He landed outside of the third division barracks, panting heavily. The only other people he could think of that she may have gone to were Unohana and Urahara. However he knew that Urahara was rarely in the Second Division barracks, and he had already asked if Unohana had seen her. He'd even returned to the area where they'd been training in Junrinan the previous day but without success.
He thought for a bit before loudly groaning in irritation as he flash stepping off towards the78th Western Rukongai district. He wasn't sure if he was right, he hoped he wasn't, but it'd be better to check than just assume.
In a distant district she walked among the villagers, trying to keep from coming into contact with any of them as she moved. She kept her hand on the white hilt of the blade at her side, she knew the shape but she'd never heard the name. Scanning through the crowds, she searched for the one thing she remembered, but didn't see it.
After searching a bit longer she heard someone shouting loudly, "You worthless brats! Give me that food!"
Her blue eyes caught sight of a group of children running away with loaves of bread in their arms and an adult chasing them down with a hatchet. She quickly realized where the children were heading and appeared in front of the man, sword drawn and blocked his attack on the children with her blade.
"We don't need to eat, it's just something to enjoy now and then. What harm is there in letting those kids have the bread? It's not like it's going to be of better use to you. If you had any spirit power, you wouldn't be able to stay conscious before me, that's just a fact," she stated.
The man scowled as he countered, "It's the principle of it! That bread is mine! I got it fair and square!"
Smirking she challenged, "Oh, you baked it? How'd you manage that? You well enough off you can afford a house, wood and an oven? Then you can afford to share some of your your wealth with those who can't!"
She pushed back against the hatched with minimal effort, and sent the man onto his rear end in the process. The man looked up at her and for the first time began to sweat under her gaze. He timidly picked up the hatchet before running off.
She kept her eyes on his back as he retreated, not realizing one of the children had approached her. She glanced over when she felt a tug on the sleeve of her kimono, and saw a boy with spiky black hair and grey eyes staring up at her, he smiled as he offered her a bun from their haul. She smiled and shook her head from side to side while she gently touseled the boy's hair, "that's alright. You keep it."
Hearing the boy's stomach growl she added, "sounds like you'd need it more than me. I'll be okay. I'm just passing through."
A red haired girl with blue eyes looked to her before gasping and pointing to her. The teenage girl observed the younger girl while she later exclaimed, "it's you! You're Tama. You defended us against that hollow. You were taken away by Shinigami."
"I was injured in that attack, they treated me. I'm preparing for the entry exams soon," Tama replied with a small shrug of her shoulders.
It was the boy's turn to ask, "entry exams?"
"Yes, at the Spiritual arts academy. I plan to attend there," Tama clarified. The boy blinked a little as if he was trying to understand what she was saying, "does that mean that you're going to be a shinigami too?"
"Mmhm, and if you're hungry in my presence, that means that you have spirit power as well," she advised him while gently tapping the tip of his nose. She gave him a smile before walking away from the small group.
"Go get that bread somewhere safe, kiddos. It'll be a bit before you get another haul like that," she called over her shoulder. She continued on through the village, doing her best to not physically contact anyone and avoiding eye contact.
She continued on until her body seemed to freeze up. Glancing her eyes downward she saw that she had an orange linked chain of spiritual energy surrounding her. She blinked and willed herself to glance around, but couldn't spot anyone.
From behind her, she could hear footsteps, the sound of sandals against the ground. She felt her stomach knot and attempt to travel upwards to her throat. Her heart began beating wildly in her chest, however none of that mattered because she couldn't move. What had Byakuya taught her earlier? Reiatsu control. She closed her eyes and tried to visualize her own reiatsu flowing within her body, and then force it out. Maybe this effort would break the spell that was binding her.
She felt herself beginning to sweat as she realized she didn't have control over enough reiatsu to break the spell, and just like the previous times this creep was going to attack from behind. However as the attacker's footsteps ceased to sound against the ground, she suddenly smelt the scent of cherry blossoms filling the air.
A blast of kido energy struck the ground between Tama and the assaulter. She quickly realized she could move again, the kido had been removed from her. Turning around she saw his raven black hair, his frame just an inch or two taller than herself, and the hair pulled up into a pony tail behind his head. She didn't need to look at his face to know she was in Byakuya's presence again. Though the blue flames had lessened around them, she knew the name of the spell he'd used to discourage her attacker from making any further moves. Hado number thirty-three, Sokatsui, a kido commonly practiced among the Kuchiki clan.
"I'd hoped you didn't come back here, but here we are," Byakuya addressed her.
"I'd rather not overstay my welcome," Tama stated.
"We'll talk about that in a bit, right now… time to reveal this creep," the teen boy stated as he flash stepped. The other individual did the same before sending a punch towards him, Byakuya blocked the attempted attack and countered with one of his own. The man evaded before seemingly vanishing from sight.
Byakuya glanced around but quickly realized he had no idea which way he had gone. He growled angrily, his clenched fists shaking at his side before he took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
He then looked back to Tama, and asked, "What do you mean 'over stay'? You're always welcome."
"I don't get that feeling from Ginrei. And yesterday I did something to upset you that you haven't told me about," Tama objected.
"You didn't upset me yesterday. I'm a little perturbed today, yes, but that's because I was worried about you," he replied.
He then turned so he was fully facing her and pressed, "Why did you think I was upset with you?"
"When I woke up under the sakura tree, and Urahara was there—you weren't smiling at me. You always do," she revealed.
Byakuya's eyes grew wide, then a slight hint of pink tinted his cheeks while he scratched the back of his neck. He then gave a heavy sigh and admitted, "I was a bit ticked off—but not with you. While you were napping Urahara said some things not worth repeating—but it irked me. I didn't realize it had impacted the way I interacted with you. I'm sorry it gave the wrong impression."
Tama quirked a brow at him and asked, "What sort of things, if I may ask?"
"I—ugh. I guess I can't hide it forever. Believe it or not I realize I've been calmer with you than I normally am with people. At first I thought it was for your benefit but I figured out that it wasn't. For some reason when I'm with you the storm inside subsides and I don't feel like I have to constantly guard myself. I can relax and be the real me that others can't see. So I always come across as having a hot temper and a short fuse- which yes, I do but that's not all there is to me. For some reason, somehow, you calm that temper. I don't know how or why but it's true," He elaborated.
He almost gained a saddened look in his eyes as he reminded her, "one day I'll be the head of the Kuchiki family—when that day comes I can't afford to have lost face with someone who may be under my command. I can't let them prank me now or that could easily happen but with you—I don't know. I mean we tease each other a little, yes, but—there's nothing overtly disrespectful about it. The disrespect is usually what sets off the short fuse."
"In other words you give the cold shoulder to save face and protect your pride. I'm just the lucky odd duck that gets to see those walls come down, but when someone else is there expect those walls to be up," she concluded.
"More or less," he agreed while extending his hand to her with the invitation, "shall we head home?"
She regarded his hand before looking to him, accepting his hand and nodding in agreement. Byakuya smiled before the both of them flash stepped away from where they had been.