Oh wow, people actually are enjoying this story. I suppose this was a good idea, after all...
Okay folks, here's the next chapter. Please take notice that the first part is a non-related conversation between Byakuya and Renji. You may recognise it from my story Random Bleach Tales...
Enjoy! :)
Better Left Unknown
Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai walked calmly down the streets of the Soul Society. They had just finished a mission, having slain a rather large and powerful Hollow. Not suprisingly, neither of the two Soul Reapers had a scratch on them. As they walked along silently, Renji appeared to be in deep thought. Something was obviously on his mind. "Captain Kuchiki?" he asked at last.
Byakuya glanced over at him, not uttering a word. What does he want?
"We've been comrades for a long time," Renji pointed out.
I don't like where this is going... Byakuya thought.
"We could consider ourselves friends, I suppose..." Renji shrugged. "We've helped each other out many times."
I really don't like where this is going...
"Like that time that woman at the barber shop butchered your hair, and I helped you find a wig..." Renji reminisced.
Why did he have to bring that up?
"And that time that idiot messed up my tatoos, and you got him to give me a refund..." Renji smirked at the memory.
All I did was glare at the guy... Its not like I meant to make him cry...
"So I'm sure we can trust each other with certain information..." Renji commented.
I swear, if he says he's gay, I'm killing him. No questions asked.
"So can you answer a personal question for me?" Renji looked over at his Captain.
"I suppose..." Byakuya replied.
"Okay..." Renji nodded. "Answer honestly..."
"What is it?" Byakuya asked, casting a sideways glance at Renji.
"Do you have the hots for your sister?" Renji asked.
The coma that Renji was beaten into lasted three weeks. When he awoke, he had no memory of the event that occured, nor how to use chopsticks.
Moral of the Story: Don't ask Byakuya about Rukia. Ever.
Poor Renji... Curiousity killed the cat, I suppose.
Okay, now lets get on to the real story...
As Byakuya packed his things, he could not help but ponder the situation he was getting himself into. He'd be stuck in the human world, with none of the luxuries he was accustomed to. He'd also be stuck with Renji, which did not appeal to him very much, either. But, he had his reasons for going, and they were not pancakes. Although, he did like pancakes... But not enough to go camping on Earth with Renji. Indeed, he had decieved Renji. His reasons for going were, in fact, quite different.
Actually, Renji had mentioned them during the conversation, but Byakuya had pretended not to be interested. For one thing, he wished to see Rukia. Despite being the cold and harsh person he was, he did have some traces of brotherly affection for his adoptive sister. He wished to see for himself how well life on Earth was going for her. He also wished to see how well Ichigo Kurosaki was taking care of her. He was not fond of that boy, nor the obvious fact that he and Rukia had some sort of conection forming, if not already formed, between them. He needed to see for himself how well the two faired together under normal circumstances. If Ichigo treated her kindly, then he would feel less troubled by their... relationship. If Ichigo did not treat her with the respect she deserved, or dared to lay a hand on her, he... he...
Byakuya clenched his fist at the idea, imagining Ichigo Kurosaki being shredded in an instant by billions of sakura petals. "Death by pretty flowers!" was the way a 6th Division member had once described the shikai attack of Byakuya's Zanpakto. Sadly, he made the mistake of saying this in the general presence of Byakuya. Seconds later, the man was decimated by Senbonzakura's petals of steel.
This, however, brought up the other reason for Byakuya's consent to the trip. What Renji had mentioned about flowers was true. Byakuya loved to study, collect, and document flowers. He'd read books on the plants and flowers of the human world, but he'd never had the opportunity nor the time to examine them for himself. And now that he was going camping, he would have the perfect chance to study flowers in peace. He'd just have to make sure Renji didn't see him doing so. But then again, it was doubtful the Vice-Captain would dare to breath a word of it to anyone else. The threat of castration by Senbonzakura tended to keep the man's mouth shut.
Byakuya finally finished his packing. He had several sets of travelling clothes, several books and writing utensils for studying flowers, a box of emergency rations (he doubted Renji could cook anything decent, let alone pancakes...), a spirit phone to warn of Hollows and/or call for rescue (from either the Hollows or Renji...) with, and of course... a picture of his deceased wife, Hisana. He always slept with a portrait of her by his beside, facing towards him. No one else knew this about him, of course. Not even Rukia...
But Renji would undoubtably learn about it over the course of the camping trip. Which would, of course, be no problem. As previously mentioned, the threat of castration worked wonders with Renji...
Byakuya likes to hate on Renji, doesn't he?
Next chapter: The trip begins!
Thanks for reading, folks! I hope you enjoyed the chapter... See ya!
-Agent HUNK