Chapter 76: 1,000 Yr. BWArc: Food & Blade

Byakuya's POV

When Captain Kirinji told me that it would be best to arrive at the next location with an empty stomach, he was not joking.

After being unceremoniously launched from his platform to the next, I landed on a crash pad guarded by a lone shinigami in a white haori: a familiar tall, purple haired woman that looked like she could be Lieutenant Matsumoto's older sister.

"Hmm, the last time I saw you, you were still a teenager training to live up to his family's name," She says cheerily as I got to my feet. "And look at you now. . . It appears you've done well for yourself Captain Kuchiki."

"Not well enough, I'm afraid," I blatantly admit as I join her on solid ground. "It's good to see you well Captain Hikifune."

"Why thank you. It's not every day that I get to cook for people that are not part of the guard," She says, gesturing to her slim figure.

The last time I saw Captain Hikifune, she was not the buxom woman that stood before me now. To put it nicely, she was plumper, giving off a motherly air that many of her fellow captains and subordinates appreciated.

She only noticeably got slimmer after cooking a large batch of food, a practice she apparently continues even now.

"I've had to expunge a lot of reiatsu in my last batch of cooking, so I hope you're hungry."

My growling stomach managed to answer before I could do it with my mouth. ". . . Famished."

"Follow me then. You'll feel much better once we get some food into your system."

Stepping into her palace, she guides me to the dining room, where a large spread of food was already spaced out along the long table, more than enough for me.

Truthfully, there was enough laid out that could satisfy at least half the members of my clan easily, and there would still be some left over for seconds.

"Everything looks delicious," I say, offering the most diplomatic response I could muster as my stomach continued to ache. "But I don't believe I'll be able to finish everything on my own."

"I don't expect you to," She admits with a grin. "I was just willing to give you plenty of options."

"And what happens with what's left over?"

"I pass some off to the other captains and eat the rest myself to recoup my reiatsu. . . Maybe your sister and lieutenant will appreciate some of this once if I send it over to them. Now that they're under Hyōsube's tutelage, they'll certainly be needing it."

"Rukia and Abarai are here?!" I ask, more shocked that they were also present in the Royal Dimension than the fact that they were learning under the Guard's leader.

"Them along with Kurosaki, though I believe he's finishing things up with Captain Nimaiya right at the moment," She muses before handing me a plate. "Now come on! Grab some food and eat up. The quicker you eat, the quicker you move on to the next location. . . I'm sure you're eager to have your zanpakuto back in your hands after all."

Hearing those last words managed to finally put me into gear, my eyes scanning the plates of food before I started picking out what I wanted.

Throughout the meal, Captain Hikifune was kind enough to fill me in on the details I've missed while I was unconscious. Hearing about the many losses our side experienced, including that of the Captain Commander, almost made my stomach lurch, but thanks to the woman's insistence, I soldiered on, somehow managing to finish two full plates before I conceded that I couldn't eat another bite.

"Hmm, two full plates . . . Your appetite is certainly in good shape," She smirks as I wiped my mouth with a napkin. "To be honest, a small part of me was still a little unsure about how you would take to the food once you got here."

"And why would you say that?"

"Didn't Kirinji explain to you the extent of your injuries once you woke up?" She asks me.

"At the very least, I knew that I was practically on death's door when you and the rest of the guard arrived in the Seireitei," I explain as she gestures for me to get up. "Other than the fact that my time in Captain Kirinji's healing pools was the longest on record, he didn't really say much about my specific condition."

"Really? He usually relishes in talking about that kind of stuff . . . Well, no need to look back on such details now. They would just make you throw up at this point . . ."

If the details really were that bad, it was for the best that I remain oblivious to such information.

I followed her out of the room and out of the building, only to grimace when I saw a pad that looked eerily similar to the one that Captain Kirinji launched me from back at his platform.

"Does every palace have a launch pad?"

"Yep!"

"Is this truly the only way to travel from platform to platform?" I ask, not fighting her as she gestures for me to step onto the thing that would eventually set me flying.

"Pretty much. . . Tell Nimaiya I said hi for me while you're there. Bye now!"

She doesn't even wait for me to brace myself before launching me onward, sending me flying through the sky. If I was still a young boy, this would have been one of the most terrifying experiences I would have ever lived through, but as a grown man, I only find it slightly terrifying, and highly annoying.

After landing at the next platform, the person that greeted me was a young woman dressed in a vest and skirt, with hair as red as Abarai's own. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her face was impassive as she gave me a very obvious look over, sizing me up before speaking.

"So, you were the gravely injured one that the captains brought back with them." She mumbles as I stepped off the platform. "Captain of the Sixth Division, correct?"

"That is correct," I say, noticing the hint of animosity in her tone.

"I'm Mera Hiuchigashima, one of Captain Nimaiya's assistants and bodyguards, and you, Mr. Captain, is on a bit of thin ice with my boss," she explains as she starts walking away. "C'mon, I'll take you to him."

"May I ask why I am in such trouble?" I ask, having the feeling I know exactly what she is talking about as we walked by a rather flashy building with the sign Galaxy Hōōden hanging above its front entrance.

"Well, you look smart enough to figure it out on your own," She mumbles as we walk through the city. This was the third captain I was visiting today, but it was the first time I was actually seeing the city outside of their palace. It reminded me of the Seireitei itself, but far emptier.

"Considering that Captain Nimaiya is known as the "God of the Sword", I have to say that his issue with me revolves around my zanpakuto," I say, looking down at the side where Senbonzakura would usually be tied to. ". . . Well, my lack thereof."

"See! You figured it out . . . Sure, Tensa Zangetsu was basically snapped in half when it arrived here, but at least it still had a shape; can't say the same for your Senbonzakura," She explains, shaking her head. "Kurosaki's blade has been fixed of course, and it took some work, but at least there was a foundation to build on . . . Your case is very different, but the Captain will tell you more once we reach him."

"Which building is his palace exactly?" I ask, as none of the buildings we've passed so far, seemed to really fit as a Royal Guard captain's living quarters.

"It's the Hōōden, that small shack up on that cliff over there," She says, pointing to said building on top of the cliff we were walking toward. "Doesn't seem like much from this angle does it?"

"To be honest, no." I say, knowing anything else that I could say would just be an outright lie at this point.

Captain Nimaiya was already upset with me over my zanpakuto, better not add lying to my list of charges.

"Hmm, that's the most honest answer I've heard so far. . ."

We continued the rest of the journey in silence, arriving to see a dark-skinned man with black and green hair dressed in an altered shihakusho with some kind of jacket over it already waiting for us. He was looking directly at me, as if he was trying to read my whole life story by just looking at my face.

The sudden grin he flashed at me made Kenpachi's look like child's play.

"Ah, Captain Kuchiki! It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," He announces as soon as he was certain we were within hearing range. "I am Captain Ōetsu Nimaiya. I am the one behind the concept of the zanpakutō, and I understand that you lost yours in battle."

"Yes, I have," I admit. "Most would say that I shouldn't have survived my last battle either."

". . . Hmm, you would not be wrong there," He says as he tucks his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "I've seen blades come before me chipped, scratched, cracked, even snapped in two while they're in their bankai state, but your case is completely unlike all the others . . ."

"Disintegration, hm, that's a new one, even for me," He adds, shaking his head. "When a shinigami's zanpakutō disintegrates, it usually means that they're dead, and yet here you are . . . I can certainly reforge Senbonzakura for ya, but I'm not going to, not just yet."

"And why not?"

"Because I want some answers from you first," He says, his smirk disappearing to form the look of disapproval that replaced it. "You and some of your fellow captains were quite irresponsible during your battle with the Quincy, using the strongest move in your arsenal without getting better insight on the situation first, and look where it got you . . . At least the other three can still say that they can still wield a blade."

"So, you want me to answer for why me and some of my fellow captains lost our bankais in battle?" I ask. At first, I wanted to be angry at the accusation that the man was throwing at me, but it was hard to be truly mad at a man with a solid point.

"Some of us did decide to use our bankais right from the get go, and it cost us, but the severity of the situation left us no choice," I say in my defense. "The Quincies now, they're unlike their ancestors. They've grown in their power and strength. . . They're capable of stealing bankai!"

"Because you allowed them to," He states, matter of factly. "You decided to attack before the enemy can reveal to you all their tactics, and paid dearly for it."

"What else was I supposed to do!?" I challenge in return. "They were massacring shinigami left and right with no remorse! I couldn't hold back when so many men and women were dying within seconds. . . I don't know what the other captains were thinking. I can only speak for myself after all."

"And what do you have to say for yourself?"

"All I have to say is that you may find the quick use of bankai a little too reckless to your liking, but at the time, against such powerful opponents and with the limited information that was known at the time, it was my best option during combat!" I say. "Sometimes the present situation forces our hand before we can truly think things through, making decisions that may not always be the best thought out."

"Nothing shows your character more than in the heat of battle . . ." He mumbles as he walks toward his shack. "Let's talk more about this inside shall we? This conversation isn't over just yet."

"Well that's a start. . . Looks like you're not completely in the doghouse after all," His assistant says before moving to follow. "For your sake, it's better to keep it that way."

". . . Let's hope so," I whisper as I follow her, not knowing where these next few minutes will lead me.

A/N: Please review!