Hey there. It's been a long time, but gladly i'm back!

purplepam, Outer space-alien XV, Thunder Claw03, Thunder Claw03, V, anon, IchigoMoonCutter, Guest, . , B000097z, DinieLuvYunho, Eradona, teshichan, Avalon360, ShuheiKun, scottusa1, Aleaster, tituslepetitlion, ChaosMuramasa13, Methrindal, TomoMee, KuchikiSummerfrost, ilovebks. All of you thank you for your reviews! :) Here you have a new chapter! Enjoy it!

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8. Operation dealing the nobility: totally failed

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The reporter( while running on the corridor): Kuchiki taicho! Kuchiki taicho! Just a second! Could tell us a few words about your brother in law, Kurosaki Ichigo? How did he integrate in his new noble family when he married your sister?

Byakuya ( while he was walking): I do not think he ever integrated…

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"Keep your back straight… and your chin as well. No, not that high! Look forward! I said look forward but not into my eyes! The nobles don't stare at each other's. It's rude."

Ichigo gasped annoyed as he tried to follow Byakuya's instructions. He was back in Sereitei for two days and ever since he hasn't done anything but practice the noble ways at the Kuchiki manor. Apparently Byakuya had offered special time in teaching him the tea ceremony along with all the "good manners" he was supposed to display at the engagement party, next week and moreover at the tea ceremony he had to attend tomorrow. As he stood in the living room dressed in e ceremonial kimono, he looked in his left with the corner of his eyes. It seemed that Rukia, who was sitting next to him, could perform the ceremony without any difficulty. He gasped again.

"And don't sight. Nobles certainly don't sight during tea ceremony." Byakuya added.

"Well I'm not a noble!" Ichigo finally replied annoyed.

"Indeed. You are not… yet" Byakuya replied as he prepared the tea in his bowl with most refined and precise gestures.

"Yet?... What is that supposed to mean? I'm marrying a noble, that doesn't mean I'm going to become one!" Ichigo added, as he was mixing the herbal in his bowl with pretty brutal movements.

Byakuya didn't reply. He only exchanged a meaningful look with Rukia.

"What?!" Ichigo snapped annoyed, as he hated when the brothers two were acting in complicity. "What?"

Byakuya turned his eyes to Ichigo and his face suddenly darkened:

"You spilled it! Your tea is all over the floor!"

Ichigo lowered his eyes and noticed that Byakuya was right:

"Well ,you told me to mix the herbals hard!" he defended himself.

"I said to mix them not to spill them" Byakuya replied, calmly but pointing each of his words.

Ichigo growled and looked at Rukia to check if she was doing it better. For his disappointment, she appeared to have the same skills as Byakuya.

"How can you do it?" he asked her intrigued. "I mean Byakuya I get it. He's one stiffed noble, but you aren't Rukia. How can you do it, then?"

Rukia didn't answer as she knew that during tea ceremony the silence and the peace were essential. Of neither course this session wasn't silent or peaceful, but as she wanted to make a good impression in fort of her brother, she decided to keep the appearances.

"I believe that being smarter than you, explains how she can succeed where you successively fail, Ichigo." Byakuya stated.

Ichigo frowned annoyed, while Rukia bowed her face to hide a cocky smirk.

"But that doesn't mean you have to lose hope" Byakuya added. "Rukia wasn't born knowing how to prepare tea, myself I wasn't born knowing that and even though, we obviously learned it faster than you, it doesn't mean that you will not learn how do it…eventually"

Ichigo cocked an eyebrow. If Byakuya's intention was to encourage him, he clearly failed. The only thing he succeeded in, was to make him look stupid and unmannered in front of Rukia. Anyway, it's not like he cared about what Rukia was thinking about him… Or did he?

Byakuya suddenly put down his bowl and got up.

"I have an appointment, so I will leave the rest to Rukia, but when I'll return at dinner time, I'm expecting you to serve us the tea properly, Ichigo."

"The hell I will!" Ichigo replied putting down his bowl as it was some kind of poisoned food.

Byakuya didn't reply and Rukia got up in order to lead him to the exit. As they were approaching the door, Byakuya stopped for a moment:

"Your future husband is no good" he stated.

Rukia bowed her head, abstaining herself comments such as "He might be, but weren't you the one who chose it?".

"You know, I heard that!" Ichigo snapped from his seat.

Byakuya looked at him with the corner of his eyes.

"You should me more grateful to me, Byakuya, given that I saved you from marrying to your sister." Ichigo added slightly annoyed.

"And for that you get to marry a wonderful woman which you obviously don't deserve." Byakuya replied icily.

Both of them pierced each other with a deadly glare, while Rukia bowed her face again, in order to hide the blush on her cheeks. She couldn't believe that her brother had just called her "a wonderful woman".

"So I wonder who should be more grateful and to who, Kurosaki" Byakuya concluded coldly and then he turned to Rukia. " He must be toughed our ways before the party, otherwise he will never be acknowledged by the clan no matter how many adoption papers he will sign"

"What adoption?!" Ichigo suddenly snapped.

Byakuya looked at Rukia:

"You didn't tell him yet, didn't you?" he asked her with low voice.

Rukia shook her head negatively.

"I see" Byakuya added. "It's alright. He will find out soon enough, anyway"

"What are you two whispering there?" Ichigo asked annoyed.

Byakuya opened the door and stepped out:

"Rukia, I'm expecting that by diner time he won't spill the tea on the floor anymore."

"Leave him to me, Nii-sama" Rukia replied politely. "Have a nice day, Nii-sama"

Byakuya left the room and Rukia gracefully closed the door. She waited for a couple of seconds and then she approached Ichigo with small steps and one of her fake, but dangerous smiles. When she reached him she gracefully took Ichigo's tea bowl from the floor and… she threw it on the top of his head!

"What was that?!" he snapped angry as his orange hair was slowly turning green from the tea.

"That's because you're an asswhole!" she snapped, dropping the entire noble and graceful act. "Nii-sama took from his precious time to teach you the tea ceremony, but you have been so rude by yelling and interrupting him at every five seconds! If it wouldn't have been for the Elders who are coming tomorrow, he would have had you slice opened by now!"

Ichigo started to laugh.

"The hell he will Rukia! Don't you remember who beat his ass in order to save you from the execution?" he replied with a cocky frown.

"I still believe that he let you win that fight!" she replied stiffed.

"What?!" he snapped.

She took another bowl, put some plants in it and then she gave it to Ichigo:

"Here you go! This time you'll mix them the right way!" she snapped with a bossy tone and then she turned around heading to the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" he asked intrigued.

"To my headquarters, Ichigo!" she answered and she took of her ceremonial haiori, remaining in her shinigami uniform. "… Because, unlike others, I also have to work!" she replied.

He cocked an eyebrow as he got up and followed her:

"So you are going to office when your brother asked to stay here and teach me to prepare this stupid tea? It sounds to me or are you going to disobey your brother's orders?"

She stopped and turned to him with a malicious smile:

"Well, as Nii-sama early mentioned you are stupid enough to not be able to perform the tea ceremony! Nii-sama showed you five times already and you didn't get how to mix those stupid plants! I don't think that explain you for the sixth time will do any difference!" she said and she turned her back, continuing to the door.

"And what am I going to do until diner, all alone in this huge manor?" he asked worried since Rukia was determined to leave.

She stopped again:

"You heard, Nii-sama! You will improve you tea!"

"You know I will not do that!"

She frowned annoyed:

"You will do it, Ichigo because Nii-sama told you so and because you won't ashamed us in front of the Elders tomorrow!"

"Hey stop that!" Ichigo snapped annoyed. "Just because Byakuya is bossing you around, it doesn't mean that the same thing will happen to me!"

Rukia cocked an eyebrow, amused:

"Well, Ichigo even if you like it or not, he is already your boss!"

Ichigo started to laugh.

"That was a good one, Rukia! You really have the sense of humor" he replied, but Rukia looked at him with a straight face:

"Ichigo, Nii-sama is the head of this clan…and once we'll be married you will also be part of this family."

Ichigo's laugh suddenly stopped.

"So once you'll start to wear the Kuchiki name, you will have to learn to obey Nii-sama." Rukia added.

" The Kuchicki…WHAT?!" Ichigo shouted.

Rukia smiled maliciously and opened the door:

"Have fun with the tea, Ichigo!" were her last words before she shunpo-ed and leave Ichigo in a shock estate.

"No…i… will never wear the Kuchiki name…" he whispered with scarred voice. "No… no fucking way!"

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The servant led Byakuya inside the house and stopped him in front of a closed door. As the servant knocked on the door and announced Byakuya's arrival, a middle aged man with a wrinkled face appeared in the threshold.
"Byakuya, i was expecting you. I already had my pen prepared for signing!" He said as he was inviting him in the office. As he stepped in, Byakuya discovered a large room with traditional furniture, but full of gadgets and souvenirs from the human world.
"I can see that your daughter is still sending you presents" Byakuya staed as he stopped in front of the desk.
"Well, yes, of course. Haruna writes me every month. Sometimes she asks me about you. Would you like me to send her your greetings?" The middle aged man replied.
Byakuya didn't answer and the man in front of him gasped sorrowfully.
"I guess not... maybe next time. But you know, she truly asks about you..."
Again, Byakuya didn't reply. He just sat and stares at the man in front of him, Goroza Ryoing, one of the most powerful elder in the Kuchiki Council.
"Anyway, we should get down to business." The elder concluded as he exited from a drawer a pen. Byakuya handed him then some documents that he began to read carefully.
"So ,this Kurosaki will be part of our clan. My opinion is that you made a good move. Even if he's not a noble, he's quite a star in Seireitei ever since the Aizen incident. Our clan made a good acquisition."
" If you feel this way, then sigh the adoption agreement" Byakuya said coldly.
Goroza cocked an eyebrow and put the pen aside for a moment:
" You don't have to worry about me because i will sign, but what are you going to do about those like Katsuya? They still want you married to Rukia so that you won't turn her into this family's head, after you'll retire."
The only answer that Byakuya offered back was his emotionless and impassive expression. Goroza sight and finally, he took the pen to sign the documents.
"You know that Katsuya will give you a hard time at the engagement party, right?..." he added.
"Goroza, you've done your job, so let me worry about Katsuya" Byakuya replied as he took back the documents and got up from his seat. "Have a good day. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

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Rukia shunpo-ed away from her home, wondering if she chose the right moment to tell Ichigo about the adoption papers. Obviously it was the worst moment, but she felt like she couldn't stand him anymore. Ever since they got back in Seireitei he did nothing but nagging her: "I'm not any preparing tea!", "I'm not wearing any ridiculous kimonos", "I'm not going to any party", "Ok, I'm going but I won't stay more than an hour!" .She just had to pay him back somehow.

She stepped into her quarters ready to meet her captain. An hour ago, she received a message from him, requesting her presence immediately. She knocked on the door and Ukitake invited her in, but the moment she heard his voice, she frowned worried: he sounded …ill.

"Ukitake Taicho… are you alright?" she asked as she opened the door.

"SURPIZE!"

Rukia's eyes widened for a second, but the next one, they rolled annoyed, accompanied by a hopeless sight: Apparently all the officers of the 13 Division were in Ukitake's office, throwing with confetti and holding banners with "Congratulations for your wedding".

'When is all this going to end?' she mentally asked herself as she displayed one of her charming, but fake smiles. It was already the third so called "surprise party" she was attending. First it was at home organized by her maids and the second was at the SWA headquarters.

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Renji got up from his seat for the fifth time. He went to his captain's office, but again, he found no one inside. He gasped nervously. He knew that Rukia got back two days ago, but he didn't manage to get in touch with her. She didn't show up at work and at the Kuchiki manor he couldn't appear without an appointment. He hoped that he catch his captain in a good mood and get some ingormations from him, but apparently Byakuya didn't show up at work, either. He turned, prepared to return to his office… But then he saw Byakuya approaching.

"Taicho! Taicho!" he shouted as he running to him.

"Renji… there's no need to yell. I'm not deaf." Byakuya replied with a slight forwn.

"I'm sorry" he said and made a deep bow. "But I was waiting for you!"

"I wonder why that is not surprising me." Byakuya replied while he was heading to his office. "What happened? You couldn't manage this week's rapports?"

"Well, now that you mentioned, I have some problems with the reports… but that's not why I was waiting for you. Actually is about… Rukia"

Hearing his sister's name mentioned, Byakuya stopped and turned to Renji curiously:

"I mean, she didn't show up at work and I was wondering… if she's alright." Renji said with a low voice, intimidated by the inquiry expression of his captain's grey eyes.

"Rukia is doing fine." Byakuya replied. "She had to take a few days off due to the wedding preparations. Now go back to work, Renji"

'So it's true' Renji stated mentally and felt like something hard just hit him. He stopped in the middle of the corridor and watched his captain furthering away.

"Taicho… can I come and visit Rukia?" he asked with a low voice.

From the threshold of his office Byakuya slightly turned his neck to his lieutenant:

"Renji… bring the reports you had problems with on my desk" were his only words before he closed the door behind him.

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To be continued...

Not much is happening in this chapter, but that is because the initial chapter was so long so i had split it! But don't forget, the more you review, the faster i update! Maybe saturday or sunday... but it depends on you ;)