd been aggravated at everything; but now, he was ready for the war to be over.

The Soul Society was in a heightened state of security, meaning those of Kagome's friends whom were not shinigami were not allowed into the Sereitei. Miroku had made a temporary move into the Rukongai district that Kaede lived in by the Head Captain's request.

And request had been the nicest way to put it, too. The monk had practically been hauled out and tossed into the streets before the gates had been slammed shut in his face. Despite the separation, the Kuchiki head had made something of an effort to ensure Kagome's friends were safe and taken care of.

A tingling awareness shot through the Captain's system and he glanced to the side. A tiny black butterfly was fluttering its' way over to him and he straightened, holding a hand out to allow it to land in his palm. After a few seconds, he nodded and sent it off.

"I understand. It shall be done." Taking a few breaths to calm his mind, Byakuya swung the practic shinai around and took the head off of the dummy that was set up nearby in disgust. "Though I can't fathom why the Head Captain would insist I retrieve the others with Zaraki, of all people."

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The retrieval had been a success, though the circumstances behind his sister's human friend's dissappearance and the call back for the shinigami were not lost on him. He knew that Rukia was entirely up in arms about the situation.

"Nii-sama! I really don't understand why we had to go back! Orihime is missing and we need to find her!"

"I was merely given the order to retrieve you. I was not informed on what your actions should be once you returned to the Soul Society," he countered as subtly as possible without giving himself away in front of his squad. Luckily, his little sister was an intelligent woman so he was relieved when she stared at him for a moment before smiling brightly.

"I understand, brother. Thank you."

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Sliding the door closed, Byakuya made his way over to his typical chair in the ward and took a seat. Breathing deeply, he let his gaze rest on the shadows and raised a brow.

"You are as predictable as ever, monk." A cough preceded Miroku as he came into the Captain's line of sight.

"I trust you understand my concern, Lord Kuchiki. After all, your Soul Society is under fire and my dear friend could be put in danger."

"It is not the Soul Society that is Aizen's target, but a spiritually rich city in the World of the Living called Karakura Town."

"Exactly what is this Aizen planning?" Miroku asked, taking a seat in the chair on the other side of Kagome's bed. He pretended not to notice the way the noble's hand automatically reached out to check the pulse in the comatose priestess's wrist then lace his fingers with hers.

"The annihilation of Karakura Town. He intends to create the Oukin, which will be able to transport him to the realm that the Soul King lives in. From there, I can only surmise that he means to eliminate the Soul King," Byakuya explained, absently surveying the numerous bouquets around the room.

"But, why?"

"That, I am not certain of."

"What if he finds out about Kagome?"

"I doubt he will waste the effort to alter whatever plans he has to include her. Incidentally, how did you manage to sneak back into the Seiretei?" the noble questioned, genuinely curious about the other man's answer.

"Ah, milord. That will be a story for another day," Miroku answered, rising to his feet and canting a respectful bow, "For now, I must take my leave. This humble monk has a little digging to do."

As Kagome's closest friend headed for the door, Byakuya managed to crack a parting shot, "I certainly hope your penchant for sneaking into places does not infect the rest of your motley group."

The monk merely smiled happily as he departed and the Captain sighed. He would probably see the others in a matter of time, so with determination, he carefully turned Kagome's mess of dark hair into a neat orderly braid, tying it off with the blue ribbon he'd taken from her in the very beginning of this strange dance they'd engaged in. The little slip of fabric had become something of a good fortune charm to him, so he was reluctant to part with it. But he knew that if he kept it on him before he headed into Hueco Mundo, Kagome would be the only thing on his mind.

He did not need that kind of a distraction at the moment.

"Do not think that I will not return for this particular ribbon. You still need to learn the Flash Step before I truly rescind ownership of it. You may, however, keep it safe for me until my imminent return from battle. I expect you to be closer to awakening by then, if not already so, Kagome. We have much to discuss."

Rising from his seat, the noble made his way out, definitely wanting to be away before Miroku managed to smuggle Kagome's Rukongai friends into the Medical Ward. It was something he was sure would aggravate Captain Unohana, whether she showed it or not.

'Take care, Kagome. I will be back soon.'

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A/N: Argghhhhh! I am sooooo sorry about the lateness you guys! As mentioned at the beginning, I do have an actual excuse. I was in a musical for all of October and November and I had a blast with it! I got to sing and dance like I haven't been able to in nearly ten years and it has rekindled my passion for the arts.

Also, mom has been having more issues again and I have the feeling she's going to have to go under the knife for another surgery. Again. This will be the fourth one in the last year or so, so please, if you do so, keep us in your prayers.

And, the last thing is my little family of three may be moving soon. It all depends on if the hubby manages to find a job in the area he wants to go in. So, it's been super busy recently. But I want to thank everyone for the continued encouragement you've all been giving me. Without you guys, this would just be collecting dust on my flash drive.

Anyways, my rant thingy is over now, so please feel free to review or leave a comment of some kind! Much love and thank you! See you guys sooner than you think!