((Alright, so…here is something new. I just couldn't get this out of my head until I wrote it. I've been editing it and I feel like if I keep doing that I'll just go nuts. So, I'm posting it. I hope you guys like it and want me to continue. Don't worry, I'll be updating BOTT-Reboot as well. I just wanted to get this out. It's a little different. Enjoy~ Love, Mina.))
Renij walked into the Sixth Division main office only to find it empty. It was a little odd since he knew his Taichou was always there before him. Byakuya Kuchiki was never one to be late to anything. In fact, the noble preferred to be a little early, if he could, to the office. There always seemed to be something he needed to see to.
Renji scratched the back of his head. I wonder where Taichou is. He's technically late now. He thought as he looked up to the clock. 8:06 am He was a little concerned for the noble but figured he'd wait a little bit before he decided to go looking for him if he needed to. Perhaps the other got caught up in a matter with his clan.
The redhead took a seat at his desk, attempting to get started on his reports for a little bit. A tall stack of reports moved from one side of his desk to the other as he finished them. He was always a little slower than Byakuya was. So, it took him longer to get through them. When he looked up at the clock again, he noticed just how long the reports took. 11:15 am. His gaze strayed from the clock to the Taichou's desk. It was still unoccupied. Which meant that Byakuya was now extremely late even by an emergency's standards.
Renji was now more than a little concerned since the morning hours had gone by pretty quickly. He had never known Byakuya Kuchiki to be late to anything. The redhead tried to think back on if the noble had told him he'd be out the day before. He couldn't recall being told such a thing though.
He rose from his chair and left the office. Renji thought, that perhaps, Byakuya was in his personal quarters although he didn't sense his reiatsu at all. Still, he walked down the hall and checked the Taichou's room. He's not here… His brows furrowed as he looked around. It looked like the room hadn't been touched in a few days. The bathroom looked untouched as well. Which would make sense since Byakuya usually went home to the manor after most work unless he was especially tired or was preparing for a mission.
Renji thought for a moment as he stood in the empty quarters. Maybe I should ask Rukia if he was alright this mornin'. If he was sick, then it'd make sense that he's not here. But…no. He'd notify me. Hell, his staff would notify me of his absence. They'd tell me to be sure to get things done and to not slack on the paperwork. He'd do that if something with the clan came up too. There must be something wrong…
The redhead sighed. "Damn it." Normally, he wouldn't have worried about it if this happened… But something in his gut told him to worry. This was highly unusual for Byakuya, and Renji just couldn't shake the feeling there was something wrong.
He summoned two hell butterflies. One to Rukia and one to Byakuya. They both went winging away silently. Hopefully, Byakuya had just forgotten to let him know that he'd be late. The redhead checked the time again and saw that it was now going on 11:30 am into the workday. He turned and left the room. As he walked back down the hall, he saw Rikichi on his way to the office.
"Yo, Rikichi," He called, making the young Shinigami pause.
"Renji-san!" Rikichi greeted with a smile as he waited for Renji to catch up with him. "Good morning,"
"Mornin'," Renji greeted in return. "Hey, have you seen or heard anything about Kuchiki Taichou?"
Rikichi's head tilted in confusion. "Eh? He's not in the office already? He's usually here five minutes early if not on time."
The redhead shook his head. "No,"
Rikichi's brows furrowed. His hand came up to scratch his chin in thought. "That's weird. Kuchiki Taichou is never late."
"Yeah," Renji replied, growing more concerned. "I know. I checked his private quarters but he's not there either."
"That makes sense, I did see him on his way home last night." The younger man replied. "I was on my way out too and said goodnight to him." Rikichi gazed at Renji, knowing by his expression he was worried. He knew even if it was still early the workday that this was highly unusual. "Would you like me to go find him?" He offered.
"Nah," Renji replied. "Instead, can you handle things here for a bit? I think I'm going to go check to see if he's at Kuchiki Manor."
Rikichi nodded, looking more concerned by the second. "Sure. You don't think something happened to Kuchiki Taichou, do you?"
The fukutaichou's jaw clenched, attempting to not think the worst. "I hope not, kid. Look after things here. Don't forget about the trainin' session for the new recruits this afternoon."
"Hai, Renji-san. I'll make sure things are taken care of here." The young officer assured.
"Thanks, I'll see ya later." Renji walked out of the division and down the steps. He was greeted by a hell butterfly. A message from Rukia.
"Renji, I had breakfast with Nii-sama at home. He seemed fine just like any other day. He was wearing his Taichou uniform so I can only assume he was going to work after breakfast. Did Nii-sama make it to the Sixth?"
Now, Renji's anxiety had risen more from Rukia's return message. And what was worse was that Byakuya hadn't sent a reply at all yet.
So, Byakuya was going to come to work on time, but something happened in between. "Fuck." He swore. He sent a message back. He assured her he'd find him and let her know.
He flash stepped through the streets of Seireitei, becoming a blur to everyone roaming them.
I have to get there soon. Something is definitely wrong.
He came upon the Manor and knocked on the door. The redhead waited a few mere seconds before knocking again. "Come on, come on…" Renji groaned. "Open the damn door…"
He was really trying to be patient, knowing if he just blasted the door open, he'd look like a fool. Especially, if Byakuya was on the other side of it.
Finally, after a few minutes, the door opened with the housekeeper, Reina, on the other side. She looked worried which unnerved Renji. The older woman was always so stern looking even if she was kind to the redhead. So, the worry lines on her face made his insides clench.
"Abarai-san," she said solemnly. "Have you seen Byakuya-sama?"
Now the unnerved feeling got even worse. He shook his head. "Kuchiki Taichou never made it to work."
Reina moved so Renji could come inside. "Come, you should speak with Mana-sama. We found her unconscious outside in the gardens early this morning. However, the healer has said she is awake now. Perhaps she knows something."
"Unconscious?" Renji asked, walking inside so Reina could close the door. "Was she attacked?"
"I can only assume so, Abarai-san. She was pretty badly beaten as if someone was extremely angry with her." Reina replied and started to guide Renji around the house to Mana's room. "She was not making any sense when she first woke. She just kept asking about Byakuya-sama."
When they finally reached the noble's room Reina knocked softly on the door. "C-come," Mana called from the other side.
The housekeeper opened the door and walked in with Renji in tow. "Mana-sama, I brought Abarai Fukutaichou with me. How are you feeling?"
"A bit dizzy," Mana managed honestly while holding her head. She sat in her bed in a black yukata, hair tied into a low side ponytail and her dark bangs pinned up, and one hand bandaged.
Renji gasped when he saw the young woman's face as her hand fell to her lap. She had been beaten pretty badly. Her lip was split, one of her mismatched eyes was closed and heavily bruised, and a bruise was forming on her cheek. Someone powerful had to have done this. She wasn't a weak Shinigami by any means. Being that she is cousins with not only Kuchiki Byakuya but also Shihoin Yoruichi. -
"Mana-san, what happened?" he asked quietly. "How in Kami's name did this happen to you?"
The noble turned her normally hidden golden eye to Renji. "A-abarai-san," She said, jumping up from her bed. She ignored the dizzy feeling that threatened to have her collapse. "Have you seen B-Byakuya-sama? Please tell me he is safe!"
"Whoa, calm down," Renji told her, gently taking her arm to steady her. "You look like you're goin' to fall over."
Mana shook her head. It made the dizziness worse, but she didn't care. "Never mind me. Byakuya-sama—"
"Stop and sit down, you can tell me what you know then." Renji coaxed her back to her bed. He knew she wanted to fight him on it but didn't have the strength to. Instead, she climbed back in bed and leaned back on the pillows.
"Abarai-san," She pleaded. "Have you seen Byakuya-sama? He was with me. We were taking a walk and then I was attacked from behind." Tears came to her eyes. "Please tell me you have seen him."
The redhead shook his head worriedly. "No, I came here to see if somethin' had happened. He never made it to work."
Mana bit her lip as a tear slipped free and slid down her pale cheek. "Dammit…"
"Do you remember anything else, Mana-sama?" Reina asked. "Anything at all?"
"Not much." The young noble replied bitterly. "Everything is fuzzy. My head… whoever attacked me hit my head."
Reina bowed. "Oh, I will go get the healer again." The older woman left the two alone to go find the healer.
"They did more than that," Renji spoke to Mana, sitting down on the edge of the bed, and raising a hand to the other's face gently. He sent soft green healing reiatsu into her cheek, making the dark bruise fade gradually.
Her golden eye closed and she sucked in a relieved breath. "Arigatou, Abarai-san."
"No problem." He replied, relieved he could give her some comfort. His healing abilities weren't on par with his Taichou's but it was something. He moved his hand up to her eye to begin healing it. The damage was bad, but it was gradually getting better while being healed.
He was still worried for Byakuya but he knew Byakuya would be worried for his cousin. Plus, he needed Mana to remember everything she could. So, if he could lower her anxiety, he'd figure it'd help the fog in her head ease. It'd likely help all around for them to take a breath. "Do you think you could think a bit more to try to remember?"
"Perhaps," she replied, keeping her eyes closed and thinking back to the early morning hours. She tried her hardest to remember something…anything. Only short flashes came to her mind, though.
X-x-X-x-X
"Byakuya-sama," Mana smiled as she stepped off the wooden walkway. She walked over to her cousin as he stood from the breakfast table. "Would you like to go for a walk?"
Byakuya nodded. "Certainly." He was already dressed for the workday. "I still have a few minutes before I need to leave for the Sixth."
X-x-X-x-X
Mana's brow furrowed as she looked around. Sensing an odd reiatsu nearby. "Do you sense that, Byakuya-sama?"
"I do." The clan leader replied, bringing his hand up to rest on the hilt of Senbonzakura. He took up position next to his cousin.
Mana's large gray and golden eyes scanned their surroundings. She felt the reiatsu getting stronger as the seconds ticked by. It was strange. She could sense it and it was close, but she couldn't seem to tell what direction it was coming from. It was as if it was all around them.
X-x-X-x-X
The purple-haired Shinigami tensed as she saw a flash of white. It blinded her enough to make her close her eyes. She drew her sword and listened to her surroundings.
X-x-X-x-X
Mana's sword came in contact with another's. At first, she thought it was Senbonzakura since her cousin was likely blinded as well. However, it wasn't. The reiatsu signature was different. It was a foreign blade. One she didn't have an idea of who it belonged to.
"Mana…" Byakuya's voice was distant. As if he had been across the Kuchiki estate.
"Mana…" Byakuya's voice said again. "Behind you!"
Mana swung around to fend off the next strike. However, the next second something hard landed a blow to the back of her head. She slumped to the ground, seeing only flashes of white as she tried to get up. She clenched her eyes shut as a wave of dizziness came about.
X-x-X-x-X
"Now…you…learn…not…fight…cannot see…" A muffled voice said to her. She felt that she was roughly turned onto her back and several blows to her face and abdomen came in contact. She lost her breath and couldn't move. Her ears rang loudly.
"S-stop…!" She heard Byakuya's muffled voice pant out.
X-x-X-x-X
Her eye golden eye opened wide to look at the redhead. She took his hand from her other eye. It felt better now that it was somewhat healed. But he wanted him to listen to her before she forgot again. She didn't trust her memory with her injuries.
"I remember… a flash of white and a voice. I couldn't tell who it was that attacked us. I remember hearing Byakuya-sama as well. He sounded injured, telling whoever was attacking me to stop." She clenched her fist on her lap. She was so frustrated with herself and with the situation. "It was so sudden. I did not have the time to react once the white cloud surrounded us."
"White cloud?" Renji questioned her. He had never heard of that type of power before.
The noble nodded. "Hai, It was foggy, cloudy, and the purest white I have ever seen before. What was odd too was that whoever attacked us made it so we couldn't get what direction they were coming from. Their power surrounded us from all sides. It is possible there was more than just one person. However, I do know that it seemed that just one person attacked me personally. Their reiatsu signature never changed and became more aggravated the more I fought back."
"So, someone attacked you…and it seemed personal considering your injuries," Renji concluded.
"Perhaps…" Mana nodded. "Besides you, I am with Byakuya-sama most of the time."
"I wonder…" Renji thought aloud.
"What?" Mana asked, wondering what the other was thinking.
Renji stood up and paced for a few minutes, thinking.
"What?" Mana asked again, urging the redhead to voice his thoughts.
Renji stopped and turned to Mana. "What if someone thought you were more than Taichou's cousin?"
The purple-haired woman blinked in surprise. "You think someone attacked us to get me out of the way? To get to Byakuya-sama?"
The redhead shrugged. "It makes sense considering your injuries and the fact that no one has seen Taichou since this morning. They could have thought you were dating or somethin'."
"But who would want to just take Byakuya-sama like that? There are easier less noticeable ways. Plus, if it was another clan then they could have courted him normally if they wished." Mana replied.
"Yeah, but I think they wanted to be noticed…and I'm not sure if they wanted Taichou that way. It's just a hunch." Renji told her.
"A very good one, in my opinion." Said a voice from the door. Both Renji and Mana looked to the door to see three people at the door.
Reina, an older man, Renji assumed to be a clan healer since he had a medical bag, and a person Renji didn't recognize stepped into the room. The healer walked to beside Mana's bed and looked over her injuries again. He sent healing energy into her wounded eye. Renji turned his gaze back to the housekeeper and the new person.
The mystery woman was dressed in a dark red kimono to match her red eyes and her long raven hair was tied back into a braid. To Renji she looked like she was a part of the clan but there was also an air that she was different. She has all of the Kuchiki features but her eyes. They're different. Bright scarlet, bold, and somehow softer looking than the rest of the Kuchikis' gray eyes.
She gazed at Renji for a moment, pondering. "You are Abarai Renji Fukutaichou, correct?"
He nodded, still wondering who this woman was. "Yeah, who are you?"
Reina gave Renji a stern look. As if he had just made a grave mistake. "She is Kuchiki Kameko, our clan Head Elder."
"Oh," Renji gaped, a little embarrassed. She looked so young to be a Head Elder. He quickly bowed to the young woman. "Sorry, I didn't know."
"That is all right." Kameko replied gently. She didn't mind he didn't know. It only made sense. "Not many realize my position until they are told. It is of no surprise that you did not know either, considering this is our first meeting."
Renji straightened to look at the other. "Right. So, uh, Kameko-san, you said that my guess was a good one?"
"Hai," Kameko nodded. "It's a reasonable guess and we do have many people interested in Byakuya-sama and our clan."
The healer stole her attention as he turned back to the others now that he was done with Mana's healing. He healed her bruised eye and split lip. The bandage on her wrist was still there but it had been changed. The head elder turned to the healer. "How is Mana-chan? Why did you not heal her earlier?"
The older man flushed and bowed to Kameko. "My apologies, Kameko-sama. I wanted to assess her injuries further to see if I could tell whom attacked her and Byakuya-sama. However, she is, for the most part, all right." He straightened to look at his head elder. "She should stay in bed and rest for a couple of days but other than that I have healed her as best as I could for now. Her eye was badly damaged so it may take longer for her to heal and see clearly." The old healer told the other.
"I see, did you find anything conclusive?" Kameko asked quietly.
The older man shook his head. "Not as of yet. However, I have taken reiatsu samples from her. I will go and see what I find out."
"Alright, arigatou. You may go." Kameko said and sighed.
"Hai, Kameko-sama." The healer bowed and was escorted out of the room by Reina.
Kameko's eyes landed on Mana and she frowned deeply. "Are you truly all right, Mana-chan?"
"I feel much better, Kameko-sama." Mana said, smiling gently. Her eye and lip were healed on the surface. But they could tell she was straining to see clearly. "Why are you here?" She was genuinely happy to see the other but was surprised she came all this way.
"I heard about the attack. I was worried for you." Kameko said, moving to sit on the edge of Mana's bed and taking her hands into her own. "I am relieved that you are all right and are here."
"Arigatou, Kameko-sama." Mana spoke softly. For some reason, Renji felt like he was intruding on an intimate moment between the two. However, he wasn't sure he should leave since he still wanted to talk about the incident. Though, he couldn't make himself speak and break the moment the two women were having. They seemed close.
Kameko squeezed Mana's hands gently. She was beyond relieved her cousin was okay. She was also relieved that she wasn't taken with Byakuya. The head elder didn't know if she'd be able to deal with both of her closest relatives being missing.
"Kameko-sama…" Mana said softly, raising one of her hands to wipe a tear from the other's cheek. "Are you all right?"
Kameko was shocked at herself. She hadn't even realized that the tear slid down her cheek. She cleared her throat and shook her head to clear her mind. "My apologies. I am just relieved. You and Byakuya-sama are my closest family besides my father. Having Byakuya-sama gone right now is distressing but at least you are here."
The other woman smiled sympathetically. "It'll take more than a surprise attack to get rid of me…And we will find, Byakuya-sama. I promise."
Kameko chuckled softly at Mana's first statement. She rubbed gentle circles with her thumb on the one hand that she still held of Mana's. "I suppose so." She sighed deeply and looked over to the redhead. He looked to be analyzing the two but didn't seem to want to ask invasive questions. She was grateful for this and somehow it made it so she didn't feel the need to hide her true nature with him. So, shockingly she wasn't embarrassed by him seeing her weak moment.
"Abarai-sa-," Kameko began.
"Renji." He corrected her softly. "You guys can call me Renji." He never felt people should be so formal with him. It always made him feel uncomfortable.
"Renji-san," Kameko nodded. "I'd like to ask you to head the investigation for Byakuya-sama for the Kuchiki clan. I know you will for the Gotei but with Mana's and my help I'd like you to look into this personally."
"Of course," he replied without hesitation. "I will do everything I can to bring him back."