Chapter 20: Retrieval
Byakuya's POV
"Isn't this a pleasant day in Soul Society, eh Princess?"
I resist the urge to groan as I make my way to the Senkaimon gate, with Captain Zaraki of all people. I have no idea why the Captain Commander paired us together to complete this simple retrieval task. He could have picked any of the other captains at the meeting to come with me, but he just had to pick Kenpachi.
"What? You're not going to speak to me Byakuya?" the 11th Division captain asks me with one of his sadistic smiles plastered across his face. "C'mon Byakuya, we need to communicate in order to complete our mission successfully."
"You should only address me as Captain Kuchiki, Captain Zaraki, and do you really think I like the fact we have to work together to retrieve Captain Hitsugaya and his team from the Living World?" I tell him as we finally reached the gate.
"Well aren't you a prissy little spoiled brat?" he tells me sarcastically as we stop a few feet from the entrance. The gate was manned by members of the Kido Corps; their face coverings hiding their heads except for their eyes.
"Hello Captain Zaraki, Captain Kuchiki."
We both turn around to see their leader, Kido Corps Commander Moka Fukudome, and her second in command, Vice Kido Chief Seiren Fukudome, standing a few feet behind us with their zanpakutos standing behind them, both of them dressed in their Kido Corps regalia. The guards do slight bows to their leaders, but other than that, they don't move.
"Well what do you know? The head of the Kido Corps has decided to grace us with her presence for once." says Zaraki with a smirk as he crosses his arms. "What are you two doing out here?"
"Just passing through," answers Seiren as her zanpakuto Kitsune wraps her tail around her waist. Minata always said that her aunt was one of the bluntest members of her family, as well as one of the craftiest. Anything she said could have a possible double meaning, but I have a good feeling that she was actually being straightforward here.
"Pfft, figures you would say that," says Zaraki with a scowl. "You Kido Corps people are all the same; always secretive and withholding information."
"We only share the necessary information." answers Moka as her zanpakuto looks off into the sky. "I heard you two have a mission to complete. The Captain Commander will be very irritated if you don't complete your task."
"Actually, we were on our way to complete our mission when you and your vice chief came by." I tell them in my usual stoic voice.
"Our apologies Captain," she says with a smile that only grandmothers like her could pull off. "To make it up to you both, I'll open the Seinkaimon myself."
She waves her hand in a motion resembling an arc and the door slowly opens, the beam of light emanating from the opening and reaching toward the sky before settling down.
"And she did it without an incantation; no wonder she's the Kido Corps Commander." says Kenpachi as two Hell's Butterfly's fly toward us. "And now they're gone."
I turn to see that Minata's grandmother and aunt, along with their zanpakuto, have disappeared from sight, and not a trace of their spiritual pressure remained.
"AREN'T YOU IMPATIENT? YOU DON'T EVEN BOTHER TO WAIT FOR ME!" I hear Zaraki yell at me as I walked toward the gate. I can hear his large footsteps marching behind me as we made our way through the gate. We walk until we reach the sliding door on the other side. It opens on its own, revealing Kurosaki, Captain Hitsugaya, Rukia, Abarai, and the rest of their team within what appeared to be Kurosaki's bedroom. A monitor showing Captain Commander stood across from them on a nearby wall.
"IT'S TIME TO GO BOYS AND GIRLS!" exclaims Zaraki, obnoxious all throughout his declaration. His subordinates, Ayesegawa and Madarame, instantly get up and walk through the doorway first. They are soon followed after Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. Renji and Rukia take one last look at Kurosaki before walking in themselves; the doorway closing right behind them. We walk in complete silence till we returned to the Soul Society. Everyone leaves in an instant as soon as we're through the door, even Zaraki, leaving me alone with Rukia and Renji.
"My job here is done."
"What?" Disbelief was dripping from Rukia's tone. I turn to see Renji with a confused look on his face while my sister watches me with a surprisingly neutral look on hers.
"I was told by Captain Commander to bring you back to Soul Society, nothing more, nothing less. What you decide to do now is none of my concern." I tell them with a stoic look to match. I send a small look, hoping that they would get the hint I was implying, before Senbonzakura and I shunpo away.
"Do you think Rukia and Renji will help rescue the Inoue girl?"
"Knowing those two, it may be a guarantee." I tell him as I hear footsteps heading our way. We had stopped by the 8th Division's barracks, and I turn to see Minata and Mizukiri descending the main staircase.
"Okay, all we have to do now is to deliver these stacks of paperwork to the 6th, 10th, 11th, and 13th Division." says Mizukiri as she points to the large stack of paperwork in her master's hands. "I'm not looking forward to going to the 11th Division."
"Since you are not so keen in visiting Captain Kenpachi's domain, then here, you deliver the paperwork for the 13th and 10th Divisions. I'll handle 11th and 6th's." says Minata as she hands half her stack to the spirit.
"Thank you master." and with that, Mizukiri shunpoes away, leaving her master alone on the street.
"You have paperwork for me to complete?" I ask her as I walk toward her.
"Oh, hello Byakuya, and not exactly," she tells me as she turns to face me. "I have paperwork for your lieutenant. Captain Commander wants everyone who was part of the recent mission to Karakura Town to complete these forms."
"If you don't mind, I will give Abarai's paperwork to him personally." I tell her as I outstretch my hand. She nods before handing half the stack to me.
"Now all that is left is the paperwork for Madarame and Ayasegawa. 11th Division, here I come." she mutters to herself as she disappears.
"Let's go Senbonzakura." I say with a small scowl, inwardly dreading the fact that Minata has to visit Kenpachi's barracks by herself. It's not that I don't believe that she won't be able to take care of herself there. I just really don't like their captain right now. We quickly make our way back to the barracks to find everything neat and orderly as always. No one was in the office, so I left the papers on his desk before walking toward my seat.
"Master, if you excuse me, I agreed to meet Mizukiri and Hyorinmaru a little later."
"Go ahead; I will be fine here." I tell him with a wave of my hand. He does a slight bow before leaving me to my thoughts. I soon get to my paperwork, but it wasn't much. I ended up finishing it all in twenty minutes flat, and with nothing left to do, my thoughts begin to wander. It wasn't long before my mind went to Mina. Her porcelain skin, her curly black hair, and her eyes. Her eyes were a deep purple, but unlike Hisana's blue-tinted gaze and Rukia's wide-eyes, Minata's eye color was close to that of amethysts.
A chuckle escaped past my lips when I recalled a moment from our shared past. For a while, Mina hated her eye color because it reminded her too much of eggplants. She hated eggplants when we were kids, and absolutely refused to eat anything that was made with them. She eventually grew out of her hatred for it, but she still strongly dislikes the fruit. Hmm, maybe I should ask the family chefs to sneak some eggplant into tomorrow's dinner . . .
Knock-knock-knock
Minata's POV
"Come in!"
I open the door to see Byakuya sitting at his desk, staring out the window as his paperwork sat idly on his desk.
"I see you've finished all your paperwork."
"I did not even need a half hour to complete it. Have you finished all your deliveries?" he asks as he weaved his fingers together.
"Yes, though it did get a little "weird" once Kenpachi tried to get me to fight him. He's one of the best when it comes to holding his liquor, but once he gets a hold of some very strong stuff, he's pretty much incoherent after the second cup" I say with sad nod of my head. I feel his spiritual pressure perk up in anger just a tad at my news, and I couldn't help but smile in response to that. Byakuya has always looked out for me ever since we were little, but it was giving me a bit of satisfaction to know that he was already getting a little more protective of me. Then again, this was Zaraki we were talking about
. . . Kami I wish this doesn't get old too fast. "Good thing Lieutenant Kusajishi, Ayesegawa, and Madarame were able to calm him down though."
Byakuya's spiritual pressure settles down as he gets up from his seat, but his expression was still tense.
"Not to be rude Mina, but why are you even here all of a sudden?"
"Well, I ran into Senbonzakura outside and he told me that you wanted to see me, so here I am." I tell him, resisting the urge to shrug my shoulders. Byakuya raises a well coifed eyebrow before returning his attention to the window. "Senbonzakura wasn't telling the truth, was he?"
"No, he wasn't."
"I see," I say as I look at the ground. Things were getting awkward, real fast. "Well then, I guess I'll be on my way."
I turn around to head for the door, but Byakuya shunpoes in front of me to stop my escape.
"If you don't want me to leave, you could have just said so."
"I know," he tells me as I feel his hand lets a hand come upon my waist. "I just had something on my mind that's all.
"Rukia and Renji?"
"Yes," he tells me with a sigh. "I believe they may go and help Kurosaki rescue the Inoue girl from Aizen."
"Then let them," I say with a stoic look to match. "Over time, those two have become friends with Ichigo, especially Rukia. Therefore, as good friends, they feel that they have a duty to help him no matter what. They're not going to let anything stop them, and I believe they're strong enough to get the job done. Don't you?"
"I suppose your right," he tells me with another sigh. "I just don't like it."
"What? That Rukia is so willing to help Ichigo?"
"That is . . . a possibility." he tells me. I inwardly resist the urge to smirk, knowing for a fact that I heard a hint of defeat in his voice.
"Look; Rukia is helping Ichigo because he helped her. It's her choice, but it is your choice to support her or not." I tell him as I place a hand on his shoulder.
"You may be right." he tells me as he nods his head. "Thanks for the reminder."
"You're welcome; now if you excuse me, I have to get back to the Captain Commander."
"Not without this first." he tells me with a smirk as he leans his head. My eyes close before our lips connect, the feeling of his lips on mine sending absolute shivers down my spine. A knocking sound at the door makes us separate, and we end up sharing a look of annoyance, both of us irritated that someone had interrupted us.
"Captain, Captain Ukitake is here to see you!"
"Tell him I'll be there in a minute," he tells the soldier behind the door.
"Don't worry; I know my way out." I tell him with a smile. I quickly peck his cheek before shunpoing away, smiling the entire way back to 1st Division.
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