Chapter: Shut Me Up

Shalan's Grimace: This chapter… was inspired by the song Shut Me Up by Mindless Self Indulgence(imagine that… the chapter is called Shut Me Up OMG). I really… have no idea what the hell I'm going to do with myself… I'm sure part of it… will be based on another song or two… because I ALWAYS listen to music when I write… which is why I always seem to include the lyrics in the chapter if you watch what they say… XDDD anyways… read on!

YAY! I've been made very happy… I have reviews!!! Of course… I'm used to getting them for Somewhere, Apostando and The Best… but for this one? OMG YAY! Thank you guys! I love you so much! And I will continue to post as often as I can… which is usually once a day or so… YAY!

&&&

Renji whipped Zabimaru into the air and it stretched out, he swung it around twisting his body as it slammed into one of the dummies. "That is called effectively using your zanpakūto." Byakuya motioned as Zabimaru linked back together.

"It's called Renji showing off…" one of the students snorted and Renji frowned, folding his arms across his chest. Byakuya walked over to the student.

"I was asked to come and help your teacher today… if you want something in particular then why don't you ask for it?" His thumb slid Sebonzakura out of its sheath a few inches.

"Yeah Keitaro… why don't you ask for what you want…" another student made a rather rude hand motion at the kid who had spoken.

"I got this boss…" Renji stepped out from behind him. "You want to see showing off?" His eyebrow tilted upwards and the kid blinked. "I can show you showing off if you want…" Zabimaru returned to its sealed form and he sheathed the sword. "A hand to hand match… you and me… if you think you're so tough." Byakuya let something resembling a grin flit across his lips. Renji was playing with fire on this one, he couldn't truly defeat the kid or he'd kill him, nor could he lose because then the honor he had worked so hard to gain would be lost.

As Renji pulled his kimono off the icy air stung his tattooed skin. He nearly shuddered but to stop himself he kept moving, throwing the kimono to the side. Keitaro follow suit, tossing his kimono over to the side. Renji let his hands dropped to his side and his eyes flitted over to his captain. Byakuya had been acting so strangely lately… he thought back to what had happened a few weeks before…

&&&

"Thank you for coming to see me Renji…" Byakuya stood with his back to him as Renji led Celeste in behind him. The pretty blonde stood behind and to the left of Renji, her eyes glued on Byakuya.

"You asked me to come see you, sir…" he ground out between gritted teeth.

"So what's your name?" The captain didn't even turn around; he continued to look out the window.

"Celeste…" she said softly as Byakuya turned his head to look at her over his shoulder.

"Heavenly…" he nodded his head as his body followed his head, turning to look at her.

"Yes… that was what some people used to say…" her eyes averted and she examined his body posture to determine if he was going to hurt them. He didn't look threatening. His spiritual pressure was almost overwhelming, as was his lieutenants, but for some reason the way he carried himself at this moment… he seemed more like a broken man with a dark past. "How did she die?" Celeste's sky blue eyes met his navy and his eyes narrowed.

"Abarai…" his voice was warning and Renji shrugged, looking over at her.

"He didn't tell me… I just drew it from the way you are…" she said very plainly as if it were something everyone could do.

"You have been gifted with the power of observation… you would make a good shinigami…" Byakuya folded his arms and Renji blinked. Had his captain just complimented someone. "Hisana was just like you…" then Renji narrowed his eyes. What was bringing up his captain's dead wife?

"Hisana… was her name then…" her eyes made another scan of him. He held his shoulders back and straight, his head tilted up slightly, showing that he was proud and decided. He seemed to have something of a regal air about him. "You're nobility then…" Renji nodded his head.

"Why are you here in the Seireitei?" Byakuya's eyes never left Renjii who was staring straight ahead.

"I brought her here sir," Byakuya tilted his head.

"Is that true?"

"Yessir… he rescued me from some thugs that were attempting to harm me," Byakuya nodded.

"Very well then… you may stay… if you train to become a shinigami…" Renji nearly fell over. Byakuya was going easy on him… why? "Now please go wait in Lieutenant Abarai's quarters while I have a word with him," Celeste looked over at Renji and he nodded. She walked out and down the hallway towards his barrack.

"I'm afraid… that I don't understand you…" Renji eyed him as Byakuya examined a piece of paper on his desk.

"You aren't supposed to…" Byakuya sighed then looked up at his lieutenant. "Listen… I… did something very similar to what you have done… so therefore I am not going to condemn you for it… but…"

&&&

Renji waited until the young boy struck before he stepped to the side and he grabbed the boy's wrist easily flipping him over. Cat calls came from the crowd and Renji chuckled as Keitaro picked himself up.

"What are they doing?" Kazumi stepped up next to General Yamamoto.

"I haven't quite figured that out my dear…" he looked over at the young woman. "How have you been doing? I've heard that you've been frequenting Earth…" her face tinged pink and Yamamoto smiled as again Renji over powered the student again.

"Uhm… yessir…" she looked away. A hand gripped her shoulder and she looked up at Shuhei who stood next to her. "Shuhei…" she smiled and he smiled back.

"Be careful on Earth captain…" Rukia looked over at her. Since the war with Aizen Rukia had been staying in the Soul Society… of course this may be due to the newest addition to the Gotei 13. Shuhei coughed and Kazumi sniggered. "What are you two laughing about?" Rukia looked almost blissfully blank.

"I'm perfectly careful on earth… I am a captain after all…" Kazumi shrugged and yawned.

"Why don't you just bring him up here…" Shuhei asked out loud and Kazumi's cheeks brightened.

"Bring who Hisagi?" She looked over at him and he chuckled nervously. The hot tempered red head was sure to go off if he continued.

"Nobody…" Shuhei shrugged back and she eyed him.

Renji took a blow to the chest then slammed his open palm into the younger's abdomen collapsing him onto the ground. The captains and lieutenants that were watching clapped. Kazumi chuckled as she did and jumped off the railing, much to her lieutenant's dismay. Renji nodded as he walked back to his captain, pulling his kimono back on.

"No bad Abarai… you could have taken him out earlier instead of toying with him…" Byakuya told him and Renji shrugged, rubbing his frozen muscles. "Go take a hot shower and warm up for dinner… you're coming over to have dinner with Rukia and I aren't you?" Renji was too busy rubbing his upper body to realize what his captain had just said, so when he looked up Byakuya sighed.

"What?" He blinked. He had never been invited to come eat dinner at his captain's residence before… especially when Rukia was there.

"Kurosaki's coming with her… you can come too…" he told him and the younger shinigami blinked again. There was no damn way…

"Can…"

"Celeste would be much welcomed… Renji… dress appropriately…" Renji nodded as Byakuya walked off.

"What… changed?" He blinked.

"Something about you reminds him of himself…" Kazumi folded her arms. He had only recently found out that the two of them were cousins. Neither were sure how… but after much speculation on the part of the others they had decided to have Mayuri check and see. The bright red hair linked them; there weren't many people in the Soul Society with red hair.

"How would you know that?" He looked over and Kazumi's eyes met his. Her eyebrows lifted.

"Because I know things about people…" she folded her arms, looking back at Byakuya as he walked off. "Byakuya Kuchiki… is a strange man… but he knows what it's like to be looked down upon. Both our families looked down upon him for marrying outside the nobility… you should know that…" Renji nodded at her words then looked back at his captain.

"Sometimes I wonder if you really are 20 or not…" Renji chuckled.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're over ten…" he punched her shoulder and she laughed.

"Don't harm the captains lieutenant Abarai…" General Yamamoto walked by and Renji nodded.

"I should probably get going… since I'm apparently having Christmas dinner with… the Kuchikis…" Renji still couldn't get over the fact.

"Don't worry… at least you're not having Christmas dinner with a Quincy that thinks you're poisoning the mind of his son…" she shrugged, mentioning what was rumored to be her future father-in-law.

"So you are going to Earth for Christmas dinner…" Renji laughed and Kazumi sighed, Renji could almost see the mushroom cloud of exasperation float from her mouth.

"Yeah… please don't remind me…" she grumbled and walked off.

"I won't… don't worry…" Renji chuckled and turned towards his barracks.

&&&

XDDD I am going nuts with oneshots tonight… Oneshots I have discovered… seem to be my specialty… XDDDDDDD anyways… this should keep getting better… I can't wait for the next chapter…

Shalan